Redistribution of Wealth

A Commandment or a Sin?  (or neither)

8 June 2012

Over the last couple of years I have often heard LDS Conservatives speak of the “redistribution of wealth” in a derogatory manner and I have been baffled by their argument that it is part of “Satan’s plan”.  The present day issue that has stirred such talk is Obama’s Health Care Reform.

Health Care Reform was signed in to law in March 2010 despite those conservative members of congress who were opposed.    The United States ranks last among developed countries in overall healthcare for its citizens.  Health Care Reform is an attempt to improve the care available to all in the US.  How this is done exactly, or the efficiency of the plan is beyond the scope my understanding, I am just going to be honest about that- it's a big document with a lot of number crunching and medical legal talk that bores me.  However, it is assumed that it does come at a cost to its citizens- and that cost will be paid by a 3.8% tax on the “unearned income” of “high earners”.

High earners are being defined as:  Those whose tax filing status is “single” will be subject to the new unearned income taxes if they have Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of more than $200,000. Married couples filing a joint return with AGI of more than $250,000 will also be subject to the new tax.

Unearned income is the income that an individual derives from investing his/her capital. It includes capital gains, rents, dividends and interest income. It also comes from some investments in active businesses if the investor is not an active participant in the business. The portion of unearned income that is subject both to income tax and the new Medicare tax is the amount of income derived from these sources, reduced by any expenses associated with earning that income. (Hence the term “net” investment income.) 

Conservatives are calling this a “redistribution of wealth”- taking from the rich (“high earners”) and giving to the poor (the under insured and unemployed).   Perhaps it is.  However, LDS Conservatives are also calling it “part of Satan’s plan”.  Heavenly Father’s plan in pre-mortality was to allow each of His children to continue to use the gift of Agency.   Thereby coming to earth and gaining a body we could make choices- for good or for evil- but ultimately to be agents unto ourselves- responsible eternally for the choices we make on our own behalf.  Satan offered salvation for all without choices being necessary- promising that no one would “fail” as there would be no choices to make, and asked in return for all the honor to go to him. 

Agency is a Gospel Principle

Agency is a gospel principle.  President David O. McKay stated: “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct our lives is God’s greatest gift to man. Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any possession earth can give. It is inherent in the spirit of man. It is a divine gift to every normal being. … To man is given a special endowment, not bestowed upon any other living thing. God gave to him the power of choice. Only to the human being did the Creator say, ‘… thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; …” (Moses 3:17). Without this divine power to choose, humanity cannot progress” (“Man’s Free Agency—An Eternal Principle of Progress,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1965, 1073).  

We make a big deal of agency, and rightly so.  But I believe that applying the principle of agency to “redistribution of wealth” is a poor application at best.

Agency is an Eternal Law

It is God given and cannot be taken by another.  I think too often in the Church we use the words agency, freedom and liberty interchangeably.  This is not correct.  Personal freedoms and liberties can be limited by another individual, the environment in which we live or as a consequence to choices we have made in the past.  Agency cannot.  Agency is by its very nature and definition eternally linked with our spirits.  Synonymous with agency would be our conscious and the Light of Christ.

“This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 62). 

Therefore, this whole argument that I keep hearing from LDS Conservatives- that “new laws and taxes are Evil because they take away our (God Given and Eternal) Agency”- is completely erroneous.  It is such a misapplication of the Gospel Principle of Agency that I have to wonder if the Lord finds it offensive.  Would he not be offended that his covenanted Saints believe someone or something can take from them His Eternal Gift?

Is the taking of Freedoms a Sin?

Possibly, but I suppose this would depend on the motive for which the freedom is taken.  Most would agree that loss of freedoms is an appropriate consequence for those who have maliciously harmed another.  Furthermore, one’s choices are often limited in life because of poor choices they had made before.  (I cannot be a school teacher if I have a criminal record.  I cannot serve a mission if there are certain transgressions in my past.)

Is imposing a tax that presumably has consequences if not paid, a sin?  I suppose it depends on the purpose of the tax.  Here is where many will differ in their opinions of what things have value and are righteous as opposed to what things are not only a waste but a sin.  However, we are commanded in D&C to obey and honor the law of the land. 

However, as stated above, the tax increase has not caused a loss of agency, in fact- quite the opposite- one’s choices just became greater- will I pay the tax, or will I not (and thereby suffer the consequences)?

Seeking Answers thru Gospel Principles

When I was teaching seminary, I often found myself telling my class of basically good, righteous LDS teens “the challenge of your lifetime as far as the Gospel is concerned, is going to be sorting through and making the BEST choices”.   I would try to explain to them that as they get older and are faced with life’s toughest decisions the waters are going to become more and more murky.  The line between right and wrong, good and evil, will be harder and harder to decipher. 

Truth

We have to know how to apply TRUTH to our decisions.  D&C 93:24- "And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come..."  God's Truths are eternal.  If we understand what these eternal truths are, they can be applied to anything.

Conflicting Gospel Truths

So what does one do when one feels there are conflicting truths?  This has happened since the beginning of mortality.  Adam and Eve were told to multiply and replenish the earth, yet they were also told to not partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  In order to live one commandment, it was clear that they needed to break another. Traditional Christianity has translated the Adam and Eve story as a the Original Sin- The Fall of Man, for which we are all held responsible.  LDS see the Fall of Adam as one of the greatest choice ever made.

How do we “prioritize” gospel truths when faced with this issue?

Which is the Greater Commandment? 

In this case, the answer is clear for me.  In Mark 12:28-31 a scribe asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is.  Jesus responds, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all they strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these.”  This makes it pretty clear.  Love the Lord and love others.  There is no other commandment greater than these-none.

Charity and Self Reliance- Love your Neighbor or Stay your Hand?

I often hear well-meaning people state that while they know we are commanded to love our neighbor and to care for the poor and needy- there comes a point where we MUST stop doing so, because otherwise people will never learn to care for themselves, to be self-reliant.

I suspect that this line of thinking (which is very popular in the LDS culture) comes from believing that we have two contradicting commandments- love your neighbor (and your enemy) and be hard working, industrious and become self-reliant.  My guess is that in an attempt to “balance” these two commandments we logically assume that we should first, be charitable.  We offer our care and concern and temporal help once, twice, three or four times.  But at some point we feel like we are being taken advantage of if the need is ever present.  And so we “stay our hand” and justify our action (or lack of action) by “balancing the scale”- and tell ourselves, “I will no longer help this person, they need to learn to be self-reliant!”


I believe this is NOT how the Lord intends us to apply these commandments.

The Greatest Commandments

The Lord tells us that the second Greatest Commandment (second only to loving the Lord) is to love our neighbor.  [Mark 12: 30-31]  He even emphasizes how to PRIORITIZE the commandments when he says in verse 31 “There is none other commandment greater than these.”

                30) And thow shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

                31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these.

Who is my Neighbor?

When the Pharisee asks “Who is our neighbor?”  The Lord tells the parable of the Good Samaritan and the extreme measure he went to, to care for a man lying injured and weak on the side of the road. He tell us to “go and do likewise”.  [Luke 10:29-37]

Love your Enemy

In Matthew 5 we learn that we also need to love our enemy.  Who is our enemy?  One of the definitions of an “enemy” that the Savior gives is those that “despitefully use you”.  He admonishes us to remember that by only loving those who “love us back” we gain no reward.

                43) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.

                44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

                45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

                46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?

When Peter asked Jesus how many times we should forgive our enemy- the Lord told him “seventy times seven”.  [Matt 18:22].  This is not to be taken literally as 490 times, but an infinite amount of times.

Do not Judge those whom you Serve

In Mosiah 4:16-19 we receive further instruction from King Benjamin.  King Benjamin understands the natural man.  He states,

17) Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and I will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just-

King Benjamin tells us that THIS is something that we need to repent of.  Once we decide to “stay our hand” because we feel that he has “earned” his situation, we are judging the person.

                18) But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same has great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done, he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

He then reminds us that we ALL depend on God for everything that we have.  He has provided it ALL.  It ALL belongs to Him and He has commanded us to impart of our substance that we  have unto one another.

                19) For behold, are we not all beggars?  Do we not all depend on the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

                20) And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins.  And has suffered that ye have begged in vain?  Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hears should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

                21) And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

Verse 21 makes it pretty clear to me that it is offensive to God for us to ask for blessings for ourselves- whether they be health, healing or temporal items, if we are not imparting FREELY of all that we have to those who are in need.

Lastly, King Benjamin teaches us that if we are going to judge our neighbor and “stay our hand”, how much more will be our condemnation.

                22) And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet he put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

                23) I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him…

What about Self- Reliance?

Latter Day Saints have a long heritage of being industrious, hard-working and self-reliant.  This is a very good thing, but I believe it’s value and proper application gets erroneously applied when it comes to caring for the sick, hungry and poor.

                In 1936 the First Presidency outlined a welfare plan for the Church. They said: “Our primary purpose was to set up … a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 3).  [Handbook 2: Administering the Church; Purpose of Church Welfare]

It is important to note that the above paragraph above is in regards to the purpose of the Church’s Welfare Plan.  The purpose of the plan IS to help make people more self-reliant in both spiritual and temporal matters.  The Bishop and Stake President are stewards over the Bishops’ Storehouse and have access to Fast Offering funds.  They are charged with being a Judge in Israel to dispense of these items as they are guided and directed by the Spirit.  They are also charged with helping others become self reliant.

Furthermore in  the Section of Handbook 2- Purposes of Church Welfare- under the topic of Self Reliance-

Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family. As members become self-reliant, they are also better able to serve and care for others.

Church members are responsible for their own spiritual and temporal well-being. Blessed with the gift of agency, they have the privilege and duty to set their own course, solve their own problems, and strive to become self-reliant. Members do this under the inspiration of the Lord and with the labor of their own hands.

This Section of  Handbook 2 goes on-

Members’ Efforts to Care for the Poor and Needy and Give Service

Through His Church, the Lord has provided a way to care for the poor and needy. He has asked Church members to give generously according to what they have received from Him. He has also asked His people to “visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief” (D&C 44:6). Church members are encouraged to give personal compassionate service to those in need. They should be “anxiously engaged in a good cause,” serving without being asked or assigned (see D&C 58:26–27).  Members can also help the poor and needy of all faiths throughout the world by contributing to the Church’s humanitarian efforts. Providing in the Lord’s way humbles the rich, exalts the poor, and sanctifies both (see D&C 104:15–18). 

President J. Reuben Clark Jr. taught:  “The real long term objective of the Welfare Plan is the building of character in the members of the Church, givers and receivers, rescuing all that is finest down deep inside of them, and bringing to flower and fruitage the latent richness of the spirit, which after all is the mission and purpose and reason for being of this Church” (in special meeting of stake presidents, Oct. 2, 1936).

Self Reliance is a Charge to US- we are NOT to use it to JUDGE another

In conclusion, the charge to be self-reliant is a commandment for us.  We should do all that we can to be prepared to care for ourselves and our families in both the short and long term. But we should never “stay our hand” and in doing so judge another- in order to make someone else “self- reliant”.  They have their agency and will be judged by the Lord based on their knowledge, environment and ability.  When we “stay our hand” we judge another, and will suffer the condemnation of the Lord.  When we give freely we obey the Lord’s second greatest commandment- Love thy Neighbor as thyself

Becoming Pure in Heart- Kimball, March 1985

Selected Sections:

Creating Zion “commences in the heart of each person.” (Journal of Discourses, 9:283.) That it would take some time to learn our lessons was seen by the prophets. In 1863 Brigham Young stated:

“If the people neglect their duty, turn away from the holy commandments which God has given us, seek their own individual wealth, and neglect the interests of the kingdom of God, we may expect to be here quite a time—perhaps a period that will be far longer than we anticipate.” (Journal of Discourses, 11:102.)

“For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.” (Morm. 8:35, 37.)

This state of affairs stands in marked contrast to the Zion the Lord seeks to establish through his covenant people. Zion can be built up only among those who are the pure in heart—not a people torn by covetousness or greed, but a pure and selfless people, not a people who are pure in appearance, rather a people who are pure in heart. Zion is to be in the world and not of the world, not dulled by a sense of carnal security, nor paralyzed by materialism. No, Zion is not things of the lower, but of the higher order, things that exalt the mind and sanctify the heart.

Zion is “every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.” (D&C 82:19.) As I understand these matters, Zion can be established only by those who are pure in heart, and who labor for Zion, for “the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.” (2 Ne. 26:31.)

As important as it is to have this vision in mind, defining and describing Zion will not bring it about. That can only be done through consistent and concerted daily effort by every single member of the Church. No matter what the cost in toil or sacrifice, we must “do it.” That is one of my favorite phrases: “Do It.” May I suggest three fundamental things we must do if we are to “bring again Zion,” three things for which we who labor for Zion must commit ourselves.

First, we must eliminate the individual tendency to selfishness that snares the soul, shrinks the heart, and darkens the mind. President Marion G. Romney has referred to the tragic cycle of civilization, a cycle propelled by anyone who seeks for power and gain. Was it not this that led Cain to commit the first murder “for the sake of getting gain”? (Moses 5:50.) Is not this the spirit of the anti-Christ in which “every man prospered according to his genius, and … every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime”? (Alma 30:17.) Did not Nephi single this out as the spirit which led his generation to destruction?

“Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.” (3 Ne. 6:15.)

If we are to avoid their fate, we must guard against the very things that caused their downfall. The Lord himself declared to our grandparents: “And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine property.” (D&C 19:26.)

He further counseled his young church by saying:

“Behold, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with many who are in the church at Kirtland:

“For they do not forsake their sins, and their wicked ways, the pride of their hearts, and their covetousness, and all their detestable things, and observe the words of wisdom and eternal life which I have given unto them.” (D&C 98:19–20.) It is incumbent upon us to put away selfishness in our families, our business and professional pursuits, and our Church affairs.

The False Gods We Worship- Kimball 1977

Selected sections:


But I recently learned an interesting fact: If a man owns a million dollars worth of gold at today’s prices, he possesses approximately one 27-billionth of all the gold that is present in the earth’s thin crust alone. This is an amount so small in proportion as to be inconceivable to the mind of man. But there is more to this: The Lord who created and has power over all the earth created many other earths as well, even “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33); and when this man received the oath and covenant of the priesthood (D&C 84:33–44), he received a promise from the Lord of “all that my Father hath” (D&C 84:38). To set aside all these great promises in favor of a chest of gold and a sense of carnal security is a mistake in judgement of colossal proportions. To think that a person has settled for so little is a saddening and pitiful prospect indeed; the souls of men are far more precious than this.

We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we align ourselves against the enemy instead of aligning ourselves with the kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44–45.)

We believe that the way for each person and each family to prepare as the Lord has directed is to begin to exercise greater faith, to repent, and to enter into the work of his kingdom on earth, which is The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints. It may seem a little difficult at first, but when a person begins to catch a vision of the true work, when he begins to see something of eternity in its true perspective, the blessings begin to far outweigh the cost of leaving “the world” behind.

Herein lies the only true happiness, and therefore, we invite and welcome all men, everywhere, to join in this work. For those who are determined to serve the Lord at all costs, this is the way to eternal life. All else is but a means to that end.

The moral values upon which civilization itself must depend spiral downward at an ever-increasing pace. Nevertheless, I do not fear the future.


Boyd K. Packer  (May 2004)

Freedom and Agency- random thoughts and quotes

“Free agency means that a man may serve either God or the devil, without external compulsion. How can a man be compelled to serve the one or the other? It must, in the nature of the case, be a matter for free choice. He has his free agency to commit all sorts of crime, even to murder. But he will very soon learn that he has no legal right to do so. The idea of non-interference with the lives, the property, and the peace of others are commonly taken as a basic principle in determining legal rights.”
(Concerning the Education of Young Men. by Milton Bennion, M. A., Professor of Philosophy, University of Utah., Improvement Era, 1906, Vol. Ix. April,)

“An intelligent, responsible being, be it man, woman or child, in the peaceable, harmless exercise of its personal agency, has the heaven-born right to be let alone to pursue any purpose or exercise any privilege which the eternal Parent of all parents has placed at its disposal.” (Orson F. Whitney, Contributor, vol. 3 October 1881-September 1882, Vol. Iii. July 1882. No. 10. 300 – 301.)

“Rights are either God-given as part of the divine plan, or they are granted by government as part of the political plan. If we accept the premise that human rights are granted by government, then we must be willing to accept the corollary that they can be denied by government. I, for one, shall never accept that premise.” (Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Devotional, 16 September, 1986)

Human RIGHTS are government defined.
Agency is the Light of Christ given to EVERY man and can not be removed.  It can however be ignored.

."When we chafe at being compelled (by threat of consequences that might compromise our agency) to donate some of “our” money to help the poor, haven’t we forgotten that in reality it all belongs to the Lord?"  (Yes, The Gospel of Redistribution by By Forrest Simmons)

“This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 62).

You CANNOT have your AGENCY taken from you.  It is a God given ETERNAL law.

“This agency,” said President Wilford Woodruff, “has always been the heritage of man under the rule and government of God. He possessed it in the heaven of heavens before the world was, and the Lord maintained and defended it there against the aggression of Lucifer and those that took sides with him. … By virtue of this agency you and I and all mankind are made responsible beings, responsible for the course we pursue, the lives we live, and deeds we do” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham [1946], 8–9).

Certain things are necessary in order for us to use our agency. First, we must have a knowledge of good and evil; second, we must have the freedom to make choices; and third, after we exercise our agency, there must be consequences that follow our choices.

Therefore, the Lord gives us principles, laws, and commandments to follow, and Satan tempts us to disobey them.

The Lord tells us to love our neighbor and our enemy.  Satan tells us that we are being "forced to love our neighbor when we are taxed for social programs, and that this is a a loss of agency."  It is not a loss of agency.  Choosing to not love our neighbor or not pay our taxes, both have consequences, but our agency is still in tact.

President David O. McKay stated: “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct our lives is God’s greatest gift to man. Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any possession earth can give. It is inherent in the spirit of man. It is a divine gift to every normal being. … To man is given a special endowment, not bestowed upon any other living thing. God gave to him the power of choice. Only to the human being did the Creator say, ‘… thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; …” (Moses 3:17). Without this divine power to choose, humanity cannot progress” (“Man’s Free Agency—An Eternal Principle of Progress,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1965, 1073).

In this life, people continue to have agency; even if their personal freedoms are restricted or taken away, they can choose how to feel and react. 

Agency is still active among subjects in a monarchy, someone in a republic, and someone in a gulag.  Agency can’t be taken away without destroying existence.  Since we are eternal beings, destroying our existence may be impossible.  Perhaps limits on political freedom constitute a category of a sphere in which intelligence and truth are placed to act.  Agency is never diminished and accountability is always present, except for persons who are unaccountable due to mental disability, etc. (That’s beyond the scope of this article.)  However we may be limited by the amount of truth we are able to perceive based on the sphere in which we exist at any given moment in eternity.

Memo to Presidential Candidates: Redistribution of Wealth Is a Divine Commandment

Posted: 03/ 8/2012 10:30 am

Once again, the U.S. presidential election process is marked by the peculiar American interplay of religion and politics. As in the past several campaigns, conservative Christians are a prize voting bloc: Since the beginning of the campaign, we have witnessed the various Republican candidates vigorously vying for their votes, plying their respective pieties and accentuating their evangelical credentials.

Interestingly, the religious vote is highly prized despite the fact that the usual social issues that are the evangelicals' bread and butter -- abortion, traditional marriage -- are taking a decidedly backseat to urgent economic issues during these trying times of prolonged recession. (Though the current bizarre controversy over birth control may be shifting the terrain a bit.) That hardly means that those on the religious right aren't raising their voices. A subtext in much of the political discourse seems to be a kind of "biblical economics." Conservative Christians are among the most fervent defenders of the free market, which they see as divinely mandated; they are likewise among the most vituperative opponents of any socialist redistribute-the-wealth schemes, which, one might infer from their criticisms, are nothing short of satanic.

President Obama himself stoked the flames of controversy a few weeks back at the National Prayer Breakfast, when he underscored a biblical basis for his policies, including his suggestion that raising taxes on the most affluent Americans "coincides with Jesus's teaching that 'for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.'" Not surprisingly, his words raised the theological and political ire of many Christian leaders. Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition called the President's connection of his tax policy to Jesus's teachings "theologically threadbare and straining credulity." Columnist Cal Thomas suggested it was Marxist, not biblical. "Abuse and mangling of Scripture" were common critiques from Obama's religiously minded antagonists.

In fact, the Bible has plenty to say about economics, but it is more radical than what either conservatives or liberals usually assert.

In recent years, a growing number of scholars, preachers and laypeople -- both Jewish and Christian -- have been exploring what has been a largely marginalized part of the biblical tradition, namely the economic vision articulated in the covenant code of the ancient Israelites. Some have labeled this tradition for shorthand "Sabbath economics."

The Torah recounts how the ragtag group of liberated slaves was gifted by the liberating God Yahweh at Mt. Sinai with a blueprint for being a holy community -- the covenant. We are all familiar with the Ten Commandments, what we might call the "preamble" to the broader constitution. Christians especially tend to disregard much of the 350-plus laws that follow (spelled out a bit loosely through Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy). Included among the seemingly arcane regulations on such matters as liturgy, diet, hygiene, relationships and conflict resolution is a remarkable set of coherent teachings laying out the economic practices for biblical Israel.

The teachings explicitly build on the pre-Sinai episode of manna (Exodus 16), in which the wandering Israelites are instructed to take as much of the divinely given foodstuff as they need, neither too much nor too little, and are at the same time given the command to observe the Sabbath day of rest. Both commands -- "Take what you need, no more," and "Balance work with rest" -- are the beginning of subversive unraveling of the world of empire under which the Israelites had been enslaved and oppressed. They point to the new, holy social order that is being birthed.

The economic teachings of the covenant, then, begin by expanding the seven-day cycle of Sabbath to the seventh year -- the Sabbatical Year -- when the entire community is to let the land lie fallow, forgive all debts, and free all slaves or bondservants (Lev. 25:1-7, Deut. 15). The land was to be given a periodic rest, and any tendencies toward creeping oppression or bondage were to be released. Then, every seventh of seven years was the Jubilee Year, in which, in addition to the sabbatical provisions, the land was to be redistributed back to the original tribes and families (Lev. 25:8-54). The covenant included this systemic hedge against excessive inequities in the community. All these practices were rooted in a fundamental principle: The earth is the Lord's -- not Pharoah's -- and is given graciously and abundantly to the people. (Other critical obligations of the covenantal community were the practice of gleaning -- leaving the edges of fields unplowed so that those who were poor or sojourning through the land could take of the harvest for their sustenance -- and the care of widows, orphans and sojourners.)

Wait, did it really say that? Redistribute the land, which in that agricultural community was essentially the wealth? Are God's people commanded to -- gasp! -- redistribute wealth? Could that possibly be in the Bible, along with not committing adultery and not worshipping idols?

"Redistribute the wealth" -- few words are more noxious or notorious to American sensibilities. No notion is more blasphemous to our free market ideology. And yet, God said it, and, the believer must assume, God means it.

Skeptical scholars have sought to diminish the import of these teachings by arguing that Israel never "fully practiced" this Sabbath economics vision. Of course, neither have God's people ever "fully practiced" the Ten Commandments, but we don't question their authority as divine mandates. And of course, it is argued, contemporary society is fundamentally different than the ancient tribal kinship system of the Israelites. So one can question whether these teachings have any relevance for us today.

Or, for religious Americans who claim to take seriously the Bible as a revelation of God's will (and conservative U.S. Christians are hardly shy in making such an assertion), perhaps we need to do some serious wrestling here. God's holy people are clearly and undeniably commanded to redistribute their holdings, to ensure that inequities of wealth and poverty do not corrode their community, to make sure that none of God's precious children have less than they need or more than they need.

In fact, thousands of faithful persons in our society are hungering for deeper meaning in the thralls of materialism and the economic imperative to get ahead. Many are asking tough questions about fundamental injustices in our global economic system (including the resonance of many people of faith with the message of the Occupy Movement -- the obscenity of the 1 percent versus the 99 percent). Even many conservative Christians have begun to question the moral and spiritual challenge of consumerism. Wrestling to free themselves from the bondage of debt, stress and overwork, many in our society, church folk included, are seeking to simplify their lives -- to live "more with less." More and more people, seeking liberation from our own structural Egypt, are experimenting in such economic alternatives as food co-ops, credit unions, community reinvestment funds, co-housing and intentional communities. Numerous Christians and others are "going green," finding ways to live and consume within ecologically responsible limits.

But beyond personal and communal practice, what could Sabbath economics mean in our political witness? Maybe we need to risk a little "class warfare" rhetoric and question whether the gaping economic inequities in America are not in fact both social and spiritual crises. (Jesus' own momma wasn't above a little class warfare in Luke 1: "You have filled the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty.") Maybe we need to engage in a more radical critique of the assumptions of the free market and the American dream.

Maybe we can liven up the next debate by asking the presidential candidates, all wearing their religion on their sleeves, about how they would work to implement God's command to redistribute the wealth and make sure all citizens have enough, not too little, not too much, in oh-so-biblical America.

All right, maybe not this campaign. But the ancient vision beckons -- sacred and wise. May we immerse ourselves in this story and, with God's grace, learn how to bear witness in our modern-day Egypt.

William O'Brien