'Christian' 'Declaration of American Values' Rejects Luke 12:48

Cross-posted at the Francis L. Holland Blog.

The Washington Post reports that the Christian Right is trying to reframe and reorganize itself. A new coalition has come up with a new set of values that they call their "Declaration of American Values." (Even though these people are white, I'm going to capitalize the name of their loosely amalgamated political movement and their declaration because that's a grammatical principle that is not governed by how much I like or dislike the group in question, just like the "B" in Black. We capitalize proper nouns and the names of political groups are proper nouns, regardless of the ir skin color.)

Anyway, among their "Declaration of American Values" (I guess some of their values are "Christian" and others are "American" and the American one are more important to them) we find the following:

To secure a system of fair taxes that are not punitive against the institution of marriage or family and are not progressive in nature, and within a limited government framework, to encourage economic opportunity, free enterprise, and free market competition.

Now, I've read the Holy Bible cover to cover and I just can't remember anywhere in the entire Bible where it says that

fair taxes . . . are not progressive in nature.

I remember just the opposite:

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked., Luke 12:48, New International Version

Take home lesson: At least one fundamental and deeply-held "American value" directly contradicts what's in the Holy Bible: the belief that all societies should be based upon the profit motive, and that no one who is wealthy should be compelled to share (or voluntarily contribute) what they have once they've accumulated it.

The Bible absolutely contradicts the "American" ethos, which is not a uniquely American invention at all, and it's by no means a biblical precept. It's just plain greed and that's one of the "seven deadly sins against" which the Bible warns us in no uncertain terms.

When it comes to homosexuality, right-wing Christians quote Ephesians. When it comes to sharing wealth, right-wing Christians quote Milton Friedman and Ronald Reagan.