Rick Warren: 'I Do Not Believe in Wealth Redistribution'
Oh, that's really interesting, Rick, 'cuz you know who does? You know who does believe in Wealth redistribution? Um, oh what's his name,it's on the tip of my tongue. . . .
Oh yeah. GOD!
You know, your boss? The guy you supposedly speak for? You know, this guy:
May I refer you to the
Book of Irritants, April 25th, 2011?
Remember this verse?
“When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow” (Deuteronomy 24: 21)
That's God redistributing your grapes.
Or this verse?
"During the seventh year, let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove." (Exodus 23:11)
That's God redistributing your land once every seven years.
"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 23:22)
That's God redistributing your crops.
"At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied." (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
That's God redistributing your food.
Those were laws in Old Testament Israel. These policies were not voluntary. Those weren't suggestions about what you oughta do to help the poor people, those were enforced by the government of Israel.
So if you say you take the Bible literally, then you have to believe that God himself instituted these government welfare programs. You want a nation governed by Biblical principles? That's gonna include a pretty serious redistribution of wealth.
By the way, Jesus hated rich people. Seriously did not like rich people at all. Remember the camel through the eye of the needle thing? What about the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus? All that is said about the rich man is that he was rich. Jesus never says that the rich man was evil, or that he was a worshipper of false idols or anything. All we know is that he was rich, then he died, and he went to hell. For Jesus, no other explanation seems necessary. He was rich, of course he went to hell, what was he going to do, push a camel through a needle? And check out what Abraham says to the rich man when he pleads for relief:
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Damn! That is harsh!
So, basically, if you have wealth in this life, prepare to suffer in the next. I'm not saying that I believe that, but if you're going to go around taking the Bible literally, it's pretty hard to avoid that conclusion.
