Was Jesus a Liberal?

About Taxes

It seems there should be more recognition of the scriptural foundation supporting the equitable redistribution of wealth, via taxation or other means, which is historically one of the fundamental principles that has come to define Liberalism.

It seems ironic that modern Conservatism has been allowed to assume a monopoly on religious and moral issues, particularly those presented in Christian biblical scripture.  Liberals have meekly allowed this assumption to go largely unchallenged.

Jesus, however, provides some clear teachings regarding taxation and providing aid to the poor.  The times were different, of course, but the principles are the same:

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians,
to entrap him in his talk.  And they came and said to him, "Teacher,
we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard
the position of men, but truly teach the way of God.  Is it lawful to pay
taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?"
But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test?
Bring me a coin, and let me look at it."  And they brought one.  And he
said to them,  "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"  They said
to him, "Caesar's."  Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things
that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

                                        Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:20-26, Matthew 22:15-22

This shows, for one thing, how little Jesus was opposed to or concerned with government taxation in those days.  Moreover it shows an example of how little regard he held for money and wealth in general, and instead how much he emphasized devotion to God and caring for one's neighbor.

Poverty relief is a moral issue or 'values' issue as much as any other issue.  
The causes of poverty are many, but a person in need is a person in need, and it is our moral duty to give to those in need.  There are many ways to give, of course, and actions certainly speak louder than words.  In an ideal world, charitable giving would be enough to relieve the world's poverty.  But it's simply not enough, as it is.  So it is natural for government bodies to step in, if it is the will of the governed majority, to apply additional methods of charitable giving through modest redistributions of wealth by means of government taxation to fund financial aid programs for the poor and other programs designed
for the common good of society (such as infrastructure, military protection, health care, and education, for example).

Also relevant in this regard are the famous teachings of Jesus dealing with how we treat our neighbors and fellow citizens.  To "love your neighbor as yourself" is equated with the single greatest commandment of all (see Mark 12:29-31, Matthew 22:37-40, Luke 10:25-28).  His teachings about giving to the poor are fairly consistent and staightforward:

"One thing you lack,  go and sell all you possess and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven;  and come, follow Me."
                                                                        Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22

"Sell your possessions and give to charity;
make yourselves money belts which do not wear out,
an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near
nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
                                                                        Luke 12:33-34

The parable of the good samaritan further illustrates this basic principle (see Luke 10:30). Furthermore, filling all of our hearts, he teaches that how we treat our neighbors is actually how we treat him himself:

"For I was hungry and you gave Me food;
I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you visited Me;
I was in prison and you came to Me."
[...]
"Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
to one of the least of these My brethren,  you did it to Me."

"For I was hungry and you gave Me no food;
I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
I was a stranger and you did not take Me in,
naked and you did not clothe Me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit Me."
[...]
"Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it
to one of the least of these,  you did not do it to Me."
                                                        Matthew 25:35-45

So anyway, to grumble over government taxes created to fund financial aid to the poor and the common good, simply seems out-of-step for well-meaning citizens and for Christians in particular.

A Liberal vs Conservative Comparison

"Democrats (I think to myself) are liberals who believe the people are basically good, but that they need government help to organize their lives.  They believe in freedom so fervently that they think it should be compulsory.  They believe that the poor and ignorant are victims of an unfair system and that their circumstances can be improved if we give them help.  Republicans (I think to myself) are conservatives who think it would be best if we faced the fact that people are no damned good.  They think that if we admit that we have selfish, acquisitive natures and then set out to get all we can for ourselves by working hard for it, that things will be better for everyone.  They are not insensitive to the poor, but tend to think the poor are impoverished because they won't work.  They think there would be fewer of them to feel sorry for if the government did not encourage the proliferation of the least fit among us with welfare programs."
                                                            ~ Andy Rooney

What's in a name?

John F. Kennedy:

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?"   If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then ... we are not that kind of "Liberal."   But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."   [September 14, 1960]

Liberal Principles

If the essence of liberalism could be summed up in one basic principle, it could be that liberals operate from the recognition that "we're all in this together,"  as opposed to the basic principle implied by conservatism being that "everyone is on their own, out to get what they can and what they deserve."

George W. Bush's handlers coined the phrase "compassionate conservative," which on the surface sounds catchy and appealing.  But the phrase is catchy or memorable largely because it is an oxymoron - there is no such thing in principle.  Not that Republicans or conservatives don't show genuine compassion at times, but that when they do they are departing from conservative political principles.  That's why "compassionate conservative" is such an odd term.

Liberals believe government has a fundamental responsibility to help those who are less fortunate.  Liberals have supported and continue to support government programs to improve health care, education, social security, job training and welfare for the neediest members of society.  Liberals maintain that a national community is like a family and that government exists in part to "promote the general welfare."

Liberals also believe that "free market" capitalism should not be left unchecked for its own sake.  Consumers and workers throughout our industrial history have benefitted from government intervention and government regulation of free market business practices, with regulations requiring safe and fair working conditions, consumer safety guidelines, and environmental protection laws.  Free market capitalism is an effective economic model, but should not be held as the supreme good or a virtue in itself, and is not inherently beyond reproach or restriction for the benefit of the common good of society.

These are just a couple general principles or beliefs that in my opinion are a key part of what it means to be politically liberal.  Undoubtedly, not all liberals will embrace this or any list of principle propositions, and many conservatives will embrace at least some of them.  It's hard to deny, though, that liberals have failed to define themselves adequately and to state clearly what they believe.  As a liberal, I find that disturbing.

The Political Spectrum

On the far right, we have the libertarians and "free market" Republicans, who believe nearly all government functions should be privatized.  The Republicans in power are actively privatizing much of national defense, such as logistics, food service, and some security services, and they're even profiteering in doing so (consider Halliburton).  They also work to privatize Social Security and many government services.  Pure "free market" capitalism is their mantra, and left unchecked it is demonstrably unworkable.

On the far left, we have communists and socialists who believe all businesses should be nationalized, owned and run by the State.  Pure communism and socialism are also proven by history to be unworkable.  Liberals, Democrats or Greens, are far from aligning with communism or socialism, yet from the far right liberals are equated with the "extremist left."

Liberals are actually in the center, in between the far right and the far left.  They are not extremists.  They are pragmatists.  They realize that for some things free markets work best and for other things government-regulation or government-management works best.

Unfortunately, Republicans have successfully redefined the center or the middle as the "extremist liberal left."  The country has drifted so far to the right that there practically is no "left," much less a "far left".

What is not adequately communicated, in my opinion, is that liberalism is principled, logical, pragmatic, and workable.