Can you just imagine him in a cocktail dress?

I wasn't talking about politicians. I was talking about the "true believers." Politicians may or may not believe what they preach; They are in it for the power and/or money. They will say anything, even if they know it isn't true, in order to build their power and/or wealth. It is the average joe who buys into the demagoguery who believes this way. Liberals believe that they are morally superior, and that people who want to interfere with their peace, love, and understanding are evil. They are not willing to accept that there is more than one path to peace, love and understanding. Conservatives believe that these people are misguided. You can fix ignorance, but an inability or refusal to learn is stupidity, and you can't fix stupid

Conservatives believe liberals are stupid, but liberals believe that conservatives are evil. Where stupidity is to be pitied, and an attack on a stupid person is considered bad form, any tactic is acceptable against evil. Therefore, hatred against evil, and conservatives because they're evil, is perfectly acceptable.

Just to keep things in perspective: The "surplus" was figured by the same people who call a reduction in the rate of increase a "spending cut."

Another agreement for your stack. If you cap salaries, your best talent will flee to higher-paying companies. Thus, capping salaries at government owned businesses guarantees that private businesses will get the best talent, and the mediocre talent goes to government. The difference will be a great lesson to people who persist in refusing to see that government cannot run things as well as the free market. Private business will avoid subsidies like the plague, knowing that their salaries will be capped. Is there a down-side?

Only two Emmas I ever met were short for Esmeralda and Amelia.

Actually, there was nothing in there about the rich young ruler worshiping money. It was more a sense that the money was blocking him from giving his heart completely over to Jesus. It is possible to place an inappropriate priority on something without worshiping it.

That was my point. Although I wouldn't say that He was exactly a capitalist, either. For one thing, He didn't have time!

Prezackly. I never read anywhere that Jesus demanded that Caesar take from the rich and give to the poor. Only that people give to Caesar what is his, and to God what belongs to God. Any time He told people to give, it was to give for love of God. He would never accept forced charity as counting as love for our fellow man. He wouldn't even accept it if we gave "voluntarily" but grudgingly. (As in, peer pressure.) If that's the only way you can give, then you should never claim to be doing it for Jesus, because it would disgust Him. (The claim, not the giving.)

It amazes me that people who believe that such a well-ordered universe and all of the billions of chemical interactions involved in making life happen just spontaneously evolved out of a mud puddle, and then turn right around and say that an economy must be tightly controlled and regulated, and that the free market doesn't work.

I know. Pretty obvious I don't cut and paste, eh? :D I remembered the story, but got it mixed up with different characters. Had to look it up to be sure. Keep on responding. The more often you do it, the better you get at articulating your position.