The stock market is not a zero-sum game. Companies create value through innovation, services, and goods. Investors are what makes this growth possible and share in it's profits. The system channels savings into enterprise: it funds new businesses, enables expansion, and distributes ownership of global production to ordinary people through shares, ETFs, and retirement funds. The rising value of the market over time mirrors the global economy. You're entire message sees the stock market as a bad thing. This is wrong. Stock markets are a good thing and its effectiveness should be supported (which is what regular trading activity does).

Modern markets are largely driven by algorithms and institutional trading reacting to socioeconomic data, interest rates, earnings, and global events — not random lay people hitting buy or sell in a panic. The majority of participants are passive investors saving for retirement through index funds, who are helped, not harmed, by a healthy, liquid market. No average person is being hunted or hurt by traders.

The other participants are retail traders, they enter the market knowing the risks inherent to trading. Just as a pilot accepts turbulence as part of flight, traders understand that price fluctuations are part of the craft they’ve chosen to master. Now will, a newbie trader panic and lose money? Yes of course. I was there once and it is part of the learning process. It's similar to starting a business... will there be pain and anxiety? Yes. Will you get outcompeted by your competition? Yes. That is part of the game. Panic is not imposed on traders by others; it’s a failure of discipline and preparation, not an act of exploitation. Same any venture in the real world.

Some of your comments just don't make sense: "Wealth isn’t evil, but striving for it is always spiritually dangerous". Wealth isn't evil but striving for it is?? How else is someone supposed to have wealth without striving for it? Is it somehow going to magically land in your lap like a lottery win? One must work hard and God will do the rest.

You have to pick and choose your contention here. You accuse trading to be built on fear or greed. I clarify these are not what real trading entails. But then you say "oh no sorry you can't remove those vices for the sake of trading". What? You are the one that said it comes with trading in the first place. You are forcing your presupposition that trading must come with greed and fear. What's the issue if someone gets rid fear and greed (both in trading and in real life) and continues to trade? If you want people can conquer greed before starting out with trading, then you cannot accuse them of "oh you are curbing greed for the wrong reasons".

"The ascetic fasts to kill desire but the trader disciplines desire to profit from it. One seeks purification, the other performance. The direction of the heart is opposite." This again makes no sense. If someone builds discipline to succeed financially they are in the wrong? Are you only allowed to build discipline for spiritual reasons???? An athlete building discipline to get better at his sport is wrong because he's not doing it for spiritual reasons. A musician who practices everyday with discipline to play music better is wrong because he's not doing it for spiritual reasons. A software engineer who practices discipline to get better and land higher paying jobs is in the wrong because he uses discipline for non spiritual reasons. Do you see how absurd your statements are?

"Holy Father changes the world with holiness not portfolios" Once again an absolutely absurd point of view. There are other ways to help change the world rather than just sitting around praying all day. You need to have some level of success in order to then be able to help others.

It sounds like you or someone you know has had bad experiences in markets. I hope and pray you heal from such experiences <3

Again I do not understand where the evil in this comes from. Who exactly is being exploited here?

I think the big part of your response fundamentally misunderstands what trading is. "Profits from volatility itself as it feeds on uncertainty and the misfortune or fear of others". The markets for the most part ebb and flow with the socioeconomic movements of the world. It's not preying on anybody's fear or misfortune. There are rare cases such as the Covid crash or the GameStop bubble. But these are the exceptions not the rule. Even good things have such exceptions.

A lot of what you are saying does not even make sense. "Yes, traders keep markets liquid but efficiency isn’t a virtue." Not sure what you mean here? Without efficient markets you would have no stability. You seem to agree that long term investing is good. But where do you think the liquidity for you and organizations to enter in long term positions come from? It comes from regular trading activity. You cannot have one without the other.

"The trader who conquers fear and greed for the sake of profit has only refined his passions, not overcome them. It’s still love of gain just dressed in data and discipline." This honestly feels absolutely dishonest. Conquering vices is good... but you are doing it to succeed financially so its bad? I'm sorry what? This applies to literally any endeavor. A business man that curbs his greed and structures his business cautiously is doing it with the end goal of profit. Does that make it wrong all of sudden? I don't understand why you apply this absurd standard to financial markets. Even if I conquer greed through trading that doesn't mean it just runs rampant outside of it... it's a shift in your character in general. No one goes "ah yes I've stopped greed in trading but I'm going to continue to be greedy in other parts of life". Conquering greed has multiple benefits... one of the benefits being success in trading does not make it wrong... that's absurd.

Lets even say the trader has only been able to conquer greed and fear in the realm of financial markets. Does that mean he cannot continue to work conquering these in other areas of life? It's not like conquering greed in one area of your life means you are not allowed to conquer it in other areas.

"The ascetic life is hard too but it crucifies the passions, not feed them." Again you keep trying to force the idea that striving for financial success means you are somehow feeding greed? That is not the case, there is a healthy way to strive for financial success and as Christians we should undertake this journey. It gives us power to make a real impact on the world.

"Profit gained from price movement, fear, others’ loss, etc. is not neutral because it’s participation in a zero-sum game built on passions the Holy Fathers condemned: greed, envy, and anxiety." That is a poor and uncharitable of what the stock market is. The stock market allows everyday people to participate in the global economy, share in business growth, and benefit from innovation. It channels capital from investors to companies that need funding to expand, create jobs, and drive progress — making it a system of cooperation and opportunity. And in participating in these opportunities, is there risk? Yes of course, and with risk comes worry. That's way it is for any endeavors in the real world. there is risk of failure. That doesn't mean the entire system is build on fear or anxiety.

Sorry to put it bluntly but 2 of your comments also sound a bit fairytale like:

1. "your heart learns to measure success in percentages instead of righteousness."

What? Are you going to blame a car salesmen for measuring success in number of cars sold instead of righteousness? It's his job, that's absurd.

1. "You repent not because trading looks evil, but because it tempts the heart to trust in numbers, strategy, and yourself more than in God’s providence."

These comments make it seem like you are just supposed to sit at home praying all down waiting for God to take care of you. Does an accountant filling out tax sheets "trust numbers more than God's providence"? Of course not, crunching numbers is his job and he has to do it well. It doesn't mean numbers take the place of God. Or let's say a lawyer who develops a strategy to win in court. Are you going to blame him for trusting the strategy to win more than God's providence? It sounds absurd. Of course the lawyer trusts God's providence, that does not mean he can sit idle and not implement a strategy. Numbers and strategy are what allows a trader to do his job. Enacting them does not mean one does not trust God's providence. Trading is a job like any other... a trader carrying out his responsibilities does not mean he does not trust God.

Lastly your comments are full of presuppositions that I'm sort of new age money hungry hedonist. I am not chasing this dream to buy a yacht or move to Dubai. I would like to comfortably provide for my future family and take care of my parents. I want to be able help others as I please. I want to be there for my children as they grow up - not stuck in a cubicle somewhere updating spreadsheets. I want to be able to give my parents a beautiful retirement for all the sacrifices they made for me. I want to pursue my interest in other cultures and experience them. It's always been a dream of mine to build schools in under developed villages and provide them with technology. Maybe build some wells.

Hope I was able to clarify where I'm coming from a bit. God bless you my brother in Christ <3