<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="white" STYLE="font:10pt verdana; border:none;background-color:white; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial Black, Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" color=#000000 size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Ron Smith (whoever he is) writes:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">"Matthew 25:40 says nothing about a 'Robin Hood' style of stealing from the rich in order to give to the poor, which is clearly what our government does."</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">I wonder to what government Mr. Smith refers? Does he live in </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">France</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, or </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Germany</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, or perhaps </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Canada</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He must, because by "our," he cannot possibly be referring to the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">United States of America</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, which neither "robs" the rich nor gives much in the way of aid to the poor.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The truly wealthy in this country are taxed at the lowest marginal rate in the industrialized </SPAN><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">First World</SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, and as for our largesse to the poor, well, let's just say that we're still a cut above </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">China</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> and </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Russia</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> but that's no recommendation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> (As a testament to our national attractiveness, I'd rank it right up there with "She don't sweat much for a fat girl.") </SPAN>We do not have universal health care.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We do not provide government grants for paid maternity leave to new mothers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Social Security, disability, and SSI do not provide an indexed living wage; at this point, they scarcely qualify as subsistence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>When Bill Clinton and Newt Gin-grinch ended welfare as we know it, they replaced it with a system of block grants to the states which allows Scrooges like Idaho to place a two-year lifetime limit on public assistance – public assistance which is no great shakes to begin with.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How many single parents with two kids can actually survive on four-hundred odd per month?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I mean without breaking down and actually eating one of the little tots, a la Jonathan Swift?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000 size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>As for the rest of Mr. Smith's point, let's end the speculation and head straight for the source.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here's what Matthew 25:31 through 25:43 has to say:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000 size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit in state on his throne, with all the nations gathered before him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He will separate men into two groups, the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then the king will say to those on his right hand, "You have my father’s blessing; come, enter and possess the kingdom that has been ready for you since the world was made.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was a stranger you took me into your home, when naked you clothed me; when I was ill you came to my help, when in prison you visited me."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then the righteous will reply, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and fed you, or thirsty and gave you drink, a stranger and took you home, or naked and clothed you?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When did we see you ill or in prison, and come to visit you?"<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And the king will answer, "I tell you this: anything you did for one of my brothers here, however humble, you did for me."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then he will say to those upon his left hand, "The curse is upon you; go from my sight to the eternal fire that is ready for the devil and his angels.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For when I was hungry you gave me nothing to eat, when thirsty nothing to drink; when I was a stranger, you gave me no home, when naked you did not clothe me; when I was ill and in prison you did not come to my help."</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000 size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Now it seems pretty clear to me that in Matthew 25, Jesus is spouting some terrifying socialist clap-trap.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U>is</U></B> indeed playing Robin Hood.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If we don’t take care of the least among us, then we will have failed the big JC, and when he comes back, he'll be kicking ass and taking names.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yours, Ron, will be Goat, as in "Billy the."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> As John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John sang long, long ago, "</SPAN>Better sheep up."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000 size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Baa to your humbug,<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT color=#000000 size=3>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN> </FONT></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=all><hr>Get more from the Web. 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