Okay, fine. But you have to do all of it. That means nobody can change more than 10% interest and there has to be a jubilee every 50 years where all debts are forgiven and all land is returned to its original owner.
Who is the “original owner” of land?
In ancient times? The king.
Maybe not the original owner, but good luck arguing that when the soldiers come to evict you.
Dolphins
If we are applying it to the US, I would say Native Americans. Originally, this law was because land could only be leased for at most 50 years. It could not be sold. That feels appropriate since most , if not all, Native American groups didn’t consider the land to be something that could be owned.
A mat of single-celled organisms, that floated on a shallow sea over what is now Nebraska, 3.5 billion years ago.
The sea!
The person who took out the mortgage, though that wasn’t the term used back then.
The Bible forbids being rich so I’m cool with that lol wealth tax baby thanks Jesus!!!
Christian nationalist Doug Wilson wants tax rates to be determined by the Bible: “I would like Divine Law to have something to say about the marginal tax rates … because when the state claims a tithe, they’re claiming equality with God.”
Somebody needs to read their Bible.
Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Mark 12:13-16 (NKJV). There are other passages about submitting to earthly governments as well where they do not contravene the law of God.
Wilson might have had this verse in mind:
Matthew 19
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
…probably.
Always a hilarious verse for right wingers to point to.
I also like Acts 2: 44-47
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They have come up with some convoluted bullshit interpretations to nullify it. “Duh, the Eye of the Needle was the name of a gate in Jerusalem.” A story that traces back to some late-medieval donor-friendly commentator, who pulled it out of his monastic ass.
The Bible is a bit like the internet - it’s large and obscure enough that if you dig long enough, you can find just about anything you want to “back up” any point of view you want.
And if not, just get a “scholar” to make a version that has it.
did the fella pocket the coin?
Romans 13:1 is more about Christians being powerless when ICE is hunting down immigrants (who are often Christian talk about the actual persecution of Christians in America)
Render unto George Washington all your quarters, and to Benjamin Franklin all 100 dollar bills. Screw Lincoln, we don’t make his money no mo’
Lincoln’s on the $5 bill, mate
And the meaning in that passage is revealed by the questions: what does Caesar own? And what does God own?
Starting from the end: God owns everything. Now what? It was a veiled subversive message.
Most of the other passages about submitting to earthly authorities are in St Paul. It’s one of the many ways he was more conserative than JC.
Christian nationalist Doug Wilson wants tax rates to be determined by the Bible: “I would like Divine Law to have something to say about the marginal tax rates … because when the state claims a tithe, they’re claiming equality with God.”
I mean…the Bible has a pretty prominent verse that the state should be able to set taxes.
Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
because when the state claims a tithe, they’re claiming equality with God.
So, basically, no income taxes of any kind then, if this guy has his way.
Or, more strictly speaking, you could have whatever income taxes you want, as long as they aren’t exactly 10%.
The Bible bans usury, which is the basis of the American capitalist economic system.
And Christians just ignore it.
That’s the problem with very thick books, you just can’t remember everything …
Christians banned it for most of the history of Christianity. Starting in the late Middle Ages, the way they’d game the system was by having Jews do the lending at interest, which they were OK doing as long as it was the goyim on the receiving end. Some of the Italian city-states also started doing interest-bearing loans around that time. Then, when Protestantism started, everyone got into the game.
Islam forbids it too. So they’ve developed slightly different financial mechanisms which in most regards work similarly to interest. The big difference is that lenders have more skin in the game. And for that reason, most Muslim countries that actually ban interest (many ignore the ban) have a problem with systematic underinvestment.
I did not know any of that history, so thank you for sharing. Fascinating stuff.
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“I believe in separation of church and state. But I can’t vote for anyone who doesn’t follow the same god and interpret scripture as a perfect decision making guide because such a person has already demonstrated a deficient decision making capability.”
-Paraphrased quote from my parents
“Anyway, I’m voting for this constantly cheating pedophile who ran his casino into the ground. Because the price of eggs is high.”
-Additional paraphrased quote from mine
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Won’t you please think of the decorum?
I miss that brief period of time when dipshits like this would be told “Okay, buddy” and escorted out of the building.
All this just because they don’t treat mental illness for free in the US.
Oh for sure. And doesn’t the Bible say how it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven? We must confiscate the wealth of all those poor billionaires at once for the salvation of their souls!
Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…
That means pay your fucking taxes, it’s none of the church’s business.
He also thinks the OT law, including slavery, should be imposed on everyone. His opinions are invalid.
Doesn’t the quaran already have that covered? Sounds like he’d better convert …
And merchants out!
