"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
“significant money as a down payment to buy property and secure a mortgage.”
Totally different issue, you were buying something. Actually, you didn’t give the mortgage company the money. You gave it to the seller of the property and the mortgage company put up the difference. Then the mortgage company holds a lien on your house as collateral in case you default. There is no case in which you give someone money just to lend you money. How does giving someone money insure their loan? They are still risking the balance of the loan if there is no collateral to collect in case of default. School loans are based on the assumption that a college graduate is likely to be in a position in life to be able to pay off the loan and to feel an obligation, due to social status, to pay off the loan. Furthermore, they are often government backed, eliminating the risk to the lender.