Okay, I am officially sick of people who call themselves Christians, but who are so selfish about money. These people see money as something they earn, something that belongs to them, something they have a right to. And anyone who wants some of the money that belongs to them is in the wrong. I cannot imagine Christ saying, “Well, people are selfish, so you gotta be selfish, too.” If Christ were to have a problem with someone like a tax collector or a thief, it wouldn’t be because he wanted to guard his own possessions. It would be because those people were being greedy or were obsessed with material wealth.
I think about myself and how, in America, I am not particularly wealthy. I don’t splurge on that many things. I don’t bring in a ton of money. I certainly don’t have any savings, and the only asset I can think of is my 2001 Toyota. But, looking at the world in general, I have so much. I always have enough food to eat (and lots of different options). I have a temperature-controlled house that keeps me safe from the elements. I have clean water, and I am very healthy. I have an education, access to technology and so much information is immediately available to me. I can spend several hours a day pursing hobbies or other areas of leisure. How did I earn that? What did I do to make it so that I have those things and so many other people in the world do not.
I understand that many people can see the logic of that, but don’t agree with giving their money to taxes, because it supports things they don’t believe in. I can understand that, since I am basically a non-interventionist, and a large percentage of my taxes go to something I don’t believe in. The problem is with the idea that the money is yours to begin with. Money is a contract between the people about the value of goods or services. It only has meaning in the transactions. It doesn’t belong to anyone.
Yes, you earn money, but does that mean that you deserve it? I contend that anyone who believes that he deserves everything he has is not a Christian. No, I don’t donate everything I own to others. No, I don’t go and serve others in a third world country. I’m not really saying I’m awesome, but, at least I know that what I have is due to a small amount of smarts and hard work and a whole hell of a lot of luck.
