Zero Sum Failure
The Failure of Zero-Sum Game Thinking
Critics of capitalism and economic liberty point to some traditional Christian ideas which conflict directly with science and use that conflict to dismiss many true principles.
Many in the traditional Judeao-Christian tradition believe that the story of the creation of the Heavens and Earth, as described in the Book of Genesis appears to show God creating something out of nothing. The Apostle Paul, before his conversion to Christianity, was known as Saul of Tarsus and he was thoroughly educated in the Jewish traditions and scripture. In his Letter to the Hebrews he tells them, “… the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3)
Paul knew that simply because something was not visible, did not mean it did not exist. In January of 2022 Space.com declared, “Over 80% of all matter in the universe is made up of material scientists have never seen.”
Since the 1830’s Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are explicitly taught that the earth was “organized”, formed from unorganized matter. Scientific descriptions of interstellar creative processes support that view as we see clouds of dust and gasses pulled together by gravitational forces until they are compressed enough to explode into stars, which in shape the remnants of those clouds into planets.
The first failing of those who embrace the zero-sum game is that their understanding of the size of the pie they think we are fighting over is much larger, more abundant, and more creative than they have ever imagined. To push the pie analogy, they see the pie in front of them and imagine that is all the pie that exists. They utterly fail to see the endless fields of wheat and orchards of trees which supply us more flour and fruit than all of us together could make into pies if we labored day and night without rest. They are starving in the midst of plenty.