Ted, The economic pie is big......big enough for everybody to be prosperous!
No, I believe that as well. But the fundamental problem is how to distribute the wealth more "fairly," if it is even possible. Wealth redistribution schemes go directly against the free-market motivation that creates the big economic pie in the first place, not to mention the ability for the truly charitable to freely exercise their beliefs.
The best way to close the gap between rich and poor is through education. The worst way is to institute the system of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." By the way, here's a wonderful ridicule of that philosophy from Ayn Rand, detailing the nightmare of a theoretical factory whose workers work according to their ability, but get paid according to their needs:
investorshub.com
Of course, JC knew that and that's what He taught.
Once again, Jesus talked about matters of the heart, not matters of society. His teachings applied to anyone living in any society, whether it be a secular capitalism, a theocracy hostile to Christianity, a dictatorship that forced (its version of) Christianity on people, or whatever. How? Because his teachings went well above the institutions of man.
Tenchusatsu |
