Dammit! I though Jeezuz was American!

With great power comes great responsibility.--Spiderman

If I were a Jesus-hated-Taxes Teapartier, I would interpret it to say that those with the ability have the obligation to be Ayn Rand-style Great Men and that what is demanded/asked of them is not taxes but to build the factories and businesses that employ the rabble. Moreover, I would argue that the passage requires you to fight minimum wage increases, government regulation, etc., so that you can continue building more factories, hire more people, and continue fulfilling your duty.

I don't buy it, but I enjoy a little devil's advocacy.

He that go to sleep with itchy butt wake up with stinky finger.

Hey, Goldy, I need fifty bucks.

The world would be a very different place if christians actually followed their own rules.

This is one of those that is only a metaphor, or only refers to its specific time period, or the true meaning has been lost to history, or it is so symbolic in fact that for somebody to try to make it sound like this says anything about the poor or the rich or taking care of the poor, is simply blasphemy--BLASPHEMY I SAY!

Ask not what your country can do for you ...

Blessed are the poor, for they shall make $15 per hour- unless they are working on Port of Seattle property, in which case they are screwed!

The rich: "I give to charity, so there! Jesus never said 'taxes', so get your paws off MY money!"

"And they came and said to (Jesus)...'Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'...He said to them 'Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin and let me look at it.' And they brought one. And he said to them 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to him, 'Caesar's.' Jesus said to them, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's.'" -Mark 12:14-17

whhhy even The Golden Rule which so often recurs in various religions in various forms (Luke 6:31 if one insists on visiting one's hotel's nightstand), may be considered as a call to eeeevil socialism.

(and no, i'm not referring to "the golden rule" comically recast as: them what has the gold makes the rules. that's a rule of current context, not a rule of how we should behave)

If you think that passage in Luke is radical, go back to the OT and look up something called the Jubilee Year. It makes Karl Marx look like Donald Trump.

@6, they already do, but the "rules" are seemingly different for every Christian. Neither the retreat-from-the-world-and-conemlate Christians nor the God-wants-us-to-be-rich Christians contribute anything good to the world. Let alone the bigoted fundamentalists.

@15: The retreat-from-the-world-and-contemplate monastic tradition actually has served as a repository of knowledge and culture during times of upheaval, such as the Dark Ages. They also come up with insight as to what keeps us sane, how we can manage our minds and learn to be happy.

@15, some of the "retreat-from-the-world" type of monks and nuns gave us cheese and beer and liqueurs, so not a complete waste of time so far ...

"And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need." -- Acts:2:44-45

"There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need." -- Acts 4:34-35