December 5, 2007, here on slacktivist: The Rich Fool
I believe that a progressive estate tax is wise, prudent and just policy for a society concerned about equality of opportunity and the preservation of democracy and personal liberty rather than oligarchy. That belief is based on a host of principles — e.g., justice and liberty are Good Things — and prudential judgments that I believe are both reasonable and congruent with my Christian faith. This is, in other words, not a sectarian belief that I would seek to impose on secular society, but rather a conclusion that I think would be shared by all people of good will.
That’s quite different from a sectarian belief based upon proof-texts or on an unexamined, visceral “What would Jesus say?” approach.
But, as a purely sectarian exercise, what would Jesus say? As Luke 12 illustrates, Jesus didn’t tend to offer straight answers. Or, rather, he offered very straight answers, but to different questions than the ones he was asked. I think the conversation would boil down to something like this:
“Teacher, what sort of estate tax policy should we support?”
“Don’t leave an estate. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
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