Better Economic System (5) - Wealth

Many Christians get upset about disparity in wealth in a modern economy. The blame the economic system.

I have never met a Christian who is upset about their own wealth. I have never met a Christian who says that their income is too large.

If you are upset about your own wealth, the problem is easy to solve. Just give some of it away to someone who is poorer than you. If your income is greater than you need, give it away. Too much wealth is a problem that is easy to solve. Giving is the solution.

Christians who are upset about the unequal distribution of wealth are not upset about their own wealth. They are actually upset about the wealth of other people. They can see people that they think have too much wealth. This is a harder problem to solve. There are only two solutions:

1. Persuade the wealthy person to freely give some of their wealth away.

2. Force the wealthy person to hand over their wealth, so it can be given to those with greater need.

The first solution is not very popular, because it will not have much impact.

The simplest way to implement the second solution would be to get a gun, point in the back of too-wealthy people and force them to hand over some of their wealth, but that does not sound very nice. People who want a better economic system are really looking for a way to forcibly take wealth form the people that they think have to much, but without getting their hands dirty. Unfortunately, force is force, whether it comes out of the barrel of a gun, or a larger mob.

The New Testament model for dealing with surplus wealth is generosity and sharing. Forced giving is never part of the solution. The transformation of the gospel and the spirit makes the first option possible. The Spirit will lead some wealthy people into giving to people with insufficient means to prosper. This is the best way to eliminate the problem of inequality that everyone hates.