What doesn't show up on FaceBook...

Believing in redistributing wealth means you believe Judeo-Christian beliefs are wrong. You can't be Judeo-Christian and believe in redistributing wealth.

Socialism, communism, fascism are all ideologies of men, not God.

Why?

These philosophies of men break God's Commandments.

Thou shalt have no other God's before me.

Demanding equal stuff means you worship stuff. Why don't they demand equal spirituality?

Thou shalt not bear false witness.

Stating that what someone else has earned belongs to you, even if it's to give it to someone else, is a lie. I have to admit, it's one of the adversary's better lies. You aren't taking it for yourself; you're giving it to someone less fortunate. It's still a lie. It isn't yours to take or to give. Who died and made you God? And I mean that most sincerely.

Thou shalt not covet.

This one seems pretty obvious to me, but it seems it isn't to those touting this trash. I know, I know. It isn't for me; it's for someone else who is less fortunate. So, you are culpable in helping someone else break one of the Ten Commandments. How the adversary must laugh.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength.

Not love stuff.

Love thy neighbor as thy self.

You would really go into your neighbor's home and take all their stuff and give it away to the less fortunate? You'd let your neighbor do that to you?

Logistics: When looking at the poor of the world, if you are going to truly redistribute the wealth, then you will no longer have a computer, car, cellphone, refrigerator, microwave, indoor plumbing, hot running water, or a room of your own, let alone a house of your own. You will live in a shack, if you are lucky. Kiss your makeup, gaming devices, nice clothes, and daily showers in hot water good-bye. Count yourself lucky if the water is clean.

What? That isn't what you meant? Where do you draw the line? Again, who died and made you God?

When the rich man asked Jesus what more he needed to do, Jesus told him to give everything away and come follow him.

Are you going to give everything away AND follow Jesus?

Some make that choice.

Jesus gave a choice.

When the rich man walked away, Jesus did not hunt him down and take all his riches and give it away for him. He left the man to choose for himself. The man may have made a different choice somewhere down the road. We don't know what happens to him at the end of things. We have a snapshot in time.

Jesus doesn't even condemn him. He states that it's difficult for a rich man to enter heaven, but it isn't impossible. When Jesus talks about the eye of a needle, he isn't talking about a sewing needle. If you check the historical origins of the saying, Jesus is referring to the man-size gates into Jerusalem. A man could pass through easily, but not a camel, but a camel could pass through. It would have to be stripped down, and essentially crawl through. Difficult, but not impossible.

Jesus promised there would always be poor among us. The question is do we live with grace and dignity or do we wallow in self-pity and lusting after what others have, instead of being grateful for what we do have? Do we share as we are able? And no, you do not have the right to decide for someone else what they are able to give. You are not God, and He hasn't even asked you to judge your neighbor's ability to judge. In fact, He has stated that you are not to judge, without realizing that you will be held to the same judgement.

Now, a reality check: The current debt of the American economy is larger than all the wealth we possess. So, even if we taxed everyone, every single person, rich and poor, 100% it wouldn't pay for everything.

So what to do?

Me? I'm endeavoring to turn to God. I cannot control anything beyond my little sphere, but I am aware of what's going on, and I focus my prayers accordingly. When an opportunity arises for me to do something, usually something small, I try to grasp onto it and do it. And I do not deceive myself that a government comprised of men and women, a giant committee, is capable of doing anything well, except the smallest of chores, and then it still needs to be watched with care and vigilance.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they will not do for themselves.
~William J. H. Boetcker, pamphlet entitled "The Ten Cannots" 1916

Stepping off the soapbox, for now.