Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

–Leviticus 19:15 (TNIV)

Some say “the rich are evil” or “the rich must pay.” Others announce “the poor are lazy.” Those who imagine that God loves the poor more than the rich, or that the rich are specially favored by God are simply bigots. The Bible is quite clear: the poor who are oppressed and suffer injustice–God is attentive to their cry. The rich who are unjust, who take advantage of the powerless, and who show no compassion for the disadvantaged are repeatedly denounced in the Bible. But those who condemn someone simply because they are rich, or praise someone simply because they are poor are wrong. They are thinking as clearly–and using the same arguments–as the worst racist. Denouncing a group simply because they are rich is like denouncing a group simply because of their race or gender. Being rich is not evil. Being poor is not good.

One’s actions as a human being–how one treats one’s neighbor–is what matters.

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