Render unto Caesar

Francis Neilson, at http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/neilson-francis_quotes-i-to-o.html

 Take the words as they are given in the three gospels: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." The statements are clear, there is no reservation, no modification, no proviso; ...It is the basis of justice, the point from which the ownership of the thing produced can be determined. Without it, there can be no law of ownership but a political or legal one for the determination of the courts. Jesus says: "Give to Caesar what is his," not "what is legally his." Well, what is Caesar's? Only that which he produces. Here lies the very heart of the whole question. Jesus preached non-resistance: lay not up treasures, food enough only for the day, non-cooperation, abandonment of homes, of fields, flight into the mountains, the wilderness, anywhere away from the curse, Caesar, the heathen ruler who robbed, jailed, and murdered God's chosen people. Tribute was a thing unlawful, unholy, a thing accursed and abhorred form old time. Had not all the true prophets shown how tribute arose out of the removal of the landmarks? ...Jesus knew his history and he must have known the difference between that of the old law and that of the priests' law. The prophets knew, and, as Jesus knew the prophets, there is no sound reason for thinking Jesus did not know. [ The Eleventh Commandment, p.274]

The second part of the injunction, "render unto God the things which be God's," is the most consistent piece of economic reasoning which Jesus, the perfect example of a wise man, gave to mankind. This means, give to God all things he has created. Why? Because it is impossible for the kingdom to come, so long as men own parts of God's kingdom. There can be no private ownership of land in the kingdom of God, because land is created, and man can own nothing but what he produces. The law is very simple and very clear, once it is interpreted by Jesus. [The Eleventh Commandment, p.275]