God Is Not a Fan of the Banking Industry

Do a quick Google search and you’ll find that God, as worshipped by Jews, Christians and Muslims, has some strong feelings about interest charges—or usury, as it’s known in the Hebrew Bible. Here’s a doozy from Ezekiel: “Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.” Ouch.

The next time Visa calls looking for a payment, try hitting them up with Exodus 22:25: “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.”

Of course, they might throw Leviticus 20:9 back in your face. That’s the one that says, “For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.”

Incidentally, Leviticus is the same book homophobes cite when they seek biblical justification, so 20:9 is a good one to keep in your back pocket.

Detail from Creation of the Sun and Moon by Michelangelo