Dear All;
I received the opinion below in a monthly newsletter. The author J.F. (Jim) Straw originally wrote it 11 years ago and re-published again because it is true today as well. Need one say more about the Robbing Hood politicians of Sacramento and Washington who so delight in plundering your income and giving it to "worthy" people because they know how best to spend your earned income doing involuntary philanthropy on your behalf where you have no choice of how its spent.
Ron Getty - SF Libertarian
Hostis res Publica
Morte ai Tiranni
Greetings & Salutations:
The United States of America has always claimed to be a nation founded upon religious principles. On our coinage and currency, we imprint the phrase, “In God We Trust.” And, most political leaders, opinion makers, and others who seek the support of the masses are quick to quote the Judeo-Christian religious teachings as a premise for their causes.
Unfortunately, the majority of those quotations taken from religious teachings, as a premise for a socio-economic cause, are taken out of context. They are used solely to incite the masses “against” the real, or imagined, opponents of the chosen cause.
Currently, it has become fashionable for those that would dupe the public into providing more socialistic, welfare-state programs, to select and quote (mis-quote and take out of context) those theological passages that appear to condemn the rich; in order to condemn “excessive” and/or “windfall” profits. Yet, these same people are the first to demand higher wages (more profits) for those who do not earn them for increased production; which is the only economically feasible reason for increasing wages.
If, as these hypocrites say, “Money is the root of all evil,” why do they accept “money” for their services and production (whatever that might be)? And, why are they so quick to champion the giving of “money” to those who have not earned it? — Isn’t their acceptance of money, and the giving of unearned money to selected segments of our society, by their own premise, a hypocrisy; promoting the very “evil” they supposedly oppose?
No matter how you look at those who quote religious tenants to support socialistic programs, they are hypocrites. For, throughout all theological teachings, you will find that the “earning” of wages, and the making of “profits” is, in actuality, promoted.
As an example, you may want to read the ...
“Parable of the Talents” [Matthew 25:14-30].
In this story, “talents” (money) were given to three men — to each according to his several abilities (not based upon “need”, but rather “ability”). — The one with the most “ability” received the most money.
The servant who received the most money, in accord with his several abilities, doubled the money for his master — a “profit” of 100%. Another servant who received less than half as much money, in accord with his abilities, likewise, doubled his master’s money. — The use of their abilities, and the resources at hand, was rewarded by their master with greater responsibilities and further profits.
One servant, who had received the least amount of money, in accord with his abilities, produced nothing from the money he received. — The master took from him the money he had originally given and gave it to the servant who had produced the greatest profit.
Those who advocate the application of religious teachings to economics are the biggest hypocrites when they advocate taking money for those of us who have the ability to create “profits,” and giving it to the non-productive. — The religious scriptures promote just the opposite; as evidenced by the next to the last verse in the New Testament “Parable of the Talents,” to wit:
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” —[Matthew 25:29]
If we are to truly base our economy on the theological teachings, we should take from the non-productive, profitless elements of our society, and give those unearned resources to those who “produce” the greatest profits.