In this sense, the theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property. —Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto
private property
Civil Liberty Is The Relative Absence Of Coercion
This is not Mississippi Burning; it’s just a conscientious decision not to engage in purely voluntary commerce in a free society. Continue reading →
Fundamental Liberties Still Matter
The colonists brought the principles of Magna Carta with them to the New World, including that charter’s protection against uncompensated takings of personal property. In 1641, for example, Massachusetts adopted its Body of Liberties, prohibiting “mans Cattel or goods of what kinde . . . Continue reading →
Of Ananias, Sapphira, And Private Property
And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were . . . Continue reading →
Theft, Envy, And Private Property
San Diego County has places of obvious beauty. Mt Palomar is grand and so are the beaches and, of course, the Pacific Ocean. My little corner of San Diego County (North County), has areas of quiet beauty. The back roads are quiet . . . Continue reading →
Civil Liberties Watch: It Is Yours Until A Big Developer Wants It
Kelo v. City of New London effectively turned an explicit constitutional right into a nullity. Though the language of the Fifth Amendment is clear — “nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation” — state and local governments . . . Continue reading →
With Janet Mefferd On What Scripture Says About Private Property
The eighth and tenth commandments, “You shall not steal” (Ex 20:15) and “You shall not covet” (Ex 20:17) are basic to biblical ethics. They are part of the natural law that God revealed to Adam in the garden, known by image bearers . . . Continue reading →