I apologize for not presenting a background as the underlying factors that lead to my post. Duly noted and will attempt to keep that in mind in further posts. To clarify where I’m coming from: I have spent a great part of my life in South America, therefore I have experienced first hand some unstable economies. In college, I took the normal business college requirements and earned a graduate degree in Agricultural Economics. I’m not a very good economist, but I enjoyed the agricultural!

I don’t think I’m necessarily disagreeing with your comment and Scott’s, Pastor Tom’s, Randall’s or Matt’s. I am trying to adjust my mindset from the economics that was ingrained in me at school, and to which I partook, to what you gentlemen are referring to ‘capitalism’ versus biblical economics.

As for the plow, I do wish I had a few others that I could trade/borrow draft implements from that were closer to me. I know of one other family here in Texas- but I can’t believe that given the grand size of this wonderful state that there are not others with the same interests! I just have to find them!

I’m sorry that I can’t at this point trade either of the riding plows, of which Art has two, for a walking plow. This would be a decision up to my beloved brother Art, and I’m sure that he is very serious about continuing with what God has given him and us. Art hasn’t yet decided to invest his plows in Missouri Woods or the Rayville Community Cooperative, but I’m convinced he’d let me borrow either one without usury.

I’d really like to have a walking plow. They appear to be fairly cheap and available, and I’ve got my eye on one that is owned by the son of an acquaintance of ours. It has a metal beam and sideboard, wooden handles, and I can mount a cutting wheel on it also. It appears to be very similar to the one I was trained on, with a 14″ cut. With Sam and Sadie we will have no problems going deep enough. But I haven’t yet asked him if he’s willing to sell it, or what his price might be. Art and I both want one to till our small plots.

Perhaps we can work something out, and pool our resources somehow? I might be able to convince Art to let me buy one of his riding plows. Perhaps we could exchange what I have that you need for something you have that I need? But shipping would be prohibitive, making it all the more obvious why it would be better for all of us to live locally together on the land. I wish I could help you. This would be true wealth indeed! I hope and will pray that God supplies your needs to till the cowpeas and rye.

I found out quickly that if you don’t have more than about an acre, a good walking plow is the way to go. But I’m all for riding, especially if you’ve got a lot of land to cover. The time spent lubing and adjusting the riding plow is really not necessary for small plots. It is so much simpler and faster, if you have the skill, strength and a good team, to go at it with the walker, and you also obtain straighter and more consistent furrows. It is much easier to guide a walking plow exactly where you want it to go, especially in tight places. Of course, I understand that this might be difficult for one with little experience or a lady, and so I would not want to send my wife into the field with a walking plow if I could avoid it.

In touching on your other comments, I confess that I am at this time unable to address them. I am still pondering and thinking about what you have said, and asking God to give me insight as to where you’re coming from, and what your background in economics is. I believe that as I think and meditate upon it, and maybe go back to some of my thoughts and resources on biblical economics and what true wealth production and money is that I will be able to offer some insight or comment upon this.

I’m very busy right now with work, duties and responsibilities in the church, and I’ve been asked to “run the gauntlet” on some things that are very important to me. I will meditate upon what you said, and hope to get back to you later.

With respect,

Jeffrey

Back to topic- In my worldly education, I was taught in my microeconomics class that production is simply the conversion of inputs into outputs. It’s an economic process that uses resources to create a commodity that is suitable for exchange. This exchange is what creates wealth. I don’t think scripture contradicts this. Where the issue begins is when you throw paper money into the equation. If you were to trade a dozen of corn on the cob for a half gallon of raw milk (or some agreed upon ratio), then you’ve become wealthy. Paper money is value-less at the moment, as it’s not backed up by any ‘hard’ currency (gold, silver etc). One finds this out very quickly when you do commerce in any undeveloped country where the paper money’s value changes from hour to hour at times (for many reasons, but predominantly due to the lack of ‘hard’ funding backing it up).

I’ll be the first to admit to having ’succumbed’ to the American Capitalism and all it’s purported security….but our Lord has been patient with me and is transforming me!

Tomorrow we plan, Lord willing, to plow about an acre of ground in order to plant corn and sorghum. 2 years ago if you had asked me if I was interested in farming and plowing I would have said No. Indeed, my whole life has been a slow but deliberate return to the land. There’s something about tilling the soil and seeing true wealth spring up by the miracle of God that gets me very excited indeed. Thank you Lord for being patient with me, and transforming me so that I will appreciate true wealth production on the land!

Somewhat off-topic, perhaps. But when talking about the creation of true wealth, we must never forget the land… and the God who tells us to “have not other gods before Me.”

I guess it could be argued that these verses in context were speaking of physical things made, but then again, money, milk, etc. are physical things. Our creativity would be useless without the physical things to create something with… even the paper federal reserve notes that we call money today. Of course the very reason for our creativity and our desire to grow and prosper and create even more is because we are created in God’s image. That’s why animals don’t posess this capacity.

“But can we not speak of creativity at all without constantly referring to God?” - Jeffrey, the question is not as much do we have to “constantly refer to God”, as it is which God or god are we referring to? Capitalism is a powerful and oft worshipped god in our day. I prefer to worship the Creator rather than the creature.

BTW,when you buy milk at the grocery, you do not exchange it for money, you exchange it for debt… unless you buy with gold, silver or barter. You get the milk, the grocer and the farmer gets to hold our wicked government’s wicked debt (FRNs). What is happening is actually the “creation” of more debt. “Capitalism” as we know it today is possible only because of our accursed fiat monetary system.

What do you produce? If you are a consumer, and not a producer, you don’t know anything about where wealth comes from.

And why do you have a problem with constantly referring to God? Is he somebody that you’d like to keep out of your life and personal kingdom?

Jeff

Now, we might say that God created us to have this capacity for exchange and that’s true, since animals don’t seem to possess it. But can we not speak of creativity at all without constantly referring to God? This seems a bit defensive.

You don’t see a problem with calling capitalism the creator of wealth?! Are you serious?

“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is HE who gives you power to get wealth..” Deut. 8:18a

Free markets are a wonderful thing, but without God’s blessing every profit seeking business under the sun could go belly up tomorrow. Especially since our so-called money is really only a figment of our collective imagination. Capitalism creates nothing, it merely reshuffles and redistributes what God has already given. You might just as easily say socialism is the creator of wealth if you subsist by means of a government check. No, God created everything, and everything belongs to Him. Psalm 24:1:

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”

You have mistaken the tool (capitalism) for the Holy One who wields it and blesses it’s use, or witholds blessing, as He sees fit. We don’t say hammers and saws build houses, and we should not say that capitalism creates wealth. There’s only one Creator.

I’m glad to have someone from Mises.org joining the discussion. I’m pressed for time right now, need to go get the cows in and get them milked, but I will share my concerns with you when I get back in tonight. Anyone else who wants to, is welcome to carry on the conversation without me.

To say a painting is beautiful or say that a painter is creative does not take away from God; the creative capacity of the human person is a dim reflection of the God’s own creative power. So too for the market: to see its is order and capacity to feed the world ultimate points us to the transcendent.