“Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote”
Entry in progress—B.P.
Wikipedia; Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that, according to Judeo-Christian tradition, were authored by God and given to Moses on the mountain referred to as “Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:23) or “Horeb” (Deuteronomy 5:2) in the form of two stone tablets. They are recognized as a moral foundation in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
In Biblical Hebrew, the commandments are called עשרת הדברים (transliterated Aseret ha-Dvarîm) and in Rabbinical Hebrew עשרת הדברות (transliterated Aseret ha-Dibrot), both translatable as “the ten terms.” The English name “Decalogue” is derived from the Greek translation δεκάλογος dekalogos “ten terms”, found in the Septuagint at Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 10:4.
The phrase “Ten Commandments” is generally used to refer to similar passages in Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. Some scholars distinguish between this “Ethical Decalogue” and a different series of ten commandments in Exodus 34:11–27 that they call the “Ritual Decalogue”. Although Exodus 34 contains ten imperative statements, the passages in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 contain fourteen or fifteen. However, the Bible assigns the count of ten to both lists. Various denominations divide these statements into ten in different ways, and may also translate the Commandments differently.
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You shall not steal***
*** Sources within Judaism assert that this is a reference to kidnapping, whereas Leviticus 19:11 is the Biblical reference banning the stealing of property. This understanding is based on the Talmudical hermeneutic known as דבר הלמד מעניינו/davar ha-lamed me-inyano (literally “something proved by the context”), by which this must refer to a capital offense just as the previous two commandments refer to capital offenses.
Google Books
Understanding the Dollar Crisis
By Percy L. Greaves
Boston,MA: Western Islands
1973
Pg. 98:
They think it is: “Thou shalt not steal except by majority vote.” They seem to think that any stealing done by majority vote is all right.
Google Books
Wealth & Poverty:
Four Christian views of economics
By Robert G. Clouse, William E. Diehl, et al.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press
1984
Pg. 41:
Compulsory Wealth Redistribution
The Bible says, “Thou shalt not steal.” It does not say, “Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.”
Google Books
The U.S. bishops and their critics:
An economic and ethical perspective
By Walter Block
Vancouver, BC: Fraser Institute
1986
Pg. 40:
It does not say “Thou shalt not steal, unless the other guy has more money than you do.” It does not say, “thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.”
Period!
Google Books
The Pirate Economy
By Gary North
Fort Worth, TX: American Bureau of Economic Research
1987
Pg. 186:
It is the theology that rests on a perverse version of the eighth commandment: “Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.” Today’s economy is based on faith in the state as an agency of social salvation.
LewRockwell.com
April 19, 2006
The Ten Commandments According to the U.S. Government
by Gary North
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Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote
Dutch, Reformed
June 17, 2009
Thou Shalt Not Steal (Except by Majority Vote)
“The civil government is capable of falling into thievery,” Douglas Wilson correctly points out today.
Nealz Nuze on bootrz.com
HOW RIGHT DID THIS GUY HAVE IT
By Neal Boortz @ November 23, 2009 8:48 AM
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My research, cursory as it was, let to another quote; this one from Gary North:
“It is true that democracy undermines freedom when voters believe they can live off of others’ productivity, when they modify the commandment: ‘Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.’ The politics of plunder is no doubt destructive of both morality and the division of labor.”
I just LOVE that quote! “Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.” That quote should be on the office door of every congressional Democrat; and no small number of Republicans.