day no. 17,500: theft is theft

"God ordained that man should get his living by the sweat of the brow: and that he should be the more forced to labor, the distinction of things and property (mine, and yours) was (contrary to Plato's opinion) ordained, being apparent by these two laws: Thou shall not steal: Thou shall not covet your neighbors wife, not his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his." — John Ponet, A Short Treatise on Political Power

Stuff and my stuff is a great distinction. Some stuff is my stuff. Some stuff is your stuff. The rest of the stuff is someone else's stuff. Knowing where your stuff ends and where someone else's begins is one of the basic foundations of life. Property rights are human rights provided by God Himself. Life, liberty, and property come from God and cannot be taken away by men or magistrates. They may infringe upon those rights, but they cannot annul them. 

Therefore, be content with what you have and work hard for what you want. Do not envy your neighbor or attempt to take what is his. Do what you can with what you have and be grateful for that which you gain through your own your diligence and initiative.

Property rights make charity possible. If nothing is mine, I can't give it. If I'm forced to give it, it isn't charity. If it is stolen from me to give to you, it isn't voluntary. If nothing is yours, I can't acquire it for you. Charity presupposes property rights. Just as we see in the Scriptures.

"There was such charity among people, that of their own free will, they gave and sold all they had, to relieve the misery of their poor brethren: who for impotency, or for multitude of children, were not with their labor able to get sufficient to relieve their necessity. Nor of this so given might every man take as much as lusted for, but to everyone (according to his necessity) sufficient was distributed. So that it stood in the liberality of the giver, and not in the liberty of the taker." — John Ponet, A Short Treatise on Political Power

Charity must be a product of the generosity of the giver, not the lust of the beggar. True charity cannot be extracted by force, be it physical, emotional, or legislative. If it has to be taken by force, it is not charity. Fraternity by force is tyranny. Charity by force is larceny.

"If they do it, while they pretend (but mean it not) to bring others to Heaven, they may be sure to bring themselves to Hell." — John Ponet, A Short Treatise on Political Power

If a tyrant says, "the poor in spirit are closer to Christ," and so takes it conveniently upon himself to usher his people into a closer walk with God by stealing all of their property, God may comfort His people with increased intimacy as they mourn their loss, but He will visit the tyrant with increased hostility when He ushers him to Hell. Only free people can be charitable people.

"Thou shall not steal, thou shall not covet anything that is your neighbors: and so it stabilizes and confirms, that everyone may justly keep that is his own, and none may take it from him by any means against his will, be he king or kaiser."  — John Ponet, A Short Treatise on Political Power

Theft is theft regardless of who the thief is. Whether it be your neighbor or your governor, it is still stealing. Plunder is plunder, even if they pass a law saying they can be pirates.