Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, who writes for the Washington Post, argues this morning that it is Christian tradition for the government to seize the private property of some and hand it to others. It's in the Bible. So shut up:
Catholic SocialismI'm looking in my handy King James version of the Bible for that passage where it calls on government to seize at the point of a gun one's goat and lamb and hand them over to someone else because that "needy person" had previously given a calf to said politician so that said politician could be reelected.
I was driving home when I heard on my car radio a minister say that "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" was a Looney-tune idea. I don't make a habit of speaking back to the radio, but I couldn't help but scream, "It's in the Bible!" Acts 2: 44-45 reads: "And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need." The dying gasp of the McCain-Palin campaign tried to make 'sharing the wealth' into Obama socialism, apparently without any more awareness than the radio preacher that socialized wealth is in the bible (sic).
I think U.S. Catholic social teaching will become a valuable resource for evaluating the reasons for and against massive intervention in both private industry and social programs. Socialism is not a dirty word to Catholics. (link)
Jesus was a big-government Guy. What a screwed-up view of Christianity.
Some people need to read their Bible more often. Whatever version they possess.
5 comments:
The actual point biblically is that the people themselves decided to do it, not the government.
i.e.
...they began selling their property and possessions..
This on top of a heavy tax from Rome at the time (north of 45%).
I don't believe Jesus has a take on representative democracy, either.
I get nervous when people of faith, be they Pentecostals, Muslims, Hindus, etc start using their devout publications as a template for their governments. Mixing of religion and government never seems to end up well for the religion, or the government, or the people the government serves.
We have churches and schools of theology because the Holy Bible is not a do-it-yourself tome. Self-appointed theologians like this nitwit and self-annointed "bishops" like Pelosi are prime examples of this. This is not to say the Bible cannot provide spiritual comfort to the individual but one must beware of (excuse the cliche') taking things out of context. BTW, it's a good point that Haysus didn't tell us to confiscate goods, etc. at swordpoint and spread the wealth. I certainly don't see it in the Sermon on the Mount or in those quaint documents known as the Ten Commandments and the U.S. Constitution.
Are you suggesting that the Sermon on the Mount and Ten Commandments are equal to the US Constitution for an individual?
If so, that dramatically demeans Scripture in my opinion. Governments are of this world and thus created by man and thus subject to our failings - this includes our best documents ever - which clearly the US Constitution resides. But it isn't perfect.
Scripture is perfect.
I agree with muggy. These people did it themselves. Their $$ were not taken from them.
.
Plus, God only asks for 10%. I could live with that for our government.
Lastly, liberals cannot use the Bible to back their notions. Because we constantly hear ot the separation of church and state!
...Al...
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