No greater dishonor can be shown to God than for one man to bring another man’s talents under his absolute control. The evil is not obviated by the fact that the profits of the transaction are to be devoted to the cause of God. In such arrangements the man who allows his mind to be ruled by the mind of another is thus separated from God and exposed to temptation. In shifting the responsibility of his stewardship upon other men, and depending on their wisdom, he is placing man where God should be. Those who are seeking to bring about this shifting of responsibility are blinded as to the result of their action, but God has plainly set it before us. He says: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.” Jeremiah 17:5. {7T 177.4}

Ingen større vanære kan vises Gud end at et menneske begynder at styre andres talenter (178) fuldstændigt. Dette onde er ikke væk bare fordi indtægten skal helliges Guds sag. Ved sådanne arrangementer adskilles det menneske, som lader sine tanker herske af andre mennesker, fra Gud og udsættes for fristelse. Ved at et mennesker drager ansvaret for sin forvaltning over på andre mennesker og er afhængige af deres klogskab, sætter han mennesker der hvor Gud burde være. Dem som forsøger at gøre dette skift af ansvar er forblindede over for følgen af deres handling, men Gud har tydeligt sat det frem for os. Han siger: »Forbandet være den mand, som stoler på mennesker og som holder kød for sin arm!« Jer.17,5.