Beyond the Invisible Hand; H. Gow

Dennis McCann, professor of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago, Mr. Gow is a freelance writer and English teacher who lives in Arlington Heights, Illinois. echoes Stuart's observation. "Religion def initely has a role in business," he states. "In fact, it is essential. There is no set of economic organizations that are not ulti mately dependent on religious values." Father Oliver Williams, co-director of Notre Dame's Center for Ethics & Religious Values in Business, also insists that a busi ness can be morally and socially responsible and, at the same time, make a profit. He declares: "Companies are still in the posi tion to think of religion and ethics as well as keeping employees paid. It's still possible." In December 1993, Joe .Tonos Jewelers in Greenville, Mississippi, placed an adver tisement in the Delta Democrat Times which set forth its business and ethical principles. The advertisement affirmed: We further pledge to you in the years to come the following: To do our share in promoting all activities that are for the good of this community; to conduct ourselves in a professional manner and perform competently at all times; to de serve the patronage of this community by rendering service based upon the highest standards of truth and honor; to earn, establish and maintain a reputation for giving maximum values at a fair price; to render prompt and efficient service to our customers; to adjust promptly any cause of dissatisfaction and endeavor to make every purchaser a satisfied cus tomer; to advise every customer in regard to each purchase as we would wish to be advised were we the customer; to make every transaction a stone in the founda tion of confidence, without which no busi ness can be permanently successful.

The cause of business ethics is under a lot of pressure these days. Government regu lators assume that businessmen are nar rowly selfish, and this assumption, in tum, tends to encourage self-serving behavior, a philosophy of "if the government doesn't catch me, anything goes." It is time we realized that laws cannot force ethical behav ior; high standards come from an inner com mitment to honesty and fair dealing. D 550 Ideas and Consequences "The Immigration Problem" A rising tide of anti-immigrant feeling is washing over America, leaving in its wake a misinformed public and the potential for harmful new laws. Many Americans seem to be thinking, "I'm glad my grand parents made it over from the old country, but now that we're here, let's shut the door to any more of those foreigners." People opting to come to our shores is a generally positive development; in fact, it's what made it possible to carve this great country from a wilderness in the first place.