Using the poor in Political debates

Biblically speaking, which is better for the poor, liberal or conservative principles?  I am a gourmand when it comes to the consuming of published materials of any kind and especially if they should touch on religion or politics and especially if they should touch on both.  I find it fascinating that both ends of the political spectrum can find so much scripture to support their position. Let’s consider the two in general terms.  I admit up front that I must stereotype but I don’t think the picture it draws is invalid because of the gross generalizations.  

Our conservative would help the poor through capitalism.  The Entrepreneurs and business people work hard make money and create jobs.  The conservative enjoys the fruits of their labor by becoming wealthy.  Those they employ benefit by having opportunity and income from producing products and/or services.  Those unable to participate due to misfortune of one kind or another receive charity which is available due to the abundance produce in such a rich environment.  Since the Regan era this has been known as trickle-down economics.   Reward the wealth producers and all boats float higher in a rising tide.

Our liberal would help the poor through redistribution of wealth.  According to the Federal Reserve Board, which is probably about as unbiased a report as one can get, 85% of the wealth in the US is held by the top 20% of the population.  A worse statistic is that the bottom 40% of the population holds less than .2% of the wealth.  The liberal enjoys the fruits of their labor by become patrons.  Those they employ benefit by having opportunity and income from by support and/or services.  Those unable to participate due to misfortune of one kind or another receive entitlements as a natural part of providing for a fair distribution of the wealth produced by the country.  From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.

 

Let’s try to looking objectively at the two societies.  Both are classed societies.  Both have an upper class.  I challenge you to distinguish between Larry Ellison, Founder of Oracle, who flies his private jet and live in luxury we can only imagine and Nancy Pelosi, who flies her private jet and lives in luxury we can only imagine.  And yet they represent opposite ends of the capitalism/liberalism spectrum.  Both the conservative and liberal based society has their workers and both have their poor.  More importantly, both are condemned Biblically.  Neither represents the Kingdom.  To conservative I give you Luke 18:22.  Sell all your possession, give them to the poor and follow Christ.  To the liberal, read my previous blog, Hunger fast for a moral budget, were I show the fallacy of using scripture to justify stealing from the rich to give to the poor.

“The Church is like a public swimming pool, all the noise is at the shallow end”