I am not a Christian, but if I were I would ask myself: how would Jesus vote? I believe Peter has answered this. If in doubt, I would reread The Sermon on the Mount.

The Kingdom of God is eternal, whereas social effects are temporal, thus it is a mistake to think of the Kingdom as a social construct.
Rather, the focus of the Kingdom of God is the individual turning to God and enthroning Him consciously as one's absolute ruler. Justice/Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit [Romans 14:17] are the attributes of the devotee who submits to God's Kingdom.

Wealth or poverty are the gifts of God, it is foolish for man to believe that they can "fix" the situation by their will alone.

Yes, giving charity, sacrificing one's wealth, is part of the process of turning to God and putting His will first, but while the poor and needy can be helped in this process, this is only a side-effect, not the goal.

Now there is a problem: we can only be charitable by choice. When the poor and needy are helped by the state and our money is taken for that purpose without asking us first, then we miss on this great opportunity of choosing to do God's will by helping His children.

The solution is so simple: just make taxes [for individuals] voluntary!
This will allow us to pay our taxes with joy and devotion, using them to grow in our love of God.
Even if our personal taxes will slightly increase due to the few who refuse to pay theirs, this change is more than worthwhile.
Sadly no political party currently has this measure on its agenda.

Choosing how much tax I will pay is indeed heaven........
Or part thereof.

In one parable Jesus spoke of paying a man who worked one hour the same as others who worked 12. He pointed out that it was the employer's business as to how generous he wanted to be. Hardly socialism. Yes He warned against greed and selfishness but definitely did not endorse robbing from hard working people to give to bludgers or the swamp. Paul actually wrote that if a man was to lazy to work he should not eat.

Hi Runner,

"Paul actually wrote that if a man was too lazy to work he should not eat."

I think that Lenin might have said exactly the same thing. I'm not suggesting that Paul was a sort of Leninist, but that a Tertium Quid, a Third Factor, may be at work: that both Lenin and Paul had authoritarian tendencies.

Joe

This long essays describes how the Esoteric Spirit-Breathing Way of Life as taught and demonstrated by Saint Jesus of Galilee was converted into exoteric spirit-killing institutional Christian-ISM.
http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/up/forgottenesotericismjesus.html

Plus this related essay too: http://www.dabase.org/up-1-5.htm