QinHui, the history professor of the humanities and social sciences college in TsingHua University, analyzed the historical facts on Chinese financial development through dynasties in his article , and pointed out that centralized government has a strong deriving ability in national finance; dire consequences of government monopolization are often countrywide chaos; the nature of monopolization is that power dominates finance all the time and controls property, so the truly free competitive financial and marketing being are disturbed. The problem is not to choose supporting or depressing, but to make sure of justified process and government power restrained.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." (Psm:19:7-9) Truth in the holy bible is perfect, so it helps people more than go back to the right path or guided through life. (However, many people have regarded God's grace as faith, and faith as religion, religion as a manual for earthly protection pathetically!) Since God has revealed Jesus Christ, it must be above general bless. Through the revelation in holy bible, we can see more clear about the essence of the financial, power and system conundrum:
1. Reaching the end of one's tether when in sin. Whether to depress or support merger, the process justified or not, the system proper or not...... If one is in sin, whatever kind of a fight a sinner puts up will only be struggles. Priority here is sinners to be saved, life to be renewed. Isn't this the greatness of holy bible? To circle men in their sins so that they could hope to be saved.
2. Know about true power, answer to justice. "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream!" (Amo:5:24) The loss of justice on earth is due to human's resistance towards God, and our self-righteousness. But in fact, only God has perfect justice, and he is the source of all justice and righteousness. Justice means to have rightful power and order, and proper relation between them. When people don't know about God, don't respect him, someone has to come out to play "God", and monopolizes finance, power and everything by excusing being the son of God. The nurturing bed--monopolization of power leads to corruption, and corrupted people bring out more corruption. So no matter how to revolute, turbulence always come, so far as to volcano ones.
3. Justice includes rightful relation and proper distribution, which roots in kindness and honesty. God didn't speak about balancing the rich and the poor, or to not develop. Instead, he spoke about multiplying and to subdue the earth. But he never tolerates the unkindness of the rich or the dispossession of the poor. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." (Psm:89:14) "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky." (Psm:85:10-11) Both laws in the Old Testament and teaching from the New Testament made many guidance and suggestions on the fluent running of justice on earth. What we can learn from it is that to change financial situation, we must change the system first; to change the system, we change the laws; to change the laws, we change people's mind; to change people's mind, we confess and repent; to confess and repent, we must be reborn from God's grace, which is all in Christ's love.
4. Coming down to practice level, an effective way is "tripartite political system" (the administrative, judicial and legislative power separate into 3 equal government departments and balance each other), aiming at being sure to follow justice in the beginning, the process and the rules, and to cut off the power concentration, to avoid the beneficial testament led by power. Although tripartite political system can protect constitution and democracy, it has its defects in theory and practice. Because the three powers belong to one government, their checks and balance are still limited. Bible revealed the perfect power balance in Israeli prophets, priests and kings, but the power in tripartite political system leans to priests and kings more than prophets, and the latter holds a vague position. In brief, three government powers shouldn't include or dominate educational power, for that may fall from God's justice to human tricks. As "God made human beings, butey have devised many schemes." ( Ecc"7:25)
5. The belonging and execution of educational power is a severe issue in China, and a worldly common difficulty. Government, school, church, temple, institution, who should be in charge? How should them work as a team? These are important questions here. Power concentration could easily make a countrywide impact through ideology, while democrat government has a rather loose influence. But people are social beings, and that's why universal value is assured and favored. However, universal value doesn't equal perfect truth, because only truth can reveal and enlighten. If we can't identify with one lord, there will be all sorts of "truth" go out to claim, which is the latent nature of world's chaos and wars. The false "truth" usually tries to win by using force, while the true "truth" gives its life to accomplish.
So the key to Chinese financial conundrum is the being and belonging of finance. Why do we keep circling around?--Because the circle is wrong. Why? The Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism didn't clear out that human beings are equal as God's creatures. On the contrary, traditional ideas divide people from the beginning in different angles and theories. Not to mention the lack of each own God-given property. The bible specifically pointed out that God gives and protects personal property. In the laws from Old Testament, the tenth commandment of Moses says: "you shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female lave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." And it set down the rules about every seventh year being the sabbatical year, which contains the cause for financial redistribution, to protect the growth of both development and fairness, and to balance competition and kindness. In the New Testament, Lord Jesus assured the value of human beings on earth, but emphasized that people should save up treasure in heaven, instead of limiting their sight on this short lifetime. I hope that China will welcome a more transcendent dimension of thinking on its social problems.
