Taxing the rich to help poor is theft

dogs4thewin

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From the OT:

Leviticus 19:13 You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 You may say in your heart, “The power and the strength of my hand has made this wealth for me.” But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 24:12-15 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the LORD your God. You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns.

Deuteronomy 32:15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.

Nehemiah 9:25-26 They captured fortified cities and a fertile land They took possession of houses full of every good thing, Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, Fruit trees in abundance So they ate, were filled and grew fat, and reveled in Your great goodness. "But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You, And they committed great blasphemies.

Job 31:24-28 If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; If I have looked at the sun when it shone or the moon going in splendor, And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

Job 20:17-20 He does not look at the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and curds. He returns what he has attained and cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them. For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built. Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires.

Psalm 52:6-7 The righteous will see and fear, and will laugh at him, saying, "Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire."

Psalm 62:10 Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

Proverbs 11:28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

Proverbs 13:7-8 One pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.

Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

Proverbs 15:6 Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, but trouble is in the income of the wicked.

Proverbs 18:11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination.

Proverbs 18:23 The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.

Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Proverbs 23:4-5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.

Proverbs 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

Proverbs 28:20 A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 30:8-9 Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal and profane the name of my God.

Ecclesiastes_5:10–13 He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes? The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep. There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner

Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow's plea come before them.

Jeremiah 22:13 Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages,

Jeremiah 49:4 How boastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, O backsliding daughter who trusts in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?'

Ezekiel 28:5 By your great wisdom, by your trade You have increased your riches and your heart is lifted up because of your riches

Hosea 13:6 As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me.

Micah 6:12 For the rich men of the city are full of violence, her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Haggai 1:3-5 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?" Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!

Malachi 3:5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.
Are those vevses the way you were answering my question? If so, please give me a yes or no answer.
 
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Moral Orel

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Ok, so the answer is yes, that you would judge one greedy who canned tomatoes that were left over?
I never said that. How could I call you greedy if you solved the world hunger crisis?
 
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Moral Orel

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no, but that does not mean that people should not enjoy the living they made for themselves and not and be forced to live the same standard as someone else.
I never said that either. You guys only see things in the extreme.

Rich folk are taxed, poor folk benefit from programs funded by that taxation. That doesn't require full blown Communism. Gee whiz!
 
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dogs4thewin

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I never said that. How could I call you greedy if you solved the world hunger crisis?
Except that he did not say that he clearly meant people in his local area.
 
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Moral Orel

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Except that he did not say that he clearly meant people in his local area.
He never said that. And if his analogy doesn't apply to what I've already said, then I'm not going to take it seriously.
 
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Moral Orel

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Cant reason with the unreasonable......lets not waste any more time trying.
I said that it's greedy to keep when you could give. You used an analogy where you gave all you could and told me that I would call you greedy. I'm not the unreasonable one.
 
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Ricky M

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Are those vevses the way you were answering my question? If so, please give me a yes or no answer.
I did better than to give you my answer. I gave you GOD's answer!
 
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dogs4thewin

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I did better than to give you my answer. I gave you GOD's answer!
I am looking for a simple yes or no Bible verses are not yes or no.
 
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Hank77

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It does not have to in order to say that we are not to force people to give.
See post #10.

Also..
The Christians in the NT were not supporting a government. The Israelites in the OT were and had to pay taxes to support it, per God's law.
 
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Fantine

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Both rich and poor are citizens in America, and jointly they decide what laws will be passed regarding to taxation, safety net programs, and more.

Before you say, 'No fair. There are a lot more poor people,' you need to remember that because of court decisions like Citizens United, a rich man's influence is hundreds of times more than a poor man's, perhaps thousands of times more. The Koch Brothers gave millions in campaign contributions, and as a reward got billions in tax breaks for the 1%. Isn't that undue influence?

The playing field is far from level. Poor people pay a "tax" of sorts in lack of opportunity. On the poor side of our town, there are no banks. On the wealthier side of town, there are banks on every corner, fighting for the people's money. If you have good credit, you get everything at far lower interest rates--mortgages, car loans, credit cards, etc. But it goes further than that. If your credit rating goes down, your auto and home insurance rates go up. If you live in an inner city (or rural area) you won't have as many places to shop, and those located there will charge higher prices. A friend tells me that the Wal-Mart on the poor side of town has higher prices than the other two...If you don't have a credit card (hopefully one you can pay off each month) you can't get things on sale. If your car breaks down you may have to take the bus for months.

In the meantime, the people with good credit are getting perks--free flights, free gift cards, etc. We have a Sam's Club Mastercard (the best for rewards) that gives rewards out every February. We have already gotten $418 in rewards so far this year...

When Democrats were in power, the Dodd/Frank bill gave consumers protections. The rich (the ones with clout) have taken that away. Why should poorer consumers have protections? Why, some of them may own payday loan companies (or, like Betsy DeVos, collection agencies for students in debt.)

When you look at the growth of income inequality, it seems obvious that there isn't a level playing field. It's stacked towards the rich.

Do you know that the poor who get earned income tax credits (negative income taxes) get audited by the IRS much more often than wealthy business owners? The IRS has decided they can make more money from the low hanging fruit than by going after the big fish, who have lawyers to protect them.
 
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dogs4thewin

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Both rich and poor are citizens in America, and jointly they decide what laws will be passed regarding to taxation, safety net programs, and more.

Before you say, 'No fair. There are a lot more poor people,' you need to remember that because of court decisions like Citizens United, a rich man's influence is hundreds of times more than a poor man's, perhaps thousands of times more. The Koch Brothers gave millions in campaign contributions, and as a reward got billions in tax breaks for the 1%. Isn't that undue influence?

The playing field is far from level. Poor people pay a "tax" of sorts in lack of opportunity. On the poor side of our town, there are no banks. On the wealthier side of town, there are banks on every corner, fighting for the people's money. If you have good credit, you get everything at far lower interest rates--mortgages, car loans, credit cards, etc. But it goes further than that. If your credit rating goes down, your auto and home insurance rates go up. If you live in an inner city (or rural area) you won't have as many places to shop, and those located there will charge higher prices. A friend tells me that the Wal-Mart on the poor side of town has higher prices than the other two...If you don't have a credit card (hopefully one you can pay off each month) you can't get things on sale. If your car breaks down you may have to take the bus for months.

In the meantime, the people with good credit are getting perks--free flights, free gift cards, etc. We have a Sam's Club Mastercard (the best for rewards) that gives rewards out every February. We have already gotten $418 in rewards so far this year...

When Democrats were in power, the Dodd/Frank bill gave consumers protections. The rich (the ones with clout) have taken that away. Why should poorer consumers have protections? Why, some of them may own payday loan companies (or, like Betsy DeVos, collection agencies for students in debt.)

When you look at the growth of income inequality, it seems obvious that there isn't a level playing field. It's stacked towards the rich.

Do you know that the poor who get earned income tax credits (negative income taxes) get audited by the IRS much more often than wealthy business owners? The IRS has decided they can make more money from the low hanging fruit than by going after the big fish, who have lawyers to protect them.
Please tell me what is wrong with maintaining good credit.
 
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dogs4thewin

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See post #10.

Also..
The Christians in the NT were not supporting a government. The Israelites in the OT were and had to pay taxes to support it, per God's law.
Yes, they were supporting a society, but there were not nearly as many safety nets. They did not have section 8, food stamps a lot of other things.
 
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Hank77

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Yes, they were supporting a society, but there were not nearly as many safety nets. They did not have section 8, food stamps a lot of oter things.
That's true, their laws were stricter about helping the poor. No one went hungry when the people were obeying the law. Every 7th year if anyone owed you money, the debt had to be forgiven.

Leaving the corner of the fields, grapes in the vineyard, etc. = food stamps
Now I'll point out that the poor had to gather their own food from the fields and the vineyards, so it wasn't something for nothing which, imv, something for nothing breeds an attitude of entitlement and laziness. I've always thought that anyone who was receiving aid should be working if they can whether that's a regular job, schooling to get a job, an internship, or community voluntary work.
 
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dogs4thewin

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That's true, their laws were stricter about helping the poor. No one went hungry when the people were obeying the law. Every 7th year if anyone owed you money, the debt had to be forgiven.

Leaving the corner of the fields, grapes in the vineyard, etc. = food stamps
Now I'll point out that the poor had to gather their own food from the fields and the vineyards, so it wasn't something for nothing which, imv, something for nothing breeds an attitude of entitlement and laziness. I've always thought that anyone who was receiving aid should be working if they can whether that's a regular job, schooling to get a job, an internship, or community voluntary work.
Food stamps though you are not always required to work.
 
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LoveOurNeighbor

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Should it only be Christian morals that enter government legal code, or can we also respect the beliefs of other religions? For instance, would you be ok with "covering your face" being entered into laws that you must follow, because this is the belief of anothers religion?

The "greatest commandment" Love your neighbor as yourself is fairly universally embraced by all religions as well as non religious philosophies. That is a simple guiding path.
 
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-Luca

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The "greatest commandment" Love your neighbor as yourself is fairly universally embraced by all religions as well as non religious philosophies. That is a simple guiding path.
I don't think that is working...so much pain and suffering in the World...
 
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RaymondG

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Both rich and poor are citizens in America, and jointly they decide what laws will be passed regarding to taxation, safety net programs, and more.

Before you say, 'No fair. There are a lot more poor people,' you need to remember that because of court decisions like Citizens United, a rich man's influence is hundreds of times more than a poor man's, perhaps thousands of times more. The Koch Brothers gave millions in campaign contributions, and as a reward got billions in tax breaks for the 1%. Isn't that undue influence?

The playing field is far from level. Poor people pay a "tax" of sorts in lack of opportunity. On the poor side of our town, there are no banks. On the wealthier side of town, there are banks on every corner, fighting for the people's money. If you have good credit, you get everything at far lower interest rates--mortgages, car loans, credit cards, etc. But it goes further than that. If your credit rating goes down, your auto and home insurance rates go up. If you live in an inner city (or rural area) you won't have as many places to shop, and those located there will charge higher prices. A friend tells me that the Wal-Mart on the poor side of town has higher prices than the other two...If you don't have a credit card (hopefully one you can pay off each month) you can't get things on sale. If your car breaks down you may have to take the bus for months.

In the meantime, the people with good credit are getting perks--free flights, free gift cards, etc. We have a Sam's Club Mastercard (the best for rewards) that gives rewards out every February. We have already gotten $418 in rewards so far this year...

When Democrats were in power, the Dodd/Frank bill gave consumers protections. The rich (the ones with clout) have taken that away. Why should poorer consumers have protections? Why, some of them may own payday loan companies (or, like Betsy DeVos, collection agencies for students in debt.)

When you look at the growth of income inequality, it seems obvious that there isn't a level playing field. It's stacked towards the rich.

Do you know that the poor who get earned income tax credits (negative income taxes) get audited by the IRS much more often than wealthy business owners? The IRS has decided they can make more money from the low hanging fruit than by going after the big fish, who have lawyers to protect them.
Sounds good. Yet how can one feel that odds are not in their favor when up against someone who does not know the Lord while they do?

Isnt God for us more than the world against us?

So I say yes, "it seems obvious that there isn't a level playing field." But God's favor isnt fair....Therefore we are at an advantage....we who dwells under the shadow of the almighty.

"9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."
 
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rjs330

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Where does it say that taxing the rich is theft...?
It doesn't. I don't think it is theft. Theft is gaining unauthorized control of someone's property. We have representative government. Therefore it's not theft. We have taxation with representation.

What I'm pointing out is that the Bible does not authorize us as believers to demand that money be taken from some and given to others as a Biblical mandate. It's patently false.

Now if you want to argue policy and whether or not it's a good idea or good policy to take people's money and give it to others then we can have that discussion. But leave scripture out of it.
 
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