Home > Other critiques of Christian doctrine
"Christians allow and take interest, straying from Allah's justice, while Jesus (peace be upon him) opposed such greed. He flipped the money-changers' tables (Matthew 21:12-13), condemning exploitation tied to profit-making like interest. The Qur'an forbids it: ‘But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury' (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:275). Christians ignore this, building banks and economies on what Allah hates, showing they've lost his way.
Jesus taught righteousness—‘We gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance and light' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:46)—and the Qur'an says, ‘The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:75). In Islam, we follow his spirit—‘Allah loves those who act justly' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:42)—rejecting interest to keep wealth fair. Their acceptance proves they've drifted from Jesus' call to worship Allah alone, not worldly gain."
The assertion that Christians "stray from Allah's justice" by accepting interest is based on a false equivalence between the Biblical condemnation of exploitative usury and modern, regulated commercial interest. Christians uphold the spirit of Christ's justice by maintaining this crucial distinction.
1. The Biblical Law Condemned Exploitation, Not Investment
The Christian position is rooted in the Old Testament Law, which strictly forbade charging interest (usury) only on loans made to the poor or needy within the community (Exodus 22:25).
2. Christ's Action and the Parable of Investment
Christ's actions and teachings confirm the ethical legitimacy of commercial return.
Conclusion
The Christian economic ethic is not based on legalistic prohibition but on the internal morality of love and justice (Matthew 22:37-40). We dismiss the charge that Christians have "lost his way." Our practice fulfills the highest mandate of the Law by demanding mercy for the poor while engaging in just and responsible commercial practice.