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IL News 003/2015
These are several points that Paul Marshall delivered in the Marketplace Dialogue event titled “Business, Opportunities, and Public Space” in Bandung Theological Seminary (STT Bandung), on the 24th of February 2015. The event was held in collaboration between STT Bandung and Leimena Institute.
Protestant Reformists emphasized that work on earth—including business—is a Christian service. Martin Luther for example, said “Just look at your tools — at your needle or thimble, your beer barrel, your goods, your scales or yardsticks or measure… You have preachers as many as you have transactions, goods, tools, and other things in your house.”
Like Luther, William Tyndale, Father of the English Bible said, “If you compare action with action, then there is a difference between washing dishes and spreading the Word of God; but in the case of pleasing God, there is no difference at all.”
Meanwhile, John Calvin emphasized that business is a divine gift, to serve God and man. For Calvin, business is a way God has given to support each other: “it is not enough for one to say, ‘Oh… I work, I have a business, I lead.’ This is not enough, because he has to pay attention on whether it is good and profitable for the society and can serve others… And this is why we are compared to limbs.”
Calvin also emphasized the benefit — utilizing the gift God has given: “It is not God’s will that we have to be like wooden blocks… but we have to use all the gifts and excellence that He has gifted us with.”
The themes expressed by these Protestant reformists have a resonance in many modern economic researches. Economists such as Robert Barro for example, summarized that religion has a real effect towards the economic growth and development – strengthening the faith that affect someone’s character such as saving, work ethics, honesty, and openness towards strangers.
Calvin also emphasized on the importance of freedom. For Calvin, society, economy, and politics are based on the free submission to God and free action in the society— surrendering the self freely. This emphasis to conscience and free servitude resonates with many modern researches about religious freedom, economy, and business.
Specifically for religious freedom, this enables people to make their own choices in important things. This elevates their private responsibilities and helped to develop their entrepreneurship. On the contrary, restriction in religious freedom weakens the economy.
Restricting religious freedom causes entrepreneurs to flee and weakens the interest from foreign-labors, decreases the development of human resources, and also weakens creativity and innovation. Restricting religious freedom also diminishes the trust between ethnic and religious groups, which decreases social capital.
From the economic aspect, religious freedom tends to relate with good economic outcome. According to a research done by Georgetown University and Brigham Young University, religious freedom is one of the three main factors related to global economic development. This research sees the GDP development in 173 countries in 2011, by paying attention to 24 monetary, social, and policy factors that affected it.
Aside from that, religious freedom also determines the status of women in the society. From the innovation aspect, it was found that countries with low religious restriction and hatred have twice the ability to innovate compared with countries that apply strict religious freedom. The amount of corruption in those kinds of countries (which applies strict religious freedom) is usually higher.
Because of that, we can summarize that religious freedom has a contribution for a better economy and business. The development in religious freedom is an important thing in the business community, government, and society because it can push towards successful and sustainable business that profits both the society and ourselves. **
