Christians in politics

[TexanRose]

Redistribution of wealth, through government bureaucracy, primarily seems to me an unbiblical principle to start with, and is inherently wasteful, selective and unresponsive (compared to alternatives). I can't help but see it as something other than God trying to receive glory and dependence.

Both the freedom to keep one's property and the capital that freedom tends to produce are diminished greatly by forced government bureaucracy redistribution of wealth.

What was the Year of Jubilee if not a redistribution of wealth?

 

[MW]

It is hard to seperate what you have said from what you have asked. But basically, you will not help the poor by going into politics, because the poor will always be poor, Jesus said so.

I think this means that you cannot eradicate poverty; but you can still help those who are in poverty, e.g., protecting them from exploitation. The problem with alot of policy is that it does not help the poor so much as the idle.

 

[Scott1]

Redistribution of wealth, through government bureaucracy, primarily seems to me an unbiblical principle to start with, and is inherently wasteful, selective and unresponsive (compared to alternatives). I can't help but see it as something other than God trying to receive glory and dependence.

Both the freedom to keep one's property and the capital that freedom tends to produce are diminished greatly by forced government bureaucracy redistribution of wealth.

What was the Year of Jubilee if not a redistribution of wealth?

Not sure what you mean by this.

The Year of Jubilee was God commanding creditors after seven sevens of years to forgive debt owed them to break a perpetual state of servitude.

A government living beyond its means, in modern context, is a representative of the people knowingly committing its citizens to pay what there is no present or short term prospect to repay. That results in either higher taxes or increasing the printing of currency (which the government also controls), which lowers the worth of everyone- rich and poor. Inflation is the natural result.

Unchecked as a pattern, it leads to breakdown of civil governance.

In the former case, a creditor is using his own property.

In the case of government, it is stewarding money it acquired from others (its citizens).

 

[TexanRose]

Redistribution of wealth, through government bureaucracy, primarily seems to me an unbiblical principle to start with, and is inherently wasteful, selective and unresponsive (compared to alternatives). I can't help but see it as something other than God trying to receive glory and dependence.

Both the freedom to keep one's property and the capital that freedom tends to produce are diminished greatly by forced government bureaucracy redistribution of wealth.

What was the Year of Jubilee if not a redistribution of wealth?

Not sure what you mean by this.

The Year of Jubilee was God commanding creditors after seven sevens of years to forgive debt owed them to break a perpetual state of servitude.

Land (the means of wealth) was supposed to be redistributed back to its original owners every 50 years. I imagine that this would have prevented any long-term concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

 

[Philip]

In the former case, a creditor is using his own property.

Wrong---the creditor is being forced by law to deal with his property in a particular way. However you look at it, a completely free market just ain't in the Bible.

 

[Scott1]

Redistribution of wealth, through government bureaucracy, primarily seems to me an unbiblical principle to start with, and is inherently wasteful, selective and unresponsive (compared to alternatives). I can't help but see it as something other than God trying to receive glory and dependence.

Both the freedom to keep one's property and the capital that freedom tends to produce are diminished greatly by forced government bureaucracy redistribution of wealth.

What was the Year of Jubilee if not a redistribution of wealth?

Not sure what you mean by this.

The Year of Jubilee was God commanding creditors after seven sevens of years to forgive debt owed them to break a perpetual state of servitude.

Land (the means of wealth) was supposed to be redistributed back to its original owners every 50 years. I imagine that this would have prevented any long-term concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

Good question, Sharon- it required me to revisit what the "Year of Jubilee" was in the Old Testament.

The year of jubilee is not a pattern of socialism, nor a case for arbitrary government redistribution of wealth through its bureaucracy.

It was a means whereby Israelites who had sold themselves into servitude, to be set free, once time in a lifetime. It was also a mechanism where land that had been sold by an Israelites reverted to its original owner.

It was a mechanism to prevent perpetual servitude (slavery), and to preserve inheritance. This differs in substance from socialism in every way:

1) It was about debt (not property owned)
2) Land reverted to its original owner (it was originally owned by someone else)
3) It happened but once in a lifetime (50th year)
4) It was designed to prevent perpetual servitude, and to make sure Israelites had an inheritance when they died (for the children)

It was not a plan to redistribute present income for the purposes of providing for the poor.

Israel was set up based on tribal allocations of land, and vocations based on tribe, and had a very specific inheritance laws to preserve that. I believe, in accordance with Westminster XIX, these were civil laws given Israel that expired with that nation, though there certainly may be some principle that still applies (e.g. with regard to long term debt).

 

[ZackF]

Well basically lately I've been wrestling with the notion of getting involved in politics. As to what depth to be involved in I don't yet know. So my question is, is it OK for a Christian to support and further a political party?

My motive is so that the poor and working class in this country are helped through the means of a party that represents them and this party I believe (and many will disagree im sure) is the Labour party in the UK.

Now I'm not willing to sit and argue with other members over the Labour party, so please just stick to the question I've asked.

Speaking of politics in general, Just prepare yourself for a couple of things:

1. Regardless of whatever party you choose, you will find Christians, maybe even some in your own church, who will oppose you politically. Right or wrong, can you handle it and still speak prophetically into the political sphere? Some may speak uglier towards you than unbelieving opponents. Can you love a political enemy who is a brother in Christ?

2. It's tempting to baptize the actions of your party and voodoo doll the opposing parties.

My advice is to consider yourself as more of a Christian witness to the Whatever Party rather than the party as something more than it is.