CAPITALISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND USA TODAY.

(Introductory Caveat:
It can be well argued, and it has been argued, that “capitalism” in the best classical sense of the word no longer exists in this modern era of "financial capitalism." We shall, however, use this argument only as a preambular caveat, and proceed with the practical definition of "capitalism," as it exists in our time.)

I was quite thrilled to find this USA Today posting on their website an hour ago. At last they are talking about this very uncomfortable subject!!! So, here is their article, and my very extensive comment on it.---

USA Today, April 20, 2011.
Poll: Americans See Christianity, Capitalism Clash.
By Nicole Neroulias, Religion News Service.

Are Christianity and capitalism a marriage made in heaven, as some conservatives (Some conservatives! So, what does this tell us about conservatism in America?) believe, or more of a strained relationship in need of some serious couples' counseling?
A new poll released Thursday found that more Americans (44 %) see the free market system at odds with Christian values than those who don’t (36 %), whether they are white evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, or minority Christians.
But in other demographic breakdowns, several categories lean the other way: Republicans and the Tea Party members, college graduates, and members of high-income households view the systems as more compatible than not.
The poll, conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service, found that although conservative Christians and evangelicals tend to want their clergy to speak out on issues like abortion and homosexuality, they also tend to hold left-of-center views on some economic issues.
“Throughout the Bible we see numerous passages about being our brother’s keeper, welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and healing the sick,” said Dr. Andrew D. Walsh, author of Religion, Economics and Public Policy and a religion professor at Culver-Stockton College.
“The idea that we are autonomous individuals competing for limited resources without concern for the welfare of others is a philosophy that is totally alien to the Bible, and in my view, antithetical to genuine Christianity.”
The findings add a new wrinkle to national debates over the size and role of government and raise questions about the impact of the Tea Party’s cut-the-budget pressure on the GOP and its traditional base of religious conservatives. The poll found stronger religious distinctions over the question of businesses acting ethically without government regulation, and whether faith leaders should speak out about economic concerns, such as the budget deficit and the minimum wage.
White evangelicals (44 %) are more likely than the other Christians or the general population to believe that unregulated businesses would still behave ethically and place a higher priority on religious leaders speaking out about social issues over economic concerns.
Minority Christians in contrast believe clergy should be vocal about both areas particularly on the economic issue of home foreclosures, which 76 % considered important, compared to 46 % of the general population.
“Minority Christians have a deep theological tradition of connecting faith and economic justice, and we see that link in the survey, said Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. Because minorities in the U.S. generally continue to have lower incomes than whites, economic issues are also more salient in these congregations.”
In other findings:
•Half of women believe that capitalism and Christian values are at odds, compared to 37 % of men.
•A majority (53 %) of Democrats believe capitalism and Christian values are at odds, compared to 37 % of Republicans and 41% of independents. A majority (56%) of Tea Party members say capitalism is consistent with Christian values.
•Nearly half (46%) of Americans with household incomes of $100000 a year or more believe that capitalism is consistent with Christian values, compared to just 23% of those with household incomes of $30000 a year or less.
•Most Americans (61 %) disagree that businesses would act ethically on their own without regulation from the government. White evangelicals (44 %) are more likely than Catholics (36 %), white mainline (33 %) or minority Christians (34 %) to say unregulated businesses would act ethically.
“The most idolatrous claim of the Christian right is that the invisible hand of the free market ... is none other than the hand of God,” Walsh said, “and any attempt to regulate the free market, according to this theology, belies a lack of faith in God.”
The Reverend Jennifer Butler, executive director of the Washington-based group Faith in Public Life, said the fact that religious values seem to trump political or class differences can help groups like hers advocate for the poor.
And in ongoing debates in Washington over the budget and cuts to domestic spending, that means “making the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay their fair share in taxes,” she said.
“People of faith have a unique ability to show political leaders that the economy is a moral issue,” she said. “Even some members of Congress are beginning to echo our argument that protecting the most vulnerable as we get out of debt is a moral duty.”
The PRRI/RNS Religion News Poll was based on telephone interviews of 1,010 U.S. adults between April 14 and 17. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
(End of the USA Today piece.)

...As far as my very extensive comment on it is concerned, I am referring my reader to the following postings on my blog (being excerpts from the section Capitalism and Christianity: A Contradiction in Terms of my book Nunc Dimittis), all published in January 2011:

For Whom The Closing Bell Tolls; Economics And Human Nature; and To Owe Or Not To Own.
There are also several aphoristic entries, themed Capitalism and Christianity: A Contradiction in Terms, in my blog posts Apte Dictum and More Apte Dictum.