The Tithe and Socialism

The food and money gathered via the Tithe in the Mosaic law wasn't just used by the Priests and Levites.  Deuteronomy 14:29 makes clear it's also for the Immigrants, Orphans and Widows.

The Tithe was a 10% Tax of sorts, but it can't be compared to something like a Tax on hourly wages. It was a Tax on increase, productivity, more analogous in our modern Tax system to something like the Capitol Gains Tax.

The Tithe is one of many parts of the Law of Moses not applicable under the New Testament as there is no Temple and we aren't supposed to be a civil nation state.

However it's existence in the Mosaic Law means if you want to use The Bible as a guide for your Politics you can't claim things like Welfare and Food Stamps are completely incompatible with The Bible.

But I'd argue in a modern society that is far less agrarian over all then Ancient Israel's, God would approve of even more Socialism when you look at how much Jesus talked about caring for The Poor and the Sick.

Now look, I'm a former Ron Paul Libertarian, so I fully get all the arguments that Jesus saying we morally should give to the poor doesn't mean he'd approve of the Government redistributing the wealth.  But that lack of Government involvement was because the early Christians didn't hold any government power, and in my opinion proper Christians probably still shouldn't seek government power.  But if American Evangelicals and their GOP allies want to keep talking about America as a Christian Nation, then the Nation should be required to do what Jesus told all Christians to do, which includes feeding the hungry and caring for the sick.  You can't have it both ways. 

Now a lot of Republican and Libertarian Christians love to misuse 2 Thessalonians 3:10 "if a Man doesn't work he shouldn't eat".  I'm going to provide some links of others talking about that. But even they are still seeking to keep the Bible compatible with a Neo-Liberal form of Capitalism.  The important part of the context being left out is verse 9 "We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate."

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2013/9/21/1240473/-I-don-t-think-the-words-in-Thessalonians-3-10-mean-what-you-think-they-mean
http://religiondispatches.org/gop-lawmaker-botches-bible-to-punish-poor/
http://www.christiandemocratsofamerica.org/blog/2014/08/17/dont-work-dont-eat/
http://banpreachergreed.tripod.com/id89.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/2-Thessalonians-3-10-no-work-eat.html
https://itself.blog/2013/07/16/he-who-will-not-work-shall-not-eat-an-explanation/

Also the American Conservatives citing this verse are unaware of how it's actually a part of Socialist rhetoric.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_who_does_not_work,_neither_shall_he_eat#Soviet_Union
Likewise "From each according to his Ability, to each according to his Need" comes form Acts 4:32-35.  The problem with attempts to use the Parable of the Talents against that axiom is that Jesus parables are not about actual economic policy but allegories about spiritual work.

Matthew 5:42 says to always give to those who beg of you.

I'm not suggesting we try to make everyone completely 100% economically equal.  But income inequality is not entirely because of "merit".  Major corporations do not function because of their CEOs and shareholders alone.  In a world where some people have more money then even existed 500 years ago, it's possible to take care of the poor without making them not Rich anymore.  We are producing more then enough to feed everyone on the planet, but we don't.

Some earlier relevant posts of mine.  The oldest was written at a time when I was still more hostile to Socialism then I am now.

The Bible and Private Property

My complex views on Marxisim.

And some Conservatives will also quote the end of Genesis 3 to support the importance of work.  The context they're ignoring there is that was Adam's punishment for his sin.  On this side of the Cross the price of sin has been paid so we're supposed to restore the condition of early Genesis.  We know that the true perfection of Eden won't be fully restored till New Jerusalem descends (unless you're an Amillennial full Preterist, then you have no excuse for supporting Capitalism, no one still has to work in New Jerusalem), but we're still supposed to be striving towards that.  Genesis 3 certainly doesn't support Labor being something to be proud of.