christian heretics? atheists? or both?

“Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free [uninhibited, expansive] with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you” (Jacob 2.17).

Self-proclaimed democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez put an office policy in place this week that changed the wage structure of staffers working in her office. In hopes of providing a living wage to junior staffers, she raised their wages. This was accomplished by means of several financial adjustments, including a slight reduction in the wage of senior staffers.
 
She has been immediately criticized by such characters as those on ‘Fox and Friends.’[i] Such criticism, of course, identifies these foxy personalities as being, in fact, “wolves in sheep clothing.” It identifies them as Atheists, Anti-Biblical, or heretical Christians--and certainly Anti-Mormons. On second thought, it is unfair to Atheists to lump them together with such blasphemers. The ignorant or willful rejection of scripture, Biblical Ethic, Christian Morals, and Mormon economic principles that is demonstrated by Fox’s wolves is based, of course, on the profoundly blasphemous capitalistic doctrines that stand in direct opposition to all that his Biblical and holy. It is absolutely certain that Ocasio-Cortez’s decision is based on solid Biblical teaching and Christian morality. If it isn’t compatible with “capitalism,” then capitalism is to be rejected not only as un-Biblical, and un-Christian, but as anti-Christ.
 
We will take Moses as an example. He instructs those who would be disciples of Yahweh
 
“If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth” (Deuteronomy 15.7-8).
 
One might argue, I suppose, that the congresswoman’s staff members are not strictly speaking “poor.” Such reasoning would be wrong and miss the point, it seems to me, on two counts.
 
First, given the cost of living in the DC area, the normal wage for junior staff members is insufficient to live in a secure fashion. Their insufficient wages make them poor—especially given the fact that they earn 1500 times less than the worthless CEOs that drive so many companies into the ground.
 
But secondly, and more importantly, there is a principle to be drawn from the example. Those who would be thought of as followers of the true God are generous. They do as Paul admonishes: they “esteem other[s] better than themselves”….  not looking “every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” They think and feel and act in this way because “this mind… was also in Christ Jesus” whom they seek to emulate (See Philippians 2.3-5).
 
In the same 15th chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses also instructs the Israelite slave holder. After a slave has faithfully served his or her master for seven years they are to be freed. In freeing them, the slave holder “shalt not let him go away empty: thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress” (verses 12-14). Again, it would be wrong to conclude that the context of slavery makes the passage null and void in regard to any present application.
 
The principle is clear. Every human being is to be treated with dignity. Those down and out are to be assisted, set up, even, to succeed. To send the slave away empty handed would do neither—dignify or assist. If not assisted, the slave would soon be right back in his or her enslaved state. This would be unjust.
 
No, congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s junior staffers are not slaves. But “slave wages” enslave the child of God in a confining lack of choices. To help them succeed by giving them a portion of the wealthier employees’ wages is consistent with the principles found in this Deuteronomic passage.
 
Perhaps Ocasio-Cortez knows or cares nothing about Moses’ brand of the just society. Maybe she knows about early Christianity’s just society based upon “the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship?
 
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” (Acts 2.44-45).
 
Yip, whether she knows it or not, the congresswoman from New York is acting the part of a Christian, one who follows the example of Lord Jesus.
 
Perhaps she is aware of Joseph Smith’s sentiments,
 
“we consecrate our property to the Lord it is to administer to the wants of the poor and needy, for this is the law of God; it is not for the benefit of the rich, those who have no need… Now for a man to consecrate his property, wife and children, to the Lord, is nothing more nor less than to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the widow and fatherless, the sick and afflicted, and do all he can to administer to their relief in their afflictions, and for him and his house to serve the Lord” (HC, Vol. 3, p. 231).
 
Or, perhaps she is aware of another “apostle’s doctrine.”
 
“When we look abroad among the nations of the earth we see a great many evils in existence − evils that have existed for many centuries; in fact, they have existed from the earliest ages of which we have any account until the present time, in every nation and among all people. Our own nation is a case in point. When the foundations of the Government were laid, and liberty proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of the land, it was anticipated that this nation would grow to a pitch of glory and attain to a greatness and power that no other nation on the face of the earth had ever attained. Everything was favorable to this: a free Government had been established; a continent of almost illimitable extent spread itself before the people, and all that was necessary to develop its boundless resources was population, and industry on the part of that population. But little over ninety years have elapsed since the foundations of our Government were laid, and in that time we have grown to be a great people; but that which has been enacted in other nations has been re−enacted here. The evils that have flourished so long in what is called the Old World have been transplanted to this land. If Western men travel through the Eastern States they are struck with the great distinction of classes that exist there. There is an aristocracy of wealth fast growing up there; and at the same time there is another class in degradation and poverty, utterly unable to obtain the blessings and comforts of life. This is owing to various causes, the chief of which is the incorrect organization of society. (George Q Cannon, JD. Vol. 13, 97-98; emphasis added).
 
Of course, neither Joseph nor George were coming up themselves with such principles upon which a just society must be built. These were principles, as we have seen, that were given to men by a caring Father and God.
 
“Nevertheless, in your temporal things you shall be equal, and this not grudgingly, otherwise the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit shall be withheld” (DC 70.14).
 
“But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin” (DC 49.20).
 
“Oh, but this is the ‘higher law.’ It only applies to the most righteous!”
 
“People like you, you mean? How are you doing with that?”
 
“Oh, well…. I haven’t been asked to live the higher law.”
 
“Gee, that’s sure convenient.”
 
“Whatever. It sure has nothing to do with our secular society! It is not expected to live by any such principles.”
 
“Wrong, wrong, wrong.
 
“It isn’t the ‘higher law.’ Crap, we’ve seen it reflected in the “Law of Moses”—what you call the ‘lesser law.’ Truth is, it is the most basic of laws. It’s the law of God regarding the just society—any society that wishes to call itself just. Its how societies work if they wish to endure. The only societies exempt from such godliness are those who choose to exempt themselves through rebellion and sin—you know, societies like our capitalist one.
 
“Why, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “socialistic” society looks positively divine in comparison to our wolfish capitalistic system.”


[i] Justin Wise, “Fox & Friends' host says Ocasio-Cortez's staff salary plans 'socialism and communism on display,’” thehill.com

​And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property…” (DC 19.26)