Christian Robin Hoods

From 1945 until 1964 the top federal income tax rate in the United States was around 90%. You don't think that can happen again?

 

And there were thousands of complicated "deductions" that where used to reduce that tax rate significantly for those rich donors that didn't appreciate the 90% rate. Many of the very rich (most?) ended up paying no taxes at all because of all the loopholes.

Which is one of the major problems. The tax code is not used primarily to generate revenue, per se, but to reward donors to the two-parties in power.

That said, your rhetoric is over the top.

peace to youraying:

 

That is because the programs are designed to keep people poor, they are destined to failure from the get-go. Real charity is hardly more efficient and effective than government programs, due to the sheer number of people that need help in the first place. How are separate charitable entities going to be able to keep tabs on not only the people needing help, but also each other. Talk about people falling between the cracks.

 

I can't go along with this.

Much of welfare rewards non-work. There were churches in West Alabama who would have seminars entitled, "How to get the most from your Government Check." My wife worked for a realtor...she saw what some people made, by doing nothing and scamming the government.

Thank God for welfare reform, which limits the amount of time one can be on the dole.

I think we've also lost the real definition of "poor." My parents both grew up in sharecropper families. No plumbing. No TV, microwave, cable, cell phone, nice shoes, or nice car. For my mother, no shoes at all for some of her years.

Many welfare recipients I know--and I know a bunch--have many or all of the above named items.

I don't want to see anyone starve. But I'm tired of rewarding the sorriness of some.

 

Talk about misleading. That 90% did not apply to every income bracket only to incomes of $150,000 and up, and in addition to that that is only 90% of every dollar from the $150,00.00 dollar earned and up. So for example in 1954 every dollar earned up to $2000.00 would be taxed tax 20%. Every dollar from the 2,001.00-$4,000.00 would be taxed 22%, and so on down the brackets.

At no time did the governement actually take 90% of ones entire income.

 

No one is arguing against welfare reform. It is necessary, in fact I think the entire system needs revamping. I however, do not agree that the church or private charities would be better able or more efficient with helping those in need.

 

Even though welfare abuse was not a prevalent as people seem to believe, now that it has been reformed, and time limits have been put in place do you still disagree with these programs? What exactly do you suggest we do?

 

This is true, but it is primarily used for social engineering.

 

You are wrong. If you would let go of your socialist mindset for a moment I think you would see this.

 

Regardless, of whether or not they would be better able or more efficient, according to the Bible, this is the domain of the church, not government. Pure religion is taking care of the widows and the fatherless in their affliction and as to the men that don't work, the Bible says they shouldn't eat. Stealing, taking, taxing, whatever you want to call it, from a worker and forcibly redistributing his wealth to a non-worker is not what God has ordained gov't to do and is not a principle our nation was founded upon.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." - James 1:27

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." - 2 Thessalonians 3:10​

 

Okay, since you have all the answers, and I am apparently so blinded by a socialist mindset, please enlighten me. How are they going to be more effective and efficient? How can services be prevented from overlapping with other charities, and how can these charities ensure that people are not going to fall through the cracks?

Ideological utopias are fine and dandy but they rarely, if ever, work in the real world.

And with that I will end my participation on this thread, it is highly unlikely that we will agree anyway. You are entitled to your opinion, as am I, but after studying the issues, the constitution, and a myriad of other things, I have come to a different conclusion. At the very least thank you for an interesting debate. :wavey:

 

One more thing, because I just saw this. The government is NOT preventing the church from performing its moral duty regardless of any and every social program it may enact. Neither is the government preventing Christians from performing their moral duty. When the government takes away that right I will have a problem, because it violates the 1st amendment. In the meantime this argument does not hold water. The Bible outlines the moral duty for Christians and churches alike. It is silent on the duty, moral or otherwise, of secular governments.

 

While materialism is a factor, calling this concern a cop out is in error. When gov'ts are taking 48-52% of our wealth and we give 10% in tithes and the value of the dollar year after year is eroded through inflation, how does a family survive on 40% of their devalued earnings? People are not going into debt solely because of their materialism, there are many folks just scratching and clawing just to survive each week because someone else is always taking the proceeds of their labor. When you labor for someone else without compensation that is slavery. The average Joe is 50% slave and each year that percentage is increasing.

 

You seem to think that government should be operated like church. I disagree.

 

Closed per previous notice. LE