>What do I know. Jesus told the rich man to give all his wealth to the poor if he wanted to go to heaven. Would it have mattered if he gave it directly, or if he allowed the 'government' of the time to do it for him, so long as it ended up in the hands of the poor?

Yes, it does matter... I think liberty and freedom come to mind. I hate it when anyone tells me how my money should be spent... and who knows what the govt will do with it. The less they control my money, the better. I can volunteer to give money to charity on my own free will.

>I know Jesus liked to speak in parables, but "give your wealth to the poor" seems pretty straightforward to me.