Robin Hood had it all wrong. Communism takes from the rich, but excuses themselves for doing it because the rich had it coming to them.
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Summarizing the Point of the Robinhood Story
We can summarize this fictional story thus, Robinhood got a bad shack from his king, which started with stealing the kingdom that was rightfully Robin’s from him. So Robin decided to attack the illicit king by stealing from the king (representing all rich people) and instead of stealing for himself, Robin Hood gave the fruit of his taking to the poor people who were likewise suffering.
What most people miss in the Robin Hood Story
What most people do not notice or put importance on in this story, is, that without a doubt, Robin Hood and his “band of merry men” (they were thieves like him) kept part of what they took for themselves. So we can retouch the story however you may want, but these were thieves that stole and used the fruit of their acts for their own use. Moreover, there is a great contradiction. People who are highly moral do not steal from anyone. (See the next point, God prohibits stealing, period.)
But if this band of merry men were so moral, why did they resort to stealing? God commands that we obey the civil government over us. Robin Hood should have used the constructs of government to challenge the illegitimate king and have him removed. But the story presumes that the king was so entrenched in his power that Robin Hood would have lost trying. The king would have killed him.
But these kinds of moral dilemmas where a moral Christian supposedly sees that it is valid to break God’s laws is just how Satan works. In the end analysis, God allows this to test people to see their commitment to God’s laws, or if they will take things into their own hands to “fix” what God is allowing to reveal what we are. Robin Hood failed this test, by the way. His actions were not moral.
God prohibits Stealing (period)
Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
(See Leviticus 19:11; Deuteronomy 5:19; Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20, etc.)
Okay, so examine all of these verses and show me one that makes any kind of stipulation saying in some cases it is okay to steal. There are none. This is a very simple and straightforward commandment. Do not take what is not yours. Your possession.
We have to distinguish the difference between you yourself working, and owning or possessing something (be that money or possessions) and taking something from somebody else in a sinful act.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with you producing something or offering a legitimate service, and then exchanging goods, services, or money for that thing. That is how God made the world to work.
But notice some of these verses against stealing also include prohibitions about lying, deceiving. In their proximity to “do not steal” we should understand that a great many thefts are not just violently taking, but are involved with deception. This in itself is also another sin, related, but just as bad.
How Communism uses the very same framework as Robin Hood
Communism makes a case based on the same principles as the Robin Hood story. Rich people made their money through violence and force, through deception, trickery, etc. therefore that makes it morally right to steal from them. Communism takes this one step further, use the government and law to make them give up what they have gained.
The wrong premise in Communism is that all rich people have gotten that way through wrong doing. That cannot be assumed. Moreover, whatever was the method that they got possessions and money, it is still wrong to take from them.
Governments have made civil laws to take away the profit of crime. Fine. I agree with that. But if a person has failed to do something and the law places him in prison, just because he is in prison, is the government morally right to take whatever and whenever and how much they want from him? Actually no. That is just stealing, and they are breaking the law.
Morally speaking in the eyes of God, this is a straw man of all rich are bad people so it is morally right to take from the rich.
Why there are so many rich Communists?
If you examine countries that have had communism installed into their government system for years, you will see that the richest people in these countries are actually members of the Communist party (the ruling system). If we want to understand the reality of life here, the Communist system presents a supposedly valid problem (rich people are bad) and then solve by doing exactly what in their own thinking was the original problem.
In other words, the Communist party members are the ones getting rich, and the Communism system takes money from people, but not all rich people, just the rich people who are not under approval of the Communist system. China has an iron rule over their country, yet they have billionaires. In a system that proposes an alternative system to capitalism, it is interesting to study and observe these people. Recently in the news, one of their billionaires, I would suppose that he had fallen from favor with the Communist party, just disappeared. A homeless person can disappear and nobody notices. But a billionaire that disappears causes a lot of questions, how? why? where did he go to? What the Communist party does is called a ruse, they pretend one thing but really do another.
Why is stealing from the rich to give to the poor right or acceptable? It is still stealing!
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Robin Hood had it all Wrong
The Solution is Preaching Preaching is central in how God communicates to us. Preaching solves our spiritual problems and brings blessings. But preaching has to be actually reading and explaining the Word of God, exhorting and motivating others to obey God.
Topics: What many people think | What is a church? | What makes a Church Function? | The Focus on Preaching | Harmony and Fellowship are Dependent on "Like Mindedness" | Convincing everybody to Think the Same Way | Is it good that everybody thinks the same way? No. | Deference, or giving others the Preference.
Excerpt: Preaching fixes in us an understanding that causes faith. Faith changes our lives and brings us into conformity with the will of God. The Word of God fixes our problems and sets our lives straight in the sight of God.
Read the Article: The Solution is Preaching.