Of Pawnshops, Immortal Souls, and Redeemers
April 8, 2016
G.D.O'Bradovich III
background
We have previously hinted at the correlations between indulgences, pawn shops and immortal souls, however, we believe that a clear explanation of the implications among the subjects is needed. To that end, we will quote from the Fifth Lateran council concerning decrees on the immortal soul and “credit organizations” and from the Oxford English dictionary for the origins and meanings of the word “redeemer”.
part the first
Session 10, May 14, 1515, [On the reform of credit organisations (Montes pietatis)]
Credit organisations and have been set up ... [and] They have been praised and encouraged by holy men... and approved and confirmed also by a number of ... popes, to the effect that the said credit organisations are not out of harmony with Christian dogma. . .
Holy men and Popes have declared that “credit organizations” are acceptable to Christian dogma.
Some of these masters and doctors say that the credit organisations are unlawful. After a fixed period of time has passed... these organisations demand [of the borrowers that]... they make a loan ... in addition to the capital sum. For this reason they cannot avoid the crime of usury or injustice...
We learn that usury is a type of injustice.
The real meaning of usury: when, from its use, a thing which produces nothing is applied to the acquiring of gain and profit without any work, any expense or any risk. The same masters and doctors add that in these credit organisations neither commutative nor distributive justice is observed, even though contracts of this kind... ought not to go beyond the bounds of justice.
The careless reader may innocently confuse indulgences and interest, as both produce nothing and result in gain without work or expense or risk. Once again, the limits of justice should be observed.
But many other masters and doctors say [that credit organizations]... may lawfully ask and receive... a moderate and necessary sum from those deriving benefit from the loan, provided that no profit is made therefrom. This is in virtue of the rule of law that the person who experiences benefit ought also to meet the charge, especially when there is added the support of the apostolic authority.
Ecclesiastical thinkers have reasoned that moderate sums may be required from the borrower, with the caveat that no profit accrues from this “charge”. Not surprisingly, the Papacy supports this type of arrangement.
We wish to make suitable arrangements on this question (in accord with what we have received from on high). We commend the zeal for justice ... which desires to prevent the opening up of the chasm of usury, as well as the love of piety and truth ... which wishes to aid the poor. . .
The Pope states that the decrees are not the product of human reasoning or philosophy [commutative and distributive justice], but of Divine revelation [“received from on high”].
We declare ... that... credit organisations, established by states and hitherto approved and confirmed by the authority of the apostolic see, do not introduce any kind of evil or provide any incentive to sin if they receive ... a moderate sum for their expenses and by way of compensation, provided it is intended exclusively to defray the expenses of those employed and ... to the upkeep of the organisations, and provided that no profit is made therefrom. They ought not... be condemned in any way.
In order not to incur a profit, the suggested moderate sum must be equal to wages, upkeep and depreciation.
Such a type of lending is meritorious and should be praised and approved. It certainly should not be considered as usurious; it is lawful to preach the piety and mercy of such organisations to the people, including the indulgences granted for this purpose by the holy apostolic see; and in the future, with the approval of the apostolic see, other similar credit organisations can be established.
Lending institutions where profits approach nil are “praised and approved”. It is stated that such organizations are pious and merciful. We suggest that “other similar credit organizations” to be established include the concept known today as “central banks”. Although central banks are not considered charity, when one realizes that the credit creates infrastructure (and employment) and allows the purchase of food, clothing and housing, then central banks can be described as displaying the Christian ideal of “mercy”.
At the end of the fiscal year 2016, the gross federal debt is $19.3 trillion and the Federal Reserve made a profit of $98.7 billion; and $98.7 divided by $19,300 billion equals 0.0051139896, or a suggested interest rate of .5 %. Clearly, a rate this is less than one percent is not usurious. As all “profits” of the Federal Reserve are transferred to the Treasury Depart, one may consider the Federal Reserve as a “non profit” organization.
At the end of the fiscal year 2016, the gross federal debt is $19.3 trillion and the Federal Reserve made a profit of $98.7 billion; and $98.7 divided by $19,300 billion equals 0.0051139896, or a suggested interest rate of .5 %. Clearly, a rate this is less than one percent is not usurious. As all “profits” of the Federal Reserve are transferred to the Treasury Depart, one may consider the Federal Reserve as a “non profit” organization.
It would, however, be much more perfect and more holy if such credit organisations were completely gratuitous: that is, if those establishing them provided definite sums with which would be paid, if not the total expenses, then at least half the wages of those employed by the organisations, with the result that the debt of the poor would be lightened thereby. We therefore decree that Christ's faithful ought to be prompted, by a grant of substantial indulgences, to give aid to the poor by providing the sums of which we have spoken, in order to meet the costs of the organisations.
Perfection and holiness are in directly proportional to being free or incurring no profit. “Substantial indulgences” are granted to those that donate money to the credit organizations to help defray the cost of wages-one party creates the credit institution and other parties donate money to pay the wages. We are uncertain as to the nature of these “substantial indulgences”.
part the second
Session 8, December 19, 1513 [Condemnation of every proposition contrary to the truth of the enlightened Christian faith]
The burden of apostolic government ever drives us on so that, for the weaknesses of souls requiring to be healed... and for those ills in particular which are now seen to be pressing most urgently on the faithful...
The reader may be surprised to learn that one of the most urgent ills facing the faithful in the year 1513 is the question of the immortality of the soul. We cannot but wonder why this important question was not addressed until such a late date and we remind the reader that the Orthodox Church has no dogma regarding the immortal soul, therefore any Christian explanations of the immortal soul have their origin in Roman Catholic teaching.
In our days ... the ancient enemy of the human race, has dared to ... multiply ... some extremely pernicious errors, which have always been rejected by the faithful, especially on the nature of the rational soul, with the claim that it is mortal, or only one among all human beings, and since some... assert that this proposition is true ... it is our desire to apply suitable remedies ... we condemn and reject all those who insist that the intellectual soul is mortal, or that it is only one among all human beings, and those who suggest doubts on this topic.
The idea of a mortal soul is not “pernicious” in and of itself, but the implications for a mortal soul may “overthrow the faith of some”, as Saint Paul writes to condemn the belief that the resurrection is in the past.
For the soul not only truly exists of itself and essentially as the form of the human body, as ... promulgated in the general council of Vienne, but it is also immortal; and further, for the enormous number of bodies into which it is infused individually, it can and ought to be and is multiplied. This is clearly established from the gospel ... otherwise, the incarnation and other mysteries of Christ would be of no benefit to us, nor would resurrection be something to look forward to, and the saints and the just would be (as the Apostle says) the most miserable of all people.
The council of Vienne was allegedly held in the years 1311-12 AD. It seems odd that if this council promulgated the immortal soul, this dogma would need to be reiterated two hundred years later. If the immortal soul is “clearly established from the gospel”, then there would be no need to restate either what the gospel has long taught or appeal to the authority of the council of Vienne. We are uncertain why the concept of mortal souls alters the dogmas of the incarnation and the resurrection.
We define that every statement contrary to the enlightened truth of the faith is totally false and we strictly forbid teaching otherwise to be permitted. We decree that all those who cling to erroneous statements of this kind... should be avoided in every way and punished as ... heretics and infidels who are undermining the catholic faith.
There is no doubt that the “enlightened truth of the faith” is the authority of the Pope to decree dogmas through the process of revelation due to his position as the Vicar of Christ. We suggest that “heretics and infidels” are colorful words describing the Orthodox Church, whereas modern Papists declare the Orthodox faithful to be “schismatics”, that is, the Orthodox have some, but not all, of the revealed Christian truth.
Every philosopher who teaches ... the principles or conclusions of philosophers, where these are known to deviate from the true faith—as in the assertion of the soul's mortality or of there being only one soul or of the eternity of the world and other topics of this kind—they are ... to clarify ... the truth of the Christian religion, to teach it by convincing arguments, so far as this is possible, and to apply themselves to the full extent of their energies to refuting and disposing of the philosophers' opposing arguments, since all the solutions are available.
The “true faith” and the “truth of the Christian religion” are appellations to Roman Catholicism. Certain philosophers reason or conclude that the soul is mortal, there is only one soul that is shared by all of humanity and that the matter is eternal; it was not created from nothing. We are amused that teachers are to employ “convincing arguments, so far as this is possible”, as this suggests that revealed Papal truth may not be reasonable and possibly refutable.
Since the prolonged study of human philosophy... lacks the flavouring of divine wisdom and the light of revealed truth—sometimes leads to error rather than to the discovery of the truth...
“Divine wisdom” is to be understood as revelations granted to the Pope. The contrast between human reasoning and “the light of revealed truth” is brought to the forefront. It is ironic that the pursuit of love of wisdom is thought to lead to error rather than truth.
None of those in sacred orders... may devote themselves to the study of philosophy or poetry for longer than five years... without their giving some time to the study of theology or pontifical law. Once these five years are past, if someone wishes to sweat over such studies, he may do so only if ... he actively devotes himself to theology or the sacred canons; so that the Lord's priests may find the means, in these holy and useful occupations, for cleansing and healing the infected sources of philosophy and poetry.
Philosophy and poetry are designated as “infected sources” and are thought to be cleansed by the study of “theology”, “pontifical law” and the “sacred canons”. We are uncertain to the reason why poetry is designated as “infected”.
We command, in virtue of holy obedience, that these canons are to be published each year ... by the local ordinaries ... where institutes of general studies flourish.
Not surprisingly, obedience is considered a virtue. We recall the opposite claims of revealed religion and reason: living in obedience or a living in freedom.
part the third
The following information on the word “redeemer” is courtesy of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Pertinent points to our discussion are in bold face type.
Pertinent points to our discussion are in bold face type.
French, redemer; Latin, redimere.
< Anglo-Norman (rare) redemer,
Middle French redimer (French rédimer ) (of God or Christ)
to deliver (a person or soul) from sin and its consequences (end of the 14th cent.; for the earlier Anglo-Norman and Old French verb,
to get rid of (a burden or obligation) by making a payment (1439),
to recover (a thing put in pledge) by paying an amount due (15th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman),
to ransom (a person) from slavery, captivity, or punishment (a1506 or earlier),
to make good (a loss) (1572),
to save (oneself) from trouble (1573) and its etymon classical Latin redimere to buy back, to recover by purchase, to buy up, to make good, to pay the cost of, to fulfil (a promise), to make up or atone for, to contract for, to procure the release of (a person) by payment, to ransom, to buy (someone out of a predicament), to rescue, save, to get rid of by monetary concessions, buy off, ...
Per Wikipedia:
A pawnbroker is an individual or business ... that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral.
If an item is pawned for a loan ... within a certain contractual period of time the pawner may redeem it for the amount of the loan plus some agreed-upon amount for interest.
We note that in the description of pawnshops that property is redeemed.
conclusion
The operation of pawnshops and the hoped for redemption of collateral are inseparable. The Christian faithful learn that items may be redeemed from the pawnbroker and this concept of redemption is paralleled by the release of souls of the departed from Purgatory through good works and indulgences. As we stated previously, the mortal soul is not a “pernicious” idea by itself. However, if souls are mortal, and die with the body, then there cannot be any souls in Purgatory, and if Purgatory has no souls, then indulgences cannot be granted by Papal authority to lessen the time of the deceased's purification in Purgatory. Therefore, the granting of indulgences would be pointless, as there would be no souls being purified in Purgatory.
The statement that the concept of an immortal soul is clear from the New Testament must be fully explored. For example, we suggest that it is clear from scripture that it was revealed to Saint Peter that Christ is the son of the living God, however, the concept of an immortal soul is never stated and the immortal soul must be reasoned from, and deduced from select passages from scripture.
We quote in full:
The statement that the concept of an immortal soul is clear from the New Testament must be fully explored. For example, we suggest that it is clear from scripture that it was revealed to Saint Peter that Christ is the son of the living God, however, the concept of an immortal soul is never stated and the immortal soul must be reasoned from, and deduced from select passages from scripture.
We quote in full:
This [the immortal soul] is clearly established from the gospel when the Lord says, [1] They cannot kill the soul; and in another place, [2] Whoever hates his life in this world, will keep it for eternal life and when [3] he promises eternal rewards and eternal punishments to those who will be judged according to the merits of their life.
The first paraphrase is from Saint Matthew 10:28- “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
This quote seems to taken out of context to convince the reader of the veracity of the immortal soul, however Jesus clearly states that someone, presumably God, is able to destroy the soul. The word “apollymi” is translated in the King James Version as “perish” (33 times), “destroy” (26 times), “lose” (22 times), “be lost” (5 times), and “lost” (4 times).
The second paraphrase is from the fourth Gospel 12:25- “He that loveth his life shall lose [apollymi] it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
Once again, the text seems to be taken out of context, as the introductory statement of loving one's live and losing it is omitted. Although there is no indication of an immortal soul, it is clear that “life eternal” is offered to the faithful and this belief in eternal life is shared by the Roman and Greek Churches. Protestants claim scripture as their guide, yet not all profess the belief in eternal life. Adherence to the plain meaning of the Bible, without any guidance other than one’s own understanding, has created various and opposite opinions that are not taught by either the Catholic or Orthodox Churches.
The third paraphrase is from the Epistle to the Romans 2:6-9: “[God] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.”
Saint Paul clearly states the rewards of “immortality” and “eternal life” for those who seek it and “indignation and wrath” for those who are unrighteous, where “tribulation and anguish” can be understood as the rewards to those who have rejected Christ.
We suggest that these three appeals to the authority of scripture are examples of attempting to teach “by convincing arguments, so far as this is possible.” While Scripture and Tradition are clear regarding eternal life following the final Judgment, there is no clarity in scripture regarding the concept of an immortal soul. We previously noted that without immortal souls to populate Purgatory, the concept of purifying fires and granting of indulgences have no basis in reason. We remind the Gentle Reader that the Orthodox Church has no revelation regarding the existence of Purgatory.
We offer the following selected quotes:
This quote seems to taken out of context to convince the reader of the veracity of the immortal soul, however Jesus clearly states that someone, presumably God, is able to destroy the soul. The word “apollymi” is translated in the King James Version as “perish” (33 times), “destroy” (26 times), “lose” (22 times), “be lost” (5 times), and “lost” (4 times).
The second paraphrase is from the fourth Gospel 12:25- “He that loveth his life shall lose [apollymi] it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
Once again, the text seems to be taken out of context, as the introductory statement of loving one's live and losing it is omitted. Although there is no indication of an immortal soul, it is clear that “life eternal” is offered to the faithful and this belief in eternal life is shared by the Roman and Greek Churches. Protestants claim scripture as their guide, yet not all profess the belief in eternal life. Adherence to the plain meaning of the Bible, without any guidance other than one’s own understanding, has created various and opposite opinions that are not taught by either the Catholic or Orthodox Churches.
The third paraphrase is from the Epistle to the Romans 2:6-9: “[God] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.”
Saint Paul clearly states the rewards of “immortality” and “eternal life” for those who seek it and “indignation and wrath” for those who are unrighteous, where “tribulation and anguish” can be understood as the rewards to those who have rejected Christ.
We suggest that these three appeals to the authority of scripture are examples of attempting to teach “by convincing arguments, so far as this is possible.” While Scripture and Tradition are clear regarding eternal life following the final Judgment, there is no clarity in scripture regarding the concept of an immortal soul. We previously noted that without immortal souls to populate Purgatory, the concept of purifying fires and granting of indulgences have no basis in reason. We remind the Gentle Reader that the Orthodox Church has no revelation regarding the existence of Purgatory.
We offer the following selected quotes:
[Christ is] exalted at the right hand of God... Acts 2:33
Christ Jesus is the one ... who is at the right hand of God... Romans 8:34
Christ [is] seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places... Ephesians 1:20
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:3
[Christ] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God... 1 Peter 3:22
While we are uncertain regarding the validity of arguments from the New Testament regarding the immortal soul, Scripture states explicitly on multiple occasions that Christ was resurrected and he sits at the right hand of God. Since no one suggests that souls, immortal or otherwise, can sit, it must obvious that Christ is in possession of a body. Therefore, we conclude that any concerns or questions or comments about the existence of the immortal soul are irrelevant to Christianity, as the faithful hope for the resurrection of the body, they do not hope for the resurrection of the soul.
Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Simon Peter 3:15-16