Charging interest, or, at least, an exorbitant rate of interest. Plato and Aristotle reckoned that charging interest was “contrary to the nature of things”; Cato considered it on a par with homicide. For many centuries, the Catholic Church regarded as sinful the charging of any interest by lenders and it was not allowed in Catholic countries, although Jews were exempted, provided they did not charge excessive rates. According to Pope Benedict XIV, in 1745, interest should be regarded as a sin because "the creditor desires more than he has given". In most modern economies, interest is recognized as a crucial part of the economic system, a reward to the lender for the risk taken in making a loan. Even so, most developed countries have some form of usury law imposing limits on how high interest charges can be. These aim to protect borrowers from being exploited by unscrupulous loan sharks.