Distributive Justice

Reading the legal codes in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, private property was taken for granted. One of the Ten Commandments was "Thou shall not steal." Numerous references exist about appropriate restitution when someone's property has been taken or damaged. Private property was central to Old Testament economic life.

However, ownership of private property was not absolute.

Deut 15:4-5 NRSV

4 There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the LORD is sure to bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, 5 if only you will obey the LORD your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today.

The law required that farmers not harvest all the way to the edge of the field. (Leviticus 23:22) The Jubilee restricted permanent land transfer. (Leviticus 25) Also, the Israelites were required to contribute to the Levites' care and certain governmental activities. There were communal issues that took precedence over property rights.

Nowhere in Scripture do we see a mandate for an equal distribution of income. Some argue that the Jubilee Code in Leviticus 25 was wealth redistribution, but, as I showed on Monday, it was no such thing. Some have used Acts 2:45 to suggest that the Early church intended communal ownership of property:

Acts 2:44-45 NRSV

44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

These actions were taken under extraordinary circumstances. The church was exploding. Many new believers would have been disowned by their families. Christians voluntarily pooled their resources to meet the need. This was not a model for an ongoing church community. Even Jesus' parables seem to endorse the idea of investing and earning according to the resources entrusted to us. (Matthew 25:14-46)

Seemingly, God desires to have billions of Adams working their own "gardens." He created all of us to be stewards of God's resources. When all goods are held in common, productivity and creativity, tend to drop to the level of the laziest and most incompetent. There is no incentive to work harder. Any increased productivity merely accrues to the slackers. Private property encourages the conscientious use of resources to their maximum benefit. Therefore, the most economically productive arraignment is private property. Still, God's mandate that there "be no one in need among you" trumps productivity.

Disillusion [Index]

Economic Justice [Index]

Comments

[will spotts]

To myself, I always try to differentiate between work and toil. Work is good -- it has good results, is productive, was intended in creation. Toil is a punishment.