Quick Thoughts on Taxes
A few thoughts on taxes as I have just finished putting mine together. Jesus sometimes taught that you shouldn't pay taxes. At least, that is one of the charges brought against him by the chief priests and teachers of the law (Luke 23:2). Some object in saying that Jesus told us to "render to Caesar what is Caesar's" (Luke 20:20-26). This passage has loads of stuff happening under the surface as they are trying to trap Jesus and have him handed over to the governor. These tricksters are trying to get from Jesus' own mouth that they shouldn't pay taxes. Jesus, however, just says to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. What you give to Caesar--and they are trying to have Jesus handed over to the governor and authority--under Caesar--is Caesar's, and not God's is Jesus' point. So, it seems that he teaches against taxes in some ways.
But Paul, affirming true authorities as God's servants, says that for this reason we pay taxes (Rom. 13:6). It is doubtful that Jesus, or Paul, could imagine a nation-state like the USA or Canada in which paying taxes to a government could go to support efforts they themselves would oppose. And if we aim to follow Paul, even while admitting the mingled nature of true authority (faithful and unfaithful all mixed together), then withholding taxes as a form of judgment against authority is not possible (Oliver O'Donovan's point). So, what is a Christian to do? Can a Christian admit a fallen authority and pay taxes without giving themselves to Caesar? I hope so, or we will have a lot of Christians in jail for tax evasion.
But Paul, affirming true authorities as God's servants, says that for this reason we pay taxes (Rom. 13:6). It is doubtful that Jesus, or Paul, could imagine a nation-state like the USA or Canada in which paying taxes to a government could go to support efforts they themselves would oppose. And if we aim to follow Paul, even while admitting the mingled nature of true authority (faithful and unfaithful all mixed together), then withholding taxes as a form of judgment against authority is not possible (Oliver O'Donovan's point). So, what is a Christian to do? Can a Christian admit a fallen authority and pay taxes without giving themselves to Caesar? I hope so, or we will have a lot of Christians in jail for tax evasion.
posted by Aaron Perry at
10:57 AM
3 Comments:
More clever title "Quick Tax Thoughts"
aj--definitely a better title.
paul--excellent.
aaron: you were not as clear as you could have been. of course Paul and Jesus could have imagined a gov't that they would have elements they didn't support; Paul especially lived in such a world. what they couldn't imagine was such a broad nation-state with such mingled elements. the issue becomes a little more complicated once you see issues like foreign policy, etc--esp. living in a country with broad religious freedom, but that spends more money on military and defense than the rest of the world combined.
Hmmmm...
so if we don't think the tax money is being spent well, could one withhhold it in hopes of being a better steward of that money?
Mind you I have no desire to evade taxes seeing it would reflect badly on my immigration proceedings
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