Christianity & Competition

Should Christians compete for limited resources (in a zero sum game)? Or, should we "put others first?"

I used to think the major split in Christian ethics was between pacifism and just war, but now I've realized it might be deeper than that. The real question is not the use of violence, but the participation in competition. 

Introduction 

Illustrative story: A man named Oliver loses his job. His family will suffer. They won't starve, but they'll lose their lifestyle and probably have to move to another house and switch schools. Oliver find's another job opportunity and gets an interview. While waiting in the lobby to enter the interview, Oliver overhears another unknown applicant talking about his own bad financial situation. This other applicant also lost his job, and his family will suffer if he doesn't get another position. This other man's family may suffer slightly more than Oliver's family. For the sake of discussion, let's assume Oliver knows the other applicant is telling the truth about his situation. Should Oliver compete with this man for the job if he knows there's only one job opening?

A more extreme illustration: You're in the desert dying of thirst. There's another man dying of thirst in the same desert. You have a family at home, but he has no one relying on him. You discover a water bottle with one swallow left in it. There's not enough water left to divide without wasting a large part of it. Do you let the lonely man drink while you resign yourself to death? The correct answer appears to be self sacrifice, but when one considers the family members you need to care for than the selfish calculation appears justified.

Similar examples abound. You and your friend both love the same girl, should you compete for her? You're standing in line at the supermarket, no one is waiting for you at home or work, should you "do unto others" and allow everyone to move in front of you? Two families are bidding on the same house. Only one person's kid can win the football game. The list is probably endless.

Of course, there are allocations that can be made for "human weakness," but what's the Christian ideal? Is zero competition the ideal? Or, does it allow for competition as a positive good? 

Arguments that support Christians competing? 

The most obvious biblical argument is that Israel competed for the Promised Land. Control of the territory was a zero sum game in which either the Israelites or Canaanites were going to dominate and inhabit it. Obviously, the Israelites were righteous to compete for the land, conquer it, and destroy the inhabitants who were previously living there. However, this example doesn't help us much in the modern world because the Israelites competed as a result of God's mandate. It could be argued that the Israelites didn't compete at all but were rather forced to carry out an action God commanded. On the other hand, war and competition were part of Israel's continued existence as a nation state, and the majority of the wars executed across Israel's history were not specifically endorsed by God. 

Some of David's psalms seem to advocate a competitive mindset. He prayed in Psalm 55:15 "Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave." He sought the demise of those who were competing with him for the throne. However, David's throne had been established by God so there's a sense in which he was merely competing for what was rightfully his. There are very few situations today in which we could legitimately claim to be defending our God given right.

Jesus seems to have supported hierarchical competition when he said that those who wish to be first should become the servants of all. Was Jesus encouraging his disciples to compete with each other and rise above?

Christianity competes in a zero sum game with opposing religions. Every Muslim converted to Christianity represents one servant lost to Satan and one gained for Christ. Can this principle be extrapolated to justify other forms of competition?

It could be argued that male identity can't be separated from competition. Boys compete with each other from their earliest ages, and this spirit of competition continues into their adulthood. Their competitive spirit pushes men to try to outdo each other by rising higher. However, was Solomon condemning this when he wrote: "I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind," and was Paul condemning it when he wrote: "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit?" One could argue that men were made strong for the sake of war, which is a form of competition, or one could argue they were made strong for manual labor. One could argue competition is an intrinsic part of masculine identity that manifests itself in other forms if war is not available. Men often become obsessed with video games, sports, weight lifting, and other pursuits. If Christianity declares this manly tendency unethical has it effectively discredited the male identity?

Finally, the entirety of the natural world seems to revolve around competition. Organisms compete with members of their own species, and species compete with other species to survive. Cooperation is the exception and reserved for those whose interests and identity are most aligned. However, it could be argued that this is a result of the fallen state of our world and Christians should seek to overcome this tendency in anticipation of the world to come.  

What are the Christian arguments against competition? 

When Jesus said "the first shall be last" was he repudiating the competitive rat race because those who bypassed it altogether would find themselves ahead? Did he abandon his own "right to compete" when he chose not to fight for authority? Was he following King David's example by allowing God to make him king when the divine will decided the time was right?

Christians who want to compete for the sake of their families and friends might claim they want to give their loved ones a better life. However, we have to ask whether Jesus repudiated that sentiment when he told men to leave their families and wealth to follow him? Was our Lord admonishing us to give up our future ambitions when he approved of those who "make themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake?" When the apostles protested Jesus' strict regulations on divorce, he implied it was better not to marry. Paul also admonished Christians not to marry. 

Conclusion  

It seems to me that the biblical evidence leans against Christians becoming involving in zero sum competitions, but if this is true than how can we live without sinning? 

Even simple acts like standing in line at the grocery store are competitions to avoid wasting time. The zero sum resource is time, and if I stand in line in front of another person then I'm wasting their time and saving it for myself. This is especially true in crowded countries like China (were I now live). The vast numbers of people turn shopping lines into rat races where it becomes necessary to fight and compete for one's spot. Where is our ethical justification for wasting another person's time unless we have some pressing obligation to others?

How can I compete in the job market as a young single man against all the other job seekers who probably need a job more than I do? Am I robbing from someone else's kids every time I land a promotion? 

How can a contractor participate in the capitalist marketplace? Every contract he secures is a contract lost by other people. 

How do we maintain stable prosperous countries when we can't compete with other nations for limited resources and space? Where is our ethical argument to keep third world illegal immigrant populations beyond our borders when they have little and we have much? Yet, how can we bring them all into our neighborhoods without our living standards falling?

Our human existence is dominated by the inescapable sin of living and consuming. No single person is now necessary in modern mass society. In almost every situation, there's someone lined up behind you to take your job and your wife and your money and your house. The only way you can live a "normal life" is if you actively maintain your position by competing with others.

How can we reconcile this paradox? Either we must find a way to justify competition or accept a degree of logic in the ascetic monk's belief that it's more righteous to live as celibates in monastic communities. Perhaps God understands our weaknesses and allows for these minor sins in which we compete with others to gain and maintain, but this does not resolve the question of what Christians should ultimately strive for. What is the ideal? How closely should we conform ourselves to that ideal?