It seems that academics never lose the ability to generate stupid ideas, many of which fall into the Marxist genre. One such stupid notion comes from Howard Gardner, the Harvard-based psychologist (who has written books on human intelligence) advocating a limit on the amount of income that any one person may accumulate in any one year and he would also limit the amount of wealth that could be bequeathed at death. Any amount over his suggested figure [by law] would have to be given to the government or to charity. The idea is one whose time should never arrive, and as to his work on human intelligence, he doesn’t seem to have much when it comes to understanding human motivation to make gain in income and wealth.

Such notions held by the professor are legion and have been tried in the communist controlled nations for centuries. North Korea is one of the most glaring examples of a controlled economy. His idea is nothing more than another crackpot idea put forth without any understanding of freedom and liberty, the very freedom and liberty that allows him to sit in his ivory tower and pump out “crackpotisms.” But enough about him; let’s put a foundation on the very acceptable behavior of earning and creating wealth (except to the professor and presumably the author of the article as well).

One of the components of freedom and liberty is the God given right to earn and make gain. In the Bible, we read of those who worked and made profit. Lydia, a seller of purple (Acts 16:14), conducted business successfully (and began the church at Phillipi). Not one word can be found about the government limiting her income in any manner, and neither is there any such mention for the practice in Roman history for any business or person.

Making income is a time honored right and the scriptures support it with attached conditions. Unlike the author of the article and the professor, Paul addresses the responsibility that goes with wealth. In the first letter to Timothy, he wrote: 17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.  James wrote that God was to be included in any plans to make a profit: 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  (James 4:13-15) We can conclude that profit making is God given and that the one who makes gain has a responsibility to use it wisely. Since God doesn’t limit the amount, then why should the government? The use of any gain and wealth calls for the individual to exercise responsibility for its use.

Jesus addressed the rich young man who was wealthy, Mark 10:17-27. When he asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell what he had and give it to the poor. He left very grieved since he had many possessions. Falsely, some believe that those who are rich can’t be saved, and therefore the government is doing them a favor by taxing them to the hilt and they use the rich ruler as proof of their erroneous belief. The extension of the words spoken by Jesus is repeated by Paul in that one is not to trust in uncertain riches as he stated to Timothy, cited in verse 17 above. That was the rich ruler’s problem; not that of having wealth.

Mr. Pizzigatti and the professor would do well to understand the freedom and liberty that we have in this nation to grow wealth without government confiscation. In Sorting It Out, it is apparent that without an understanding of God’s principles pertaining to wealth and other issues, that many are prone to utter an idea most ridiculous.

09-15-2007 DEC

                         (Source article by  Sam Pizzigati  http://alternet.org/workplace/62507/ )