The crisis of moral values led to the world financial crisis

For two days, Iasi was the capital city of the dialogue between the political environment and religious one, within the  XI edition of the Intercultural Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the European People’s Party and European Democrats( EPP – ED). The world financial crisis was one of the themes debated, the conclusion being that the current economic crisis will last many years and that its roots derive from a deeper crisis, the one of the values.

Iasi has become for several days an “European capital city of the dialogue” , between the laics and clericals, during the conference of the  XI Dialogue Conference between the Orthodox Church and the EPP-ED Group. The main theme of the conference was represented by the importance of the intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, as also by the importance of the dialogue in combating the conflicts. There was also stressed the importance of the dialogue between the political and religious environments and how can be straightened or avoided some conflict situations. It wasn’t avoided the theme of the world financial crisis, being anti cipated deep changes in society as a result of the current economic conjuncture.  “We are witnessing a financial crisis which affects every domain of our existence, the poor and the rich, to an unprecedented global level. However, the roots of this crisis derive from another type of crisis to which few people refer to. The tumult of the financial crisis doesn’t allow us to see other crisis, which nobody seems to be prepared to face, meaning a crisis of values which is proliferating in the current society”, Jaime Mayor Oreja, Head of the Spanish EPP-ED Delegation in the European Parliament stated.

On his turn, Metropolitan Teofan has reported to the crisis of values as the reason of the current crisis, but this crisis of values can represent also a new beginning. “Indeed, the economic crisis has its roots in the crisis of values. But this crisis can also be a launching pad for the European and world revival. It can be the base for the renewal of the society and the beginning of a new period of glory”, outlined His Holiness. The participants to the conference from Iasi consider a “source” of the current world economic situation a set of habits of the current society, that wants a living standard above the potential of their incomes. “When the society lives above their potential, when the speculations governs our behavior and generates our incomes, when we constantly want to gain more, then we don’t confront with only a financial collapse, but we are also facing with a crisis of values”, Jaime Mayor Oreja mentioned. He also added that there is a paradox which defines the civilized world, respective that the increase of the living standard has also directed to an increase of the birth-rate, as it is naturally.  “When the birth rate falls and the living standard increases this would be a signal of selfishness. When we choose the comfort of other things, when we choose the fast gains, then we are facing with a moral crisis”, the Spanish official states. The world crisis that has touched huge proportions can’t be ended by “technical ways”, the representative of Spain in the European Parliament considers.  “I’m surprised by the fact that many people put in their trust in factors of technical nature.

They listen to the voice of the employees from Treasu-ries or other Governments, while the voice of the Church, for example is being ignored. I believe that the current crisis will be on long term and that a clear cause won’t be found out.  Moreover the current conjuncture will bring major disequilibrium, and there will be noticed vast social and political changes. The faults are being opened and they will be able filled up either with extremists, or with valuable people”,   Jaime Mayor Oreja said.

The problem of money was also debated by another point of view within the conference from Iasi. The President of the Romanian Federation of Jewish Communities, Aurel Vainer, says that Europe should pay more attention to the problems of cults from the financial point of view.  He considers that it would represent a huge help the financial support of the European Union for saving the cult’s patrimony.  “I think that it should be encouraged that more and more European funds to be directed towards religion, in order to save and recover the patrimony not of only one religious community, but also of Romania and Europe, in the same time”, Aurel Vainer said. In his turn, he believes that religion can be a support for surpassing the current economic and financial conjuncture. “The inter-religious dialogue and the religions can help people to cross easier the turbulence periods, in terms in which the financial crisis is just a turbulence”, Vainer says.

During the conference, the Patriarchy from Georgia has asked to the participants to adopt a document which to be sent to Russia and that to come in the support of the recommendation made by the European Commission for recognizing as states South Ossetia and Abkhazia, respective the cancellation of this decision. “It can’t be tolerated that in the XXI century there aren’t held ceremonies in the churches owned by UNESCO. The Patriarchy from Georgia has managed to enter in these areas and has seen the humanitarian disasters. I direct a demand from the Patriarchy because during this meeting  to be approved a document which to be sent to Russia and to direct to  peaceful solution of the conflict from the area“, David Sharashenidze ,the representative of the Patriarchy from Georgia added. He has stressed that the situation of those areas can have a boomerang effect in the rest of the world, by proclaiming the independence of several states of the world.

According to the Moslem theologians, the financial crisis and the threat of a world recession confirms the superiority of the economic system based on Sharia –the Islamic law, which forbids the interest, but allows the profit – which considers being an alternative to capitalism. Between the Islamic system and capitalism there are two major differences. Firstly the Islamic banks aren’t allowed to grant credits with interest, and secondly of all the division of the risks and profits between bank and customer varies significantly.   The Islamic financial system distinguishes of capitalism from two points of view. On one hand, the Islamic banks don’t have the right to grant credits with interest (riba), because are being associated with usury and jobbery. On the other hand, it differs dividing the risks and profits between the banks and customers. So, these financial institutions offer alternative products, such as Ihara (similar to leasing), Musharaka (share) and Murabaha (dividing the profit). So, Murahaba allows the entrepreneur not to contract a credit with interest: the bank buys the products which he needs, delivers them and shares the benefits with him.