Posted on 09/09/2009 11:56:34 AM PDT by politicket
Here’s a thought to ponder.
Let’s think of a community of families that each agree to put aside a minimum of $100 CASH a month. They agree that this cash will henceforth ONLY be spent within the community – and physical cash will be the only currency accepted. Any purchases not made in the community will be made with other resources.
There would be no “central bank” within the community. There would be no central figure to “trust”. The only requirement is a verbal agreement to use that money within the community by buying and selling with other members, or investing in a member’s business idea as a stakeholder. Investments would not earn any interest, but investors would reap the rewards of a percentage of possible profits.
Sound crazy? Why would this be a good idea? Let me provide an example:
Let’s say that we have 50 families that agree to form a “community”, which each family agreeing to put a minimum of $100/month into the community. How would they do this? Who would they give the money to? They wouldn’t give the money to anybody. Each family would just set it aside, with the purpose of not spending the money for ANY purpose outside of the community. Let’s say that I wanted to buy a lawn tractor from “Bob”, and Bob is in the community. Great! Bob would get money from me and I would get a lawn tractor. However, Bob would still keep that money in the community. He might pay “Jeff” some money to resurface his driveway. Fantastic! Jeff gets paid, and Bob gets a resurfaced driveway. As you guessed, Jeff keeps the money he makes inside the community.
Our sample community would have minimum assets of 50 families x $100 = $5,000/month contributed into it. This would equate to a minimum of $60,000/year. After 10 years, the community would have a minimum of $600,000. Why do I keep saying “minimum”? Because it really doesn’t matter how much a particular family sets aside for sole use in the community. The minimum should just be some amount that encourages families to save that amount each month and/or use it for trade within the community. What if somebody got laid off from their job? Do they get kicked out of the community? No. But they should try to not spend any “community” money they might have for items outside the community.
What purpose does all of this have? I believe it’s a way to take our current monetary system and use it in a biblical way. The money circulating in the community would not have usury attached to it. Also, the money would not have any ability to be leveraged into “new money” like the fractional reserve system practices. There would be no concept of “debt” with community money, since no loans are ever given out. There is the ability to participate as shareholders for a business idea that community members might invest in – but there is no obligation to do so. The assets of the community would grow every month, as that money can be used to God’s glory.
Here’s another great byproduct of creating a community. There is no bank involved. There are no fees, overdrafts, etc.
Community money would never enter America’s banking system. This means that banks would have less opportunity to create new debt slaves. Our example above shows minimum community assets of $5,000/month. This takes away the banking system’s ability to create $50,000 of loans to debt slaves – EVERY MONTH. After a year, the community would have a minimum of $60,000 circulating within it. The banks would lose out on the ability to create $600,000 of loans to debt slaves. Is that a great ministry opportunity or what?
Would there be taxes due to Caesar on community transactions? Possibly. Any taxes would need to be paid from money outside of the community, so as to not pollute the community money.
Sound intriguing?
Matthew 25:14-30
14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Two points:
1) Money in the community would be getting used for goods and services within the community. Plus community money could easily be used to invest in profit-making endeavors. This would indicate a community that is based upon the first two servants.
2) Are you suggesting that earning interest in banks is a good thing? And that this parable condones it?
You’re talking about community scrip, and it’s already being used in some places in lieu of cash. It’s perfectly legal.
http://www.detroitscrip.org/About%20Detroit%20Cheers.htm
For example.
I realize that. It's sort of like "Disney Dollars". But I'm referring to a system that just uses Federal Reserve Notes, so that a special scrip is not needed.
It's easier to get involved in, and is more loose-knit.
Scrip, like that being used in Detroit, depends upon a backing of Federal Reserve Notes.
Just simply using FRN's takes away the possible risk that the backing may not exist.
So what is the point? To get people to pledge to exchange a minimum amount of goods and services within the group? That might work in a small, rural, distant community. But where people have a work product that is not a tangible need for the others, it becomes a little trickier.
This doesn't sound much different than a co-op.
The communities would use what is "liability-based" currency - Federal Reserve Notes - as "capital-based" currency. The money coming into the community each month would be capital, not based on taking out a loan (which is how our banking system operates).
The communities would operate on much more that a "what product or service do you have for me" principle. There would also be ample opportunity to invest in possible profit making ideas.
Let me give you an example. The Korean community keeps their Federal Reserve Notes largely within their own community. Thus, over the year, they have been able to purchase HUGE swaths of Los Angeles real estate and build an absolutely thriving economy - even while the economy around them crumbles.
This is the same concept, but without loans and credit cards introducing debt into the community system.
You could think of it as a money co-op, but without as many rules. There would be no cost to join, etc.
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