Goff, the Theologian

 The Gods of Theft and Covetousness

It is refreshing when political leaders cloak themselves in the nobility of religion.  Even more exhilarating is when they quote the Lord Jesus as a warrant for their pontifications.

Then we are transported up to the third heaven when the noble leader, whose platform is a deluge of guilt and envy, insists that his policies are Christianity in action.  At last, a Christian political leader.  At last a man who stands respectfully, head bowed, before the Lord, calling upon people to follow him in his quest for more theft, covetousness, and larceny.  That's what Jesus would have done.  How offensive.



According to Radio New Zealand:

Labour leader Phil Goff is describing the party's election policies as applied Christianity.

Mr Goff made the statement during a whistle stop campaign visit to Dunedin on Sunday. 

At a public meeting in south Dunedin attended by a number of religious leaders, Mr Goff said he is proud Labour is going back to its roots with election policies to raise the minimum wage and reduce tax for struggling families. Goff says the party is about creating a community which cares and follows the Bible saying of doing to others what you would have them do to you.

OK, let's think about Goff's theology and perilously distorted religion.  It's OK for the government to use the sword to bleed its own citizens, cutting off their property to bestow it upon others.  It's actually not just OK, it's necessary.   Why?  Because we must do unto others, as we would have them do unto us. 

Well, Mr Goff, Christians don't want the Government to exact and extort their property from them.  They believe it is theft; it is prohibited and condemned in the eighth commandment.  Consequently, they insist that the Government does not steal from anyone else either.  That's a correct application of the command, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

It's patently obvious when you take the government out of the equation.  we do not want our neighbour to steal from us; therefore, applying the law of God, we do not steal from our neighbours.  Introducing the government as the agent of theft changes the ethics of the situation not one iota.  In fact, the presence of the government doing the stealing from some at the behest of others makes the matter even more odious.  For the government has set itself up as a god, as the godfather, the don.  The nation becomes one vast criminal enterprise. 

We don't expect anything different from Mr Goff.  He believes in institutionalised larceny and covetousness with all his heart.  But the attempt to sanctify it, to call good evil, and evil good is odious.  The invocation of the Christ to warrant such evil is not just offensive, it is blasphemous.  We utterly reject Goff's contumely in taking the Holy Name upon his lips so egregiously.