The recent ‘shake up’ in the international economic systems and consequent ‘recession’ has raised a whole new debate about the health of wealth. Money isn’t a simple, wholesome and value-neutral commodity. Its no longer backed by real wealth and it isn’t created by Government or by people but by banks, when they make new loans and the interest on these loans requires the very growth economy that is now transgressing the limits of human communities and the natural resources of our world. 95% of money is based on interest-bearing bank loans. In the Bible Jews were forbidden to take interest from each other. It was called usury – remember! How money is created, by whom and on what terms actually creates an artificial world of winners and losers, a world where abundantly creative humans are pitted against one another for scarce money while all around them – and in them – is the real wealth to create a rich life for everyone. By issuing money to unproductive or privileged clients of the money monopoly at more favourable terms and by demanding higher interest rates from the rest, the banking system redistributes from producers to privileged non-producers. Humans have ingeniously created the marvelous money system for exchange amongst each other but it has been monopolised and distorted to an intolerable degree and needs reinventing for supporting social justice, community self-reliance, economic democracy and personal freedom. Complementary currencies, without interest, are springing up all around the world creating a life-serving medium of exchange and helping God’s dream on its way.

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