Well that’s why I said “essentially.” Specifically, I meant the observable result. I agree that it’s not charity if it’s mandatory. I’m okay with highway robbery if the spoils are divided fairly. (“Fair” doesn’t necessarily mean “evenly,” though.)
Yes, if you’re conservative you probably don’t want “those people” getting charity. You want to pick and and choose and even weaponise through coercion who gets help, but you can’t come out and just say that. People will know you’re a manipulative asshole. So, you have to loudly call it robbery and theft until enough people fall for it.
I’m not really sure what the point of this comment was. Do you think that a conservative will become more likely to abandon conservatism if they read this?
Yeah, insulting the people you’d like to receive charity from isn’t likely going to win you a lot of friends, and neither is threating them with robbery. And I’m not saying that if they’re serious about their faith, they shouldn’t at least try and make an effort to have mercy on someone who acts like this anyways (Love your enemies and all that), but you have to at least be willing to recognize that this is perhaps THE single most difficult teaching in the Bible for most people to accept, and few ever reach that level of perfection in their faith, so you’re likely going to be waiting a very long time.
But mandatory charity is not charity at all, it’s just highway robbery. Doesn’t matter how fairly the spoils are divided.
Well that’s why I said “essentially.” Specifically, I meant the observable result. I agree that it’s not charity if it’s mandatory. I’m okay with highway robbery if the spoils are divided fairly. (“Fair” doesn’t necessarily mean “evenly,” though.)
Alright, well, I disagree with your methods but I appreciate your honesty.
glad we can agree to disagree amicably.
Yes, if you’re conservative you probably don’t want “those people” getting charity. You want to pick and and choose and even weaponise through coercion who gets help, but you can’t come out and just say that. People will know you’re a manipulative asshole. So, you have to loudly call it robbery and theft until enough people fall for it.
I’m not really sure what the point of this comment was. Do you think that a conservative will become more likely to abandon conservatism if they read this?
Yeah, insulting the people you’d like to receive charity from isn’t likely going to win you a lot of friends, and neither is threating them with robbery. And I’m not saying that if they’re serious about their faith, they shouldn’t at least try and make an effort to have mercy on someone who acts like this anyways (Love your enemies and all that), but you have to at least be willing to recognize that this is perhaps THE single most difficult teaching in the Bible for most people to accept, and few ever reach that level of perfection in their faith, so you’re likely going to be waiting a very long time.