Pawnshop - Is it morally OK?

[cumbersome]

Bry:

Well, that's not really the same my friend. When you're broke, you don't really go out to eat a burger. The fundamental crux about lending with interest is that one gets profit from another person's misfortunes. But please remember that this is a personal take on the matter, and you are not in any way obliged to subscribe to it. As the saying goes, follow your heart, hehe.

[kyle618]

gusto ko rin magtayo ng pawnshop... business partner tyo... ok namn daw ang return eh basta laging nababantayan un nagaayos ng money. kaso ayaw din ng dad ko. magkano minimum capital for this type of business? medyo mahirap ba ang competition with lhullier and tambunting?

[usong725]

ang pangit dyan eh kung ung mga isasanla sa iyo eh mga nakaw. Ninakawan kmi last 23Dec05, nagtanong ako sa pawnshop...ayaw nila magbigay ng detalye...parang kinukunsinti mga magnanakaw

[van_wilder]

Bry:

Well, that's not really the same my friend. When you're broke, you don't really go out to eat a burger. The fundamental crux about lending with interest is that one gets profit from another person's misfortunes. But please remember that this is a personal take on the matter, and you are not in any way obliged to subscribe to it. As the saying goes, follow your heart, hehe.

extremists! arrggghhh! sorry... but everything is subjective and relative... so masama pumatay kahit papatayin ka na? what is important is the FUNDAMENTAL OPTION of the person and not the single act... HIS INTENTION IS TO HAVE A PROFITABLE BUSINESS TO FEED HIS FAMILY AND GIVE THEM A BETTER LIFE... AND NOT PROFIT FROM OTHER MISFORTUNES... what could be better than that? what is important here is the intention and not the single act itself... sometimes we have to a little evil to do a greater good...

The fundamental crux about lending with interest is that one gets profit from another person's misfortunes.

you can see it that way if you are pessimist... but you can see it in other ways too...

like: the profit you get from interest would feed your kids and send them to school that would shy them away from doing drugs or committing HENIOUS and BIGGER crimes or wrong doings... besides if you dont lend the person his/her kid might die from the hospital because of lack of money. if you dont put interest, then you deprive them of hardship/lessons in life...

how would you know God's standards? are you sure its really God's standards...

Exodus 22:25

[God says] "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you
shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If
ever you take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am
compassionate."

dont take it TOO seriously... and TOO literally... read between the lines... the saying tells us that we whenever we help people, we should not ask anything in return...

but we should also take the historical and society context of this passage... this passage was for jews who dont treat the gentiles fairly... they take advantage (not through lending) of the gentiles through their misery...

but... if you want to take it literally... then it would be fine to have a pawnshop since pawnshops dont accept garments or blankets...

my take on this, it is fine to have a pawnshop since you are taking away luxury goods and not necessities... besides you are not your pawnshop... that is two different entities... parang president and govt... it is fine, but it has limitations... dont take advantage... have a clear goal and values... always be subjective on your clients... help them to recover... go the extra mile and be super merciful sometimes... SOMETIMES but not all the time, or else you would lose control of your business... and always remember... all business are FOR THE CLIENTS, BY THE OWNER and EMPLOYEES...

if we are wrong... dont worry... God is merciful and all-knowing... He will forgive and understand us... if not, then He is not GOD after all... then you need not to worry more...

i might be wrong... i might be right... i am just a CHRISTIAN businessman who is trying to make a living... not a saint...

[1D4LV]

well....imho... the clientele will be going to the pawnshop because of their own freewill, so they know the at least the terms and the interest rates.

and again, imho....pawnshops are thriving because people do not have exactly a line for credit in case of emergency.

which reminds me.... i have not seen a pawnshop while i'm overseas ah... kayo, nakakita na ba kayo?

[BoEinG_747]

.
i have not seen a pawnshop while i'm overseas ah... kayo, nakakita na ba kayo?

oo nga noh!!

TAMA Ang sabi ng ibang kasama natin..kung di ka naman nag aagrabyado or may niloloko ay wala masama din pasukin ang ganito klase ng negosyo..at
mas isipin mo na lang na mas nakakatulong ka sa mga kinapos palad,,

pero kung ako ang nasa situation mo ay mag iiba na lang ako ng business

ayw ko kasi mag umpisa ng negosyo na may naka kontra agad
(your dad)..baka hindi lumago ..kasi nga may againts sa part ng family mo
at madali naman mag isip ng ibang business lalo na kung may pera ka..compare sa nag iisip ng negosyo na walang puhunan or mangungutang pa lang...IMHO

[badkuk]

well, the earlier posters do have some pragmatic points.


i have to be honest: God forbid kung kelangan ko nga magprenda, i'd probably thank God for pawnshops. pero i can't imagine myself at the other side of the counter.
most likely i'd find another line of business

[mrpink]

wag ka lang maging mapasamantala .. yung mga tipong bibigyan mo ng 500 para sa isang radio na patutubusin mg 1200 .. pero of course .. you'll encounter all sorts of folks .. you'll have those na nagpapasanla para makakain .. meron ka rin makakasalubong na magsasanla para bumili ng drugs .. meron din yung mga magsasanla ng mga nakaw na gamit ..

[Bry]

cumbersome: Another (similar) example.

Your local neighborhood tapsilogan sells their tapsilog for 25 Pesos. They make a profit of about 10 Pesos per tapsilog sold. They are getting profit from the people who are 'misfortunately' hungry. Should they therefore sell their product at 15 Pesos, so as not to get profit from the 'misfortunate' hungry customers?

Businessmen/businesses take out loans from banks. Banks charge interest. But I don't hear people complaining about that.

[cumbersome]

Value is certainly subjective, and if the tapsilogan feels that the value they added to the beef is worth 10 bucks and the tongues of the clientele agree, then by all means, mark it up by 10 pesos.

You were asking if it was morally acceptable to operate a pawnshop, i answered, by the world's standards, of course. But by God's standards, it's a no. Really depends on what 'morality' you want to subscribe to.

[city]

Value is certainly subjective, and if the tapsilogan feels that the value they added to the beef is worth 10 bucks and the tongues of the clientele agree, then by all means, mark it up by 10 pesos.

You were asking if it was morally acceptable to operate a pawnshop, i answered, by the world's standards, of course. But by God's standards, it's a no. Really depends on what 'morality' you want to subscribe to.

nasa bible po ba na immorally wrong ang pawnshop base sa god's standards po?...this is a christian nation, kung immorally wrong ang pawnshop..bakit accepted ng christian society?..di ba christians ang mga owners nyang mga pawnshops na yan?

nagtatanong lang po.

[Bry]

That's your opinion. And I respect that.

Just curious, do you think banks are evil/morally wrong too?

[cumbersome]

That's your opinion. And I respect that.

Just curious, do you think banks are evil/morally wrong too?

Well, i suppose anything they do that has something to do with lending with interest is at least morally questionable by Judeo-Christian standards. But banks also offer a host of other services, such that calling them 'evil' straight out may be a bit over the top.

City:

Yes, the Bible is quite explicit about the matter.

Exodus 22:25

[God says] "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you
shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If
ever you take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am
compassionate."

[oldblue]

Well, i suppose anything they do that has something to do with lending with interest is at least morally questionable by Judeo-Christian standards. But banks also offer a host of other services, such that calling them 'evil' straight out may be a bit over the top.

City:

Yes, the Bible is quite explicit about the matter.

Exodus 22:25

[God says] "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you
shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If
ever you take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am
compassionate."

d'ba isinanla din ng Diyos ang buhay ng anak nya so that in return makuha nya ulit ang lahat tao, thus the birth of Christianity, and therefore more than a billion people are now his follower. kung hindi nangyari yun, malamang puro Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist ang tao sa mundo

[city]

Well, i suppose anything they do that has something to do with lending with interest is at least morally questionable by Judeo-Christian standards. But banks also offer a host of other services, such that calling them 'evil' straight out may be a bit over the top.

City:

Yes, the Bible is quite explicit about the matter.

Exodus 22:25

[God says] "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you
shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If
ever you take your neighbor's garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am
compassionate."

does god directs this passage to businessmen? or is he telling people individually regarding people who's asking for help?...

lahat ba ng lumalapit sa pawnshop e mahirap o naghihirap?

you're doing a legitimate business....now if you wanna help poor people..it's different.

[Chip]

touchy issue nga to.
ultimately the decision will be yours. since this is a personal thing involving beliefs and conviction I think the best thing to do would be to stand up for your beliefs and do what you think is ok. dont let anyone tell you differently.

[nicolodeon]

It would depend on the morals, virtue and discpline that you practice - and that you want your staff to practice. I mean, kung makikita ng staff na nangloko yung amo nila - what would stop them from doing the same? Kung disiplinado, morally at spiritually upright yung mayari - there would be no problem.

Some people think that pawnshops take advantage on the current misfortunes of people. I think not. Sabi nga dun sa isang post, freewill. Kargo na ng conscience mo bro kung mangloloko ka ng clients mo.

Good luck sa business.

[theveed]

Let's keep god and religion out of this for crying out loud.....

[mrpink]

well .. the question was .. is it morally ok ? .. can't help but bring in religion pag-"morality" na ang pinagusapan ..

[woulfe27]

hehe pahabain mo dabid.

porke ba nasa bible e totoo? hindi nga sila magkasundo sa family tree in kristo e.