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Would Jesus be a Liberal?

Which of these political leans would Jesus be?

  • Liberal

    Votes: 40 44.0%
  • Conservative

    Votes: 12 13.2%
  • Moderate

    Votes: 7 7.7%
  • Potato

    Votes: 32 35.2%

  • Total voters
    91
One is legal and one is not. taxation is legitimate and necessary for government to function while theft is not.

Social program expenditures and foreign aid are not necessary for government to function. The government is inserting itself as a surrogate theif.
 
Wait. I thought the government doesn't exist.

Some people do wish this. People on watchlists.

I was referring to this statement of yours:

The government cannot steal, it is not a person.
It is an embodiment of the will of the people.

As you point out, the concept of "government" is simply that, a concept. The government has no physical reality, it is simply the name we use for a group of people and a set of interactions. Every action taken by "the government" is an action taken by some actual human being. My position is that the commandment Thou shalt not steal applies to people, all people, regardless of whether they call themselves "the government" or not.

Unless you can point out how a certain group of people become exempt from God's laws, that is.
 
He would be apolitical.
 
It happens to print the money... I dont think it needs to steal anything.
The government is not printing the money needed for unconstitutional expenditures on benevolent purposes. It is taking from some to give directly to others.
 
A Socialist. He was all for the people.

Do you realize there's a difference between an individual helping people and encouraging others to do so and people being forced to help through government-enforced taxes?
 
As you point out, the concept of "government" is simply that, a concept. The government has no physical reality, it is simply the name we use for a group of people and a set of interactions. Every action taken by "the government" is an action taken by some actual human being. My position is that the commandment Thou shalt not steal applies to people, all people, regardless of whether they call themselves "the government" or not.

Unless you can point out how a certain group of people become exempt from God's laws, that is.

Last I checked the government was above your personal conceptions of god. And since it is a concept it cannot be a person to steal in the first place.
 
Last I checked the government was above your personal conceptions of god. And since it is a concept it cannot be a person to steal in the first place.
"And since it is a concept it cannot be a person to steal in the first place." Excellent observation.

So, now we have established that "government" is simply a concept. Excellent. So I will see no more responses from you claiming that "the government" may do this or that. For as you yourself have just proven, the government is a concept and is incapable of physical action. People are real, government is a concept. People act, governments don't.

So here's a couple of simple questions: What gives some people the power to tax others? Why is it that when you or I decide to "tax" others it is called stealing?
 
"And since it is a concept it cannot be a person to steal in the first place." Excellent observation.

So, now we have established that "government" is simply a concept. Excellent. So I will see no more responses from you claiming that "the government" may do this or that. For as you yourself have just proven, the government is a concept and is incapable of physical action. People are real, government is a concept. People act, governments don't.

So here's a couple of simple questions: What gives some people the power to tax others? Why is it that when you or I decide to "tax" others it is called stealing?

The people are taxed by consent in a democracy...
Your example basically assumes a dictatorship of you and me.
 
The people are taxed by consent in a democracy...
Your example basically assumes a dictatorship of you and me.
So how do the people collecting the taxes acquire the authority to do so, when if you or I did the same thing we would be said to be stealing? Who gives them the authority? Those collecting the taxes are people just like you and me, right? What is so special about them that gives them the moral authority to do what you and I are forbidden from doing?
 
I'm pretty sure Jesus wouldn't and didn't take a political stance other than to dismiss anything the government does as not relevant.

He's most definitely not a liberal. Anyone that thinks Jesus was for government forced charity doesn't know the Bible.
 
So how do the people collecting the taxes acquire the authority to do so[/quote
By the authority of a sovereign government.

when if you or I did the same thing we would be said to be stealing? Who gives them the authority?

Because if you started collecting taxes from people and your not the government your expropriating money from people... illegally. What's so hard about this.
Those collecting the taxes are people just like you and me, right? What is so special about them that gives them the moral authority to do what you and I are forbidden from doing?[/QUOTE]

They have no moral authority.. oh wait they do, they are the government and they govern and collect taxes as people have since the origin of organised society.
 
Tell me what happens when you print your own.

Do you know what government is?
Do you know how property functions?

No matter how I look at your question there is no grounds for it.
 
Do you know what government is?

As for government I seriously doubt you understand how it functions It's cited as the main reason for the inability of the US to elect effective leadership or enact functional legislation. Other than bills removing the rights of Americans on a virtually unanimous basis.

Do you know how property functions?

Money is not property. Let's not make everyones head spin

No matter how I look at your question there is no grounds for it.

There are no grounds for a multitude of libertarian arguments. As for my question, you cannot print your own currency... it is in a binding contract we as american were born into.
 
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As for government I seriously doubt you understand how it functions It's cited as the main reason for the inability of the US to elect effective leadership or enact functional legislation. Other than bills removing the rights of Americans on a virtually unanimous basis.

Umm what? First, what in the hell are you talking about, and second, how does that answer my question? I asked you what government IS, NOT how it functions or if you understand how it functions.

Money is not property. Let's not make everyones head spin

Money is property.

There are no grounds for a multitude of libertarian arguments. As for my question, you cannot print your own currency... it is in a binding contract we as american were born into.

I never said I wanted to print my own money nor does that have anything to do with it. Why is it that every time I talk to you all I get is emotion and strawmen?
 
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Umm what? First, what in the hell are you talking about, and second, how does that answer my question? I asked you what government IS, NOT how it functions or if you understand how it functions.

...5th grade civics... most people are able to refer to what government is relatively accurately, I'm sorry my answer doesnt satisfy your radicalism or your empty question.


Money is property.

No its not...
How about a vapid trap question: "what is money?"

I never said I wanted to print my own money nor does that have anything to do with it. Why is it that every time I talk to you all I get is emotion and strawmen?
What emotion? And quote a strawman if you think you can craft one out of the convo so far.
 
...5th grade civics... most people are able to refer to what government is relatively accurately, I'm sorry my answer doesnt satisfy your radicalism or your empty question.

You didn't answer the question which is the problem. My question actually answers everything if you would actually answer the question.


No its not...
How about a vapid trap question: "what is money?"

Money is the commodity used in the market to be used as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. The definition of money does NOT prove it is not property. In fact, it does the opposite.
 
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We will outgrow our ability to meet demand without any natural stops in place. We already have mass food production and distribution, but with the methods we've used to increase production, we've lost quality. Only in your opinion.. IMO, the quality is higher than ever.The quality of foods most people eat today is poor compared to just 100 years ago. The problem is, far too many sheeple choose a poor quality diet. Our education system needs reform.

The other problem is that with everyone being adequately fed, and guaranteed a subsistent life, they will keep breeding more mouths to feed, and human lifespans are increasing. We could easily outgrow our capacity to produce.
The same people who eat well are prosperous and have fewer children. This is overt infomation...
 
By the authority of a sovereign government.

Because if you started collecting taxes from people and your not the government your expropriating money from people... illegally. What's so hard about this.

They have no moral authority.. oh wait they do, they are the government and they govern and collect taxes as people have since the origin of organised society.

Your reasoning seems to be circular:

Q: How can people in government be exempt from "Thou shalt not steal"? A: Because they're in the government.

Just repeating "because they're the government" sheds no light on WHY you believe these people are able to steal while you and I are forbidden from doing so.

You've got to dig a little deeper. WHY are certain people (the government) allowed to legally steal, while stealing is illegal for you and me? What gives certain people the ethical authority to govern and collect taxes, while others lack this power?
 
Something else.

Staunch pro-life advocate, fiscally responsible, encourages militant warfare when necessary - always with the effort to win, but opposes violence in general. Supports freedom and individuality as well as creativity but expects those born with certain issues to just suffer.
Classic Conservative/Republican here.

However
Supports those who even don't believe in him, believes all children are born good, anti-discrimination, pro-free education for all, willing to sacrifice self and others for sake of own salvation, believes cross cultural communication is key in life
Classic Liberal/Democratic views.

Its logical that Jesus would be "pro life", but, TTBOMK, during the days of Jesus, there was no such thing as forced abortion, nor was there rights for women and minorities....
The purpose of Jesus was to show the people that God exists, he did not go into politics, etc.
Potato ,IMO, is the correct answer.

Our society must be balanced, including the politics...Too much conservatism or liberalism are not good...Liberitianism is for the 1%, better yet, the 0.01%.
 
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