98: Being A Billionaire Is A Sin

What does the Bible say about billionaires and wealth accumulation? Quite a bit, actually! In this episode, we discuss economic inequality and the rising demand for wealth taxes, and explain why hoarding wealth is a sin and what Christians should do about it. Dr. Carter is a fan of Gary Stevenson  @garyseconomics and his documentary "How to Get Filthy Rich" helped inspire this episode. During our conversation, we examined his economic arguments for a wealth tax before addressing the strongest theological and social counterarguments, including conservative interpretations of the Parable of the Talents, private property as a divine gift, and the question of whether wealth taxes even work. From James 5 to Jubilee to the California ballot box, loving our neighbors must include supporting policies that prevent wage theft and wealth hoarding. Timestamps:  0:00 - Intro/ Cold Open 4:30 - Sick Kids are WMD's  7:09 - Hoarding Wealth Is A Sin 19:46 - The Prosperity Gospel 22:50 - Gary Stevenson Documentary 32:37 - Why Do Working Class People Defend Billionaires? 41:36 - Jubilee Exists Beyond The Bible 45:08 - Proposed Wealth Taxes in the US & UK 48:41 - Zakat (Muslim Economic Principles) 53:46 - Responses To Common Theological Arguments Against Taxes 1:10:00 - What Can Local Churches Do  1:18:14 - Closing   Show Notes: - Data center moratorium: https://www.reuters.com/world/new-york-becomes-first-state-impose-data-center-moratorium-2026-07-14/ - Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel by Kate Bowler: https://garyseconomics.org/ - This link is to Gary's YouTube page and his four-part (~1h45min) "Understand The Economy" course: ​​https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXuOBKrmFYbKytq9mkcd62sJPb6w12vpU&si=cAzbGDHpOuSF5-Go - Gabriele Zucman, French economist whose most recent book, We Need To Tax Billionaires," was released in May: https://gabriel-zucman.eu/ - Our previous episode on the book Poverty, by America: https://youtu.be/W5o8x1OzATM - What is a jubilee?: https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/living-economies/opinion/2002/10/01/it-shall-be-a-jubilee-unto-you   The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. Music by Coma-Media Song: Jazzy Abstract Beat_Chops CCLI License # - 11067347 CCLI Streaming Plus # - 22121889 OneLicense.net # - A-712504 CCS PerforMusic # - PML10767 #progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast #BillionaireTax #WealthTax #garystevenson #CaliforniaBillionaireTax #TaxTheRich #ChristianSocialJustice #ProgressiveChurch