[Zero Sum]

It's only intended to make you think

Mission accomplished, then! Just look at all the proverbial ink we've spilled over a simple medieval English folk song. :)

although I think that Medieval Man was thinking that it was only justice, along the lines of the "They Needed Killing" defense (which is still good in certain Southern states)

In the intrest of the continuance of the currently friendly North-South relations, this damn Yankee's not going to touch that one! :)

Imagine what St. Athanasius would think of our borrowing and lending money at interest!!!

Imagine, indeed! Given the epidemic of personal debt, perhaps that's something we should rethink as well.

Now, just to keep my conservative credentials free from suspicion, I should state for the record that people ought to be responsible enough to make their own financial decisions... and by NO means would I advocate making yet another LAW to restrict that! :) However, those same set of conservative principles (namely common sense) would show the wisdom of saving instead of taking loans at interest whenever feasible.

At any rate, I have yet to be convinced that usury is an essential part of a free-market economy.

Also, IIRC, old Lewis wasn't too hot on the concept of usury, either...

[AnAmericanMother]

The problem is defining usury.

What is the "fair" cost of renting money? Secured? Unsecured? Bad credit risk? How will construction contractors get their money before the concrete's in the ground?

It's easy to say you'll outlaw pawnshops and payday loans, but there are improvident folks who rely on them to get from paycheck to paycheck. Nobody wants 'em to starve or get thrown on the street.

And, of course, when medieval beliefs forbade lending at interest, they got around it by importing Jewish moneylenders. The Treasure and the Law

By the way, that's the last story in Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill, ostensibly a children's book but, as Kipling himself admitted, actually written for grownups.

[AnAmericanMother]

Just look at all the proverbial ink we've spilled over a simple medieval English folk song. :)

I can spill an enormous amount of ink over almost anything!