The Birth of Deposits (4)
The two exchanged smiles, pleased with the conversation.
However, a concern crossed Priest Peter's face as he thought of something.
Upon reflection, the issue of interest came to mind.
Interest was a forbidden matter within the church.
That was the problem.
"Ahem..."
As the intention was good, Priest Peter couldn't outright reject Rockefeller's proposal and act coldly.
Seeing Priest Peter's expression suddenly change, Rockefeller quickly caught on.
'Is it because of the interest? Is interest bad for the church?'
Rockefeller had also agonized over this issue for several days.
Although he had a good relationship with the priest, the priest was a devout churchman at heart.
He might have his own stance on the matter.
No matter how much interest income could benefit the church, it was fundamentally forbidden.
So, Rockefeller came up with a plan.
Different words could completely change the meaning even if they conveyed the same idea.
"Is it because of the interest?"
As Rockefeller asked, Priest Peter reluctantly nodded.
"To be honest, there's that aspect. Of course, you meant well, but if the fact that the church profits from interest income becomes known, there could be disapproval from higher-ups."
It was impossible for a small church in a remote area not to care about the church organization's opinion.
If a church conducts something that could go against the organization's doctrine, they needed a reasonable explanation and justification.
That's just how the somewhat vertical and uncomfortable organization of the church was.
"I'm worried about that. I'm fine. I'm just concerned about the surrounding opinions."
"I see. I didn't think the church, which dislikes interest, would simply accept my proposal. So, I thought about this."
"What do you mean?"
Rockefeller brought up the idea he had thought about before.
"Principally, the church forbids interest on loans. However, this case is about a reward concept for deposits. I used the term interest when explaining it to you, but it's actually a different concept from loan interest."
"Hmm... listening to you, it seems you're right. It can be interpreted as a reward concept, not interest."
After briefly thinking, Priest Peter began to nod.
The interest forbidden by the church was loan interest, as Rockefeller said, not any other form of interest.
Rockefeller continued.
"The church entrusted its assets to me, and I hold them with a sense of duty and gratitude. So, I must give back to the church every month."
"That's right. That's the right thing to do."
"Loan interest is a daring act of profiting using God's power, but the reward concept for deposits is the opposite. It's about showing gratitude to God and giving back to the church."
Then, Priest Peter suddenly shook his head.
Of course, it wasn't a negative gesture.
"That's not it. If it's a reward concept, it has nothing to do with God. So, there's no need to interpret it that way."
"But other believers might interpret it differently than you. For their sake, this kind of explanation might be necessary."
"That could be the case. But not for me. God probably knows your sincere intentions."
Rockefeller couldn't help but smile inwardly at Priest Peter's eagerness to interpret the situation positively.
Could the church's attitude toward interest really change like this? Maybe they frowned upon usurers who enjoyed playing with interest.
'After all, the doctrines they uphold can also change depending on their interests and benefits.'
"I am grateful for your explanation."
However, the church organization was not so easygoing.
Thus, Priest Peter's thoughts continued to change.
'It's a bit too much for me to push this matter forward unilaterally. Depending on how one thinks about it, they could condemn me and the church for charging interest...'
But he was also an experienced believer.
Moreover, he couldn't afford to simply reject Rockefeller's proposal, and he had spent years in the rigid church organization, so he decided to try his own trick.
'Yes, it's better to ask Bishop Verkis in Lyon. I don't know him personally, but I'm sure he won't dislike this matter. It's a good thing for everyone, right?'
Having made up his mind, Priest Peter spoke.
"If it's for the good of our church, why would we refuse your suggestion? Depending on how we interpret it, we can either follow your meaning or explain it in my own way."
"If I made you uncomfortable by mentioning interest from the beginning, I apologize. It was an unavoidable matter in order to explain it more easily."
"No, since you explained it that way from the beginning, I could understand it quickly. Taking advantage of God's power for my own benefit is certainly a bad thing, but if it's for the church, it's not entirely bad."
It all depended on the interpretation.
"From another perspective, isn't it a concept of fattening oneself with God's power?"
"That could be the case."
As Rockefeller smiled faintly, Priest Peter also showed a smile.
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