Are Christianity and Capitalism Compatible?
By: Ana Imes
On October 14, Dr. Ross McCullough and Dr. Jekabs Bikis participated in a debate at George Fox University (GFU). Bikis argued that Christians should support capitalism, and McCullough argued that Christians should reject capitalism and aim for something better.
The debate was sponsored by GFU’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a right-wing organization that is technically non-partisan but promotes conservative ideology at high schools and universities. Club officers handed out “I Love Capitalism” buttons at the door, and brightly colored signs read “Big Government Scares” and “Don’t Tread Bruh.”
Bikis spoke first. He cited statistics showing that capitalism reduces poverty and improves quality of life around the world. Reminding the audience that Christians are supposed to be good stewards of our resources, he argued that supply and demand incentivizes good stewardship and that this sort of incentive is only available under capitalism.
Dr. Jekabs Bikis
Photo credit: Turning Point
Bikis claimed that we can bear God’s image best under capitalism because of the freedom, innovation, and creativity that capitalism fosters. In contrast, Bikis argued, socialism reduces freedom and provides no incentive for good stewardship, innovation, or creativity. He concluded that socialism does not allow us to bear God’s image effectively.
McCullough began his rebuttal by listing some of the trade-offs of capitalism. He reminded us that under our current economic system we give up communal belonging and kinship networks in exchange for individual autonomy and material prosperity. He sees those daily sacrifices as the primary obstacle to human flourishing. “Most of us feel and know instinctively that the obstacle to our happiness . . . is not that [we] have too little autonomy, but that [we] will live lives of vice [and experience] social isolation and lack of community,” McCullough said.
Dr. Ross McCullough
Photo credit: Turning Point
McCullough suggested that to move closer to human flourishing, we should move towards a post-capitalist system in which making choices for the benefit of the community is easier. He explained the significance of giving employees and the community a say in how companies are managed, which rewards social progress instead of profit maximization. He recommended heavy tax incentives from the government to encourage this kind of social ownership.
The remainder of the debate primarily consisted of the two professors arguing about which system is better at promoting morality. McCullough claimed that free markets encourage desire fulfillment rather than goodness, whereas Bikis argued that humans as image bearers of God know what they want and need, and that their autonomy must be respected. Bikis grew up in Latvia and saw the impact of the Soviet Union there, and urged students not to relinquish their freedoms.
Unfortunately, McCullough’s arguments will not be convincing for those who simply value their autonomy over communal good. There are trade-offs to both embracing or rejecting capitalism, and our preferred system will be largely determined by what we are willing to give up. Despite Bikis’ and Turning Point’s well-founded fears, I am willing to give up my autonomy to strengthen my community, but I need others to do the same in order to make an impact.
This becomes a collective action problem for many. We don’t trust others to keep our best interests in mind, so we hold tightly to our autonomy. It seems that capitalism has forced us into this paradigm. Those who primarily consider self-interest are rewarded, and love of neighbor is often reserved for those who can responsibly afford it.
This is not to say that those who support capitalism do not love their neighbor. Many capitalists go out of their way to do so, through charitable donations and other methods. But, as McCullough argued, we shouldn’t have to go out of our way to love our neighbor. Opportunities to love those in our community should be built into the system. We should be able to use our daily economic decisions for the benefit of others, not just ourselves. As any broke college student knows, capitalism does not allow for this.