I posted this previously as a comment. Maybe Christmas is a good time for this crazy idea to get its own focus. (previous link) Make sure you are sitting down for this one...
"God (choose yours) tried for thousands of years to nudge wealthy humans to share their good fortune and help those that were not so lucky. He/she did this through the words of Prophets, Pastors, Rabbis, Wisemen, Priests, Nuns, etc. Repeatedly they spoke of charity, self sacrifice, giving, tithing, respect, peace, etc. Instead of listening to and living by these scared words, people actually turned their back on the words and stopped going to their places of worship. This way they had more time to build their portfolio, and did not need to hear the words that made them feel guilty for their hoarding ways.
God, being wise and all powerful became weary with the foolish and self centered ways of many humans. He/she nudged people to create democracies that could serve as an equalizer to force the rich to practice charity, self sacrifice, giving, tithing, etc. They would also work to protect human dignity around the world.
Though it was a bit inefficient, it did create a lot of jobs and support the goal. God was very happy at last..."
Now, I know it is a bit of a stretch. However, it makes sense to a strange mind like mine... Especially with the progressive tax rates. The Lord works in mysterious ways...
Thoughts encouraged and Merry Christmas !!!! God Bless Us, Every One....
Pretty sure we covered this earlier.
ReplyDelete"There is a flaw in your grand scheme. God has succeeded wildly at persuading wealthy individuals to share their wealth. It is a common theme of many religions including no religion at all. The great charitable institutions in the US were founded by people like the Rockefellers, Carnegies and Mellons. Wealthy patrons are the mainstays of almost every charitable institution even today.
Even were we NOT as generous as our religion would have us be (and we cannot really be expected to), it is no reason to expect government to take that role. It cannot and should not. Even those who say it can and should do not truly believe it. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett recently had an opportunity to provide a huge charitable donation-- about $70 billion from their combined fortunes-- by overpaying their federal taxes. Instead they established the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, shielding that fortune from taxes, and giving directly to charities of their choice rather than the choices of politicians and bureaucrats. I don't know that either of these men is particularly religious; I assume they're simply working their way up Maszlow's Hierarchy, just like the rest of us, and government shouldn't interfere with that. It is oppressive and destructive of our humanity.
I feel like we need another example, here. A family in town recently lost their home to fire, on a Friday night, I believe. By Monday, after Sunday services at the three churches in town, the family was in temporary quarters with groceries, furniture, clothing, blankets and a few toys for the little kids. Now, which government program would/should/could cover that, and why? God doesn't move in mysterious ways as often as He does right out in the open."
J. Ewing
Figured I'd see if we could get some other opinions.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say wildly successful, the giving rate is still way below even the 10% the Christian God advised.
Not sure what is expected from the other religious deities?
Please don't let J and I have all the fun. Jump in with your thoughts...
Everybody into the pool! And Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteJ. Ewing
No one except J and I willing to touch this one?
ReplyDeleteI figured some of my Liberal readers might be supportive... Or some more Conservative folks would support J's comments... Or some religious folks would correct me on the concept of God's direct intervention...
Oh well, it was worth a try...