Alarming Level of Our Business Honesty

The recent debate over imposition of death penalty upon those who produce spurious drugs is the latest commentary on the level of our business honesty. Not long ago, the media was full of stories of how some diary owners manufacture synthetic milk using chemicals such as urea–– to produce a liquid that looks exactly like milk. Our expertise in producing duplicates of items and products is perhaps known the world over.

This being the case, the seminar held recently by the Crown Financial at Delhi and attended by hundreds of businessmen and professionals the other day acquires vital significance. One may wonder whether a one–day program in a five star hotel organized at the cost of several lacs of rupees could be expected to bring about a sea change in the attitudes of those who are in business. But if we are keen that India should progress, rather shine, in the days to come, there is a dire need to instill a sense of honesty in our business and professional people. Being one of the most corrupt nations in the world, the obstacles to progress are spiritual in nature.

The desire to get rich quick has spread like an infectious disease in our nation. A work culture in which the worker is accustomed to put in the least and get the maximum has ruined our government departments resulting in inefficiency and colossal wastage of precious resources. Our public sector enterprises, set up to serve social causes, have become white elephants.

The lawyer who seeks to prey on his clients, the doctor who thrives on the sickness of the people, the trader who bleeds his customer, the politician who, in the name of serving the people, grabs power and defrauds the exchequer in all possible ways, the teacher who thrives on tuition to the neglect of his work at the school are all symptoms of the disease that has afflicted our economy. The businessman–politician nexus ensures business success at the cost of the poor and the country.

Unfortunately many of those who indulge in such kind of corrupt practice are quite religious. The religious believe along with non–believers that honesty does not pay. "The religious tradesman complains that his honesty is a hindrance to his success; that the tide of custom pours into the doors of his less scrupulous neighbors in the same street , while he himself waits for hours idle," wrote Frederick William Robertson, an English divine (1816– 1853)

Continuing, Robertson poses these questions: "My brother, do you think that God is going to reward honor, integrity, high–mindedness, with this world's coin? Do you fancy that He will pay spiritual excellence with plenty of custom? Now consider the price that man has paid for his success. Perhaps mental degradation and inward dishonor. His advertisements are all deceptive; his treatment of his workers tyrannical; his cheap prices made possible by inferior articles. Sow that man’s seed, and you will reap that man’s harvest. Cheat, lie, advertise, be unscrupulous in your assertions, custom will come to you. But if the price is too dear, let him have his harvest, and take yours. Yours is a clear conscience, a pure mind and rectitude within and without. Will you part with that for his? Then why do you complain? He has paid his price; you do not choose to pay it."

That is all very well in a sermon. There are quite a large number of religious businessmen and professionals in our country who are more bothered about getting rich quick than keeping a clear conscience! Try lending to a religious brother and you will soon discover the depth of his religiosity and your own foolishness in not heeding the wisdom of Shakespeare: "Neither a borrower, nor a lender be; for loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."

Even the present clergy seems to believe that being religious and making a livelihood are not connected (apologies to those who believe otherwise). Otherwise how could we explain the conduct of bishops and guardians of church property grabbing land and using their positions to amass wealth? One is reminded of Jonathan Edward’s famous sermon, "Sinners at the hands of an angry God,"in which he warned " religious sinners" of the horror of hell fire. And we are told that the sermon led to a change of heart in hundreds of U.S. businessmen and led to a revival.

In his book, Business by the Book, Larry Burkett narrates an interesting incident that has lessons for the contemporary business scene in our land: "General George Patton had a problem with lazy parachute packers during the European campaign in World War II. Several pilots were killed when their chutes did not open because of sloppy packing. An inspection of in–use parachutes showed that as many as 30 per cent. were improperly packed.

In his inimitable style, General Patton quickly solved the problem. He charged into the central parachute–packing depot and commanded all the packers to take the last chutes they had packed and come with him. He then herded them into a waiting C–46 aircraft and had them jump over the practice range, wearing the chutes they had just packed. He continued this practice for the reminder of the war and never again had a problem with slothful parachute packers.

But we are reminded by the media that our problems are not parachute packers but those high up in authority that make defense deals. A General Patton would have treated the drug manufacturers with their own drugs and would have made some diary owners to drink their milk! We need such generals but more than that – we need preachers like Jonathan Edwards if we are to rouse the conscience of the people.

An organization like Crown Financial has a great challenge in promoting Godly ways of running businesses and handling finances. It has already trained 10 million Americans and has a vision for training 300 million people around the world. Such work will surely have a great impact on the way religious people live in this world.