Does the Bible not say, do not covet?

Covet, the sword that cuts both ways.

Yes, you are not supposed to covet your neighbor’s goods. So then they would be guilty of that. However, those who have more then their share could be considered coveting as well. If you are rich you may already have a house and yet you seek your neighbors as well. If you go by the belief that the earth belongs to God, then nothing really belongs to anyone anyway. Some guy just came along and stuck a stick in the ground and claimed all the land for miles around as his own, and then he sells it off in pieces to some people at a profit. Problem is, it was never his to sell. The law states if you buy stolen property you got to cut your losses, because it reverts back to the original owner. In the bible we get little moral stories like, if a fisherman catches a net full of fish keep only the big one and put the others back, so that others may eat. There should be enough resources for all to live comfortably and share on Gods land.

However, I think some people suffer from sloth. Not a commandment, but a deadly sin. Don’t know if that counts.

Does the Bible not say it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven? If you're going to use an archaic book to determine national law, then should not being rich be forbidden?

BTW, covetousness is wanting something for yourself, not for someone else. I don't know any "liberals and secularists" that want to redistribute wealth to themselves, only the less fortunate.

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God..."

I wonder why that is?

I fail to see how wanting to raise the minimum wage (that nobody can live on) and provide health care for the poor is being covetous. Raising taxes on people who can afford to pay higher taxes rather than raising taxes on those who can't-- that's somehow unbibilcal? Seems to me that ignoring the suffering of the needy in order to accumulate as much material wealth as possible is one of the least christ-like things a person could do.

Conservatives, btw, do not hold a monopoly over christianity. I truly wish they would stop acting like they do. There are literally droves of liberal christians out in the world who are not greedy and selfish, and do not love money more than they love their neighbors (which is also a sin, fwiw. There are many passages in Luke and Acts which all but command the wealthy to support the impoverished, and say that if they do not, they will not enter heaven).

Bride of christ is correct.

The catch-phrase "Redistribution of Wealth", whether you are honest enough to admit it or not, is a two edged sword: W-nomics was a huge redistribution from the working man to the oligarchs, from domestic to offshore employment, and from productive to speculative investment. Enjoy reaping what you have sown.

The Bible does say that we should give to the poor. That's redistribution of wealth (er .... so is robbing the poor to give to the rich, but you know what I mean)

Would Christ not want for the rich to give up their wealth and help the poor? I am always bafled why Conservative Christians spend so much time and effort protecting their wealth.

exodus 20:17 and deuteronomy 5:21

they are going beyond coveting into actual theft of what is not theirs.

the scripture says:if a man will not work neither shall he eat----this said to those that are supposed to be religious--2 thessalonians 3:10

Oh yes, that must be it.

After all, when 2% of the population controls 85% of the wealth, that's just "fair" right?

And when these people use tax loopholes and offshore accounts in order to not pay a dime in taxes, that's just "the way things are" right?

Ugh, sometimes you people make me ill...

I have no trouble discussing the Bible.But you won't like my answers.

“For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

- Matthew 25:42-45

Christ on money and taxes:

And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

~Matthew 22:20-22 (King James Version)

it is a sin to covet things that belong to others

Exd 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ***, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.

but coveting in itself is not a sin

1Cr 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.