Who Would Jesus Tax

‘Who would Jesus tax?’

The governor of Alabama, Bob Riley, is a Republican who wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and pave the way for a ban on abortion nationwide. NEW YORK It is his goal to have the Brady law repealed and to receive a “A” grade from the National Rifle Association. He wants to restore a monument to the Ten Commandments to the state courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, describing the commandments as “an vital cornerstone of American governance.” Furthermore, Bob Riley attempted to hike taxes last week. There are a lot of them.

Alabamans decisively rejected Mr.

The hike would have corrected the state’s $675 million budget shortfall while also providing extra cash for the state’s public schools, which are among the worst-funded in the country, according to the state.

Riley managed to alienate the vast majority of his Republican supporters by going against the Republican party’s tax-cutting orthodoxy.

And that message has the potential to be a lifeline for liberals in the United States who have lost sight of the religious fervor that once fueled their activism.

“We have a responsibility to care for the destitute.” His appeal is odd to current liberals in the United States, who equate Christianity with right-wing political ideology.

Indeed, it’s difficult to conceive of a significant liberal movement that wasn’t fueled by a strong religious urge at its core.

It was 1894 when a mineworkers’ union issued a proclamation declaring, “What was right in the time of Moses, Mordecai, and Ehud shall be right forever.” “God will judge the poor of the people; He will preserve the children of the poor, and He will sever the oppressor’s head from his bones.” The “Social Gospel” was preached by Protestant clergy in the early twentieth century, advocating for antitrust legislation, women’s suffrage, and international arbitration.

  1. Many of them gravitated into Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party, which had its convention in 1912 and performed “Onward Christian Soldiers” as its theme song.
  2. Let us not forget that Martin Luther King Jr.
  3. The speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., delivered 40 years ago this summer, was laced with biblical imagery as well.
  4. As an example, in 1965, a Virginia pastor and future Moral Majority leader, Jerry Falwell, asked clergymen to “get off the streets” and return to their respective pulpits.
  5. By the late 1970s, however, the roles had been reversibly flipped.
  6. Liberal Christians either withdrew from the public arena or couched their political demands in secular terms, according to the report.
  7. For example, in the recent debate over the Ten Commandments in Alabama, right-wing religious groups organized to ensure that the courthouse monument remained in place.
  8. When it came time to take against Alabama’s landed aristocracy, leftists in the United States of America backed away.
  9. While Riley’s idea received widespread support from African-American celebrities, only “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard expressed strong support for Riley.
  10. Although Riley was defeated last week, let us hope that my fellow liberals would learn from his daring example – and seize control of the biblical activism that he pioneered.

Jonathan Zimmerman is a history and education professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is the author of the book ‘Whose America is it Anyway?’ In the Public Schools, There Are Culture Wars.’

Taxing the rich to help the poor? Here’s what the Bible says

As a result of the new tax reform measure, there has been a heated discussion about whether it would benefit or harm the poor. When it comes to tax reform in general, there are important questions to consider, including whether the government should redistribute money and promote equality in the first place. Jews and Christians alike look to the Bible for direction on these matters. And, although the Bible is unequivocal on the need of assisting the poor, it is less clear on the importance of taxing the wealthy.

The Hebrew Bible and the poor

The Hebrew Bible has a plethora of commandments that oblige the rich to set aside a part of their harvests for the benefit of the destitute. The Book of Leviticus in the Bible declares that the poor and destitute have a claim to the “leftovers” of the harvest season. Farmers are also barred from reaping the corners of their fields so that the poor might have access to the crops growing there and use them for their own food production. The Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. Darren Larson, Creative Commons BY-NC-ND As spelled forth in Deuteronomy 5:10, 10 percent of a person’s output must be given to “foreigners, fatherless children, and widows” every three years.

All debts are canceled every seventh year, during the sabbatical year, and everything that grows on the land is made accessible to all people without restriction at this time of year.

This indicates that, according to the biblical concept, no one can hang on to something that has been declared to be God’s property in perpetuity.

Christians and taxes

According to Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” As a result, Jesus combines his reverence for the impoverished with his reverence for God. Giving back to Caesar what is Caesar’s is also a command given by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, which is sometimes misinterpreted as forcing Christians to pay taxes. All throughout Christianity’s history, taxes has been regarded as a critical government function.

“Poor laws” were enacted in 16th-century England to assist “the worthy poor and jobless,” as the phrase goes.

These rules also had an impact on early American approaches to social welfare and welfare.

The common good

The application of biblical precepts to economic life has become more difficult during the last two centuries as new economic realities have arisen. In an attempt to adapt to new problems, approaches that were not anticipated during biblical times evolved. The bucket from the Salvation Army. Elvert Barnes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike In the nineteenth century, groups such as the Salvation Army held the belief that Christians should leave their churches and go into the streets to care for the poor and needy.

  • Poor people were thought to be societal problems that needed a thorough social – as well as governmental – solution.
  • He claimed in it that governments should promote “the general good” rather than their own interests.
  • According to the Catholic Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, taxes is required since the government is responsible for ” harmonizing ” society in a fair and equitable manner.
  • The pontiff remarked in 1961 that taxes must be “proportionate to the competence of those who contribute” in order to be effective.

That is to say, assuming that assisting the poor is solely a matter of individual or private duty fails to recognize the vastness and complexity of the world in which we live.

Mercy, not the market

The interconnectedness of human life has increased. In today’s worldwide economy, actions made in China’s heartland have an influence on the Midwest of the United States. However, even in the face of increasing interconnectedness, inequality has increased in some parts of the world. In the United States alone, the top one percent of the income distribution has a steadily rising percentage of national income. Which social policy will be the most beneficial? Fibonacci Blue (Creative Commons BY 2.0) When it comes to assisting the poor in these difficult economic times, some argue that lowering taxes on individuals and corporationswill stimulate economic growth and job creation – a phenomenon known as the ” trickle-down effect,” in which money flows from those at the top of the social pyramid down to those at the bottom of it.

According to the Pope, charity ethics, rather than commercial principles, should guide society’s development.

The Gospel of Luke contains the following teaching from Christ: “Give, and you will receive.” “Your donation will be returned to you in its whole.” For starters, this means that individuals should never be afraid to give of themselves and their possessions in order to assist others in need.

Who would Jesus tax?

The date is February 5, 2012, at 2:02 am Jesus Christ should be included on the list of economic advisers to President Barack Obama. Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Barack Obama stated that his plan to raise taxes on the rich is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. According to President Barack Obama, “I truly believe it will make economic sense,” but “for me as a Christian, it also accords with Jesus’ teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much must be expected,'” he said.

The reason I do it (push for change) is that I sincerely believe it will make the economy stronger for everyone.

“I believe in God’s call to love one’s neighbor as oneself,” Obama stated.

Instead, they should ask themselves the following questions: If invoking biblical precepts is beneficial when it comes to raising taxes and supporting health care reform, how come it is detrimental when it comes to forbidding abortions and gay marriage?

And if Obama is serious about studying the Bible for direction on how to manage his administration, he’s going to have a tough time getting beyond Matthew’s gospel, which says: “But I tell you, do not resist a wicked person.” If someone hits you on the right cheek, turn to face him on the other cheek as well.” Turn the other cheek, not send SEAL Team Six to shoot your adversaries in the face, is the message.

What politicians fail to realize when it comes to religion is that the Bible was not designed to be a roadmap for government; rather, it was intended to be a guideline for individuals on how they should live their lives.

Do you remember the gospel of Luke?

(Can you imagine how many people running for president would say no to that?) To which Jesus answered with a simple statement, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.'” Remember when the Pharisees tried to mislead Jesus into either siding with the despised Roman overlords or inciting insurrection by asking him if it was permissible to pay taxes?

  1. Instead than taking a side, Jesus simply said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s,” and that was the end of the conversation.
  2. In fact, when taken as a whole, the Bible appears to be almost completely uninterested with temporal civic administration.
  3. At this point, the most that politicians can do is to repeat the petition of Solomon found in 1 Kings 3:9, which is the most they can do.
  4. As a result, when our officials invoke the Bible to support their positions — whether it’s raising taxes or prohibiting gay marriage — we have every right to be cautious.

Steve Sebelius writes a political column for the Review-Journal and is the founder of the site SlashPolitics.com. You can reach him at (702) 387-5276 or [email protected], or you can follow him on Twitter.

Letter: Who would Jesus tax?

  • February 5, 2012, 2:02 a.m. EST President Barack Obama’s economic advisers now include none other than Jesus Christ. On Thursday, Obama claimed his plan to raise taxes on the affluent had its origins in the teachings of Jesus, who was speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. According to President Barack Obama, “I truly believe it will make economic sense,” but “for me as a Christian, it also accords with Jesus’ teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much must be expected,'” he continued. According to him, the Bible also informs his efforts to overhaul financial rules and health care reform. The reason I do it (push for change) is that I sincerely believe it will make the economy stronger for everyone, but I also do it because I know that far too many of my countrymen have been injured and treated unfairly over the previous several years. ‘And I believe in God’s admonition to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ Obama added. It is certain that liberals will rejoice, but they shouldn’t do so. Instead, they should ponder the following inquiries: If invoking biblical precepts is beneficial when it comes to raising taxes and supporting health care reform, how can it be detrimental when it comes to forbidding abortions and gay marriage? If religion should not be utilized to determine social policy by the government, why is it suddenly beneficial when it comes to determining fiscal policy? And if Obama is serious about studying the Bible for direction on how to manage his administration, he is going to have a difficult time getting beyond Matthew’s gospel, which says: “But I tell you, do not resist a wicked person.” “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to face him on the other cheek as well. Instead of dispatching SEAL Team Six to shoot your adversaries in the face, you should choose the latter option. That the Bible was not designed to be a roadmap for government, but rather a manual for individuals on how to conduct their lives, is something that politicians cannot fully get when it comes to religious matters. When it came to concerns of policy, Jesus remained stubbornly silent, despite the fact that he was frequently asked for counsel on how to administer the country, Recall the gospel of Luke? When Satan approached Jesus, he offered him all of the kingdoms of the world in exchange for his submission to him. (Can you imagine how many presidential candidates would turn down that offer?) “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone,'” Jesus said simply. Isn’t it interesting how the Pharisees tried to deceive Jesus into either siding with the oppressive Romans or inciting insurrection by asking him if it was legal to pay taxes? Instead of taking a side, Jesus simply said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s,” and that was the end of that. There are a number of passages in the Bible that demonstrate how erroneous it is to view the Bible as a source of public policy guidance: It is not about that. Read as a whole, the Bible appears to be almost completely uninterested with the affairs of temporal, political power. Christians are urged to love God and their neighbor as well as to observe just laws and go about the task of rescuing souls for eternity, according to the book’s recommendations. Today, the best politicians can do is to repeat the prayer of Solomon found in 1 Kings 3:9, which is the most they can accomplish. (“So grant your servant a discerning heart so that he can control your people and differentiate between what is good and what is evil.” Since when has this magnificent people of yours been governed?”) Furthermore, we would be wise to recognize that our problems are the result of human activity and that they must be addressed by human activity. Therefore, when our political leaders invoke the Bible to support their positions — whether it’s raising taxes or prohibiting gay marriage — we have every right to be cautious. Liberals and conservatives should recognize that the separation of religion and state is a sound principle, even and even especially when the church is invoked to obtain the outcomes they desire. Steve Sebelius is a political journalist for the Review-Journal and the creator of the blog SlashPolitics.com. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his family. Get in touch with him at [email protected] or (702) 387-5276, or on Twitter.
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What Would Jesus Tax?

As Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign gains momentum, having won the Iowa caucus and is now in the running to win Saturday’s South Carolina primary, the media has focused primarily on his ability to garner support among white evangelical Christians based on his conservative social positions, such as his opposition to abortion and his support for civil unions for homosexual couples. This typical story line overlooks the former Baptist minister’s ability to relate to the economic concerns of evangelical voters and glosses over the widening division in the conservative movement between social conservatives and economic conservatives, which is becoming more apparent.

  • Many observers have assumed that socially conservative white evangelicals truly support a conservative economic agenda over the past thirty years, despite the fact that the contrasts between these two factions have been mostly concealed.
  • To provide one example, he supports the implementation of a regressive consumption tax that would severely deplete the savings accounts of many low- and middle-income white evangelicals whom he is currently courting on the campaign trail.
  • He says that Republicans must “stop becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wall Street.
  • Increased minimum wage and expansion of health insurance coverage to more children are two stances that he has taken that are in opposition to the views of many conventional economic conservatives.
  • Since the rise of the Religious Right as a defining voice in the conservative movement in the late 1970s, the vast majority of evangelical leaders (with a few noteworthy outliers, such as Jim Wallis) have typically favored tax cuts and reductions in government spending.
  • Nonetheless, these religious leaders no longer demand the same level of devotion that they previously did.
  • There are even a significant number of evangelicals that are pro-economic advancement.

A similar finding has been made by sociologists such as Robert Wuthnow and Stephen Hart, who discovered that theological conservatism is not associated with economic conservatism.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in January 2007, more than two-thirds of white evangelicals thought that big firms made an excessive amount of money.

Conservatives who hold these ideas are largely at odds with those who hold views represented by the corporatist branch of the conservative movement.

White evangelicals, according to the same Pew study, advocated raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour, and 59 percent supported the government providing health insurance to all people.

In fact, he more effectively expresses the economic concerns of many evangelical supporters than other contenders who are more fiscally conservative in their outlook.

For over three decades, the coming together of economic and social conservatives has been a ticking time bomb.

Their union has been characterized as a union of convenience.

It is possible that as the election season progresses, this may be remembered as the point at which the tense partnership of social and economic conservatives was eventually torn asunder.

OPINION: What would Jesus do about tax policy?

Almost one in every five Americans is now officially defined as being poor. It is understandable that this truth prompts the question: Where are the religious leaders whose scriptures instruct them that caring for their 60 million disadvantaged neighbors is their most important moral obligation? The following question was presented to one of the leaders of a tiny Christian organization concerned with the role that taxes play in the creation of inequality during a tax conference in New York City this past week.

“The church usually takes the initiative from behind,” she explained.

The horrifying facts of growing poverty in America in the face of enormous wealth at the top are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, especially for those charged with upholding Jesus’ teachings.

Pope Francis stated that “poverty is at the heart of the gospel.” The pope responded to a British journalist’s question about whether he was teaching communism by stating that community sharing had been the Christian norm for millennia before Marx and that now, “the communists have hijacked the flag.” “The Christian banner is the flag of the poor.” After years of study and discussion, the Presbyterian Church USA, the ninth-largest Protestant denomination in the United States, has released a thorough report that establishes a link between believers’ religious obligations and government tax policy.

  • (The report is available for free download.) Full disclosure: I was one of a dozen persons who talked about poverty and taxation at an ecumenical panel sponsored by the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 2013.
  • It is also stated in the report, which was adopted by the church’s General Assembly, that “just taxation is a key tool for enabling communities to thrive,” for advancing science and culture, and for sustaining democratic institutions.
  • Many prominent religious organizations in the United States consider poverty to be a personal issue that does not necessitate engagement with government policies.
  • Poverty and the $1.1 million in food that Southern Baptists provide to impoverished Americans each year are only mentioned once in a glitzy 2013 brochure that is full of photos and graphics.
  • That we have a duty to collect taxes and spend to ameliorate social issues under a representative democracy — a system in which we, the people, are ultimately the government — is unlikely to sit well with libertarian-leaning politicians such as Republican Rep.
  • Those who believe in the modern Americanprosperity gospel, which is spreading over the world, are likewise likely to be alienated.
  • The concept of plenty is praised in all of the traditional religious scriptures.
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When it comes to this, James 2:2–7 is particularly illuminating, since it discusses the injustice of preferring worshipers dressed in good attire while discriminating against those dressed in rags.

The New Testament also cautions that placing one’s money before one’s family would result in death and damnation.

In their warning to future generations, the Founding Fathers, many of whom were atheists or at the very least deists, predicted that severe inequality would bring down our democracy and erode our liberties.

will demolish all of them, with the permission and acclamations of the people themselves.” “An immoderate, and especially unmerited, accumulation of wealth,” said President James Madison, the principal architect of the Constitution.

Even Alexander Hamilton expressed concern that the wealthy might misuse their position if they were not restrained by government regulations.

The question then becomes, who is capable of mobilizing people to demand changes in government policy that would alleviate poverty and excessive inequality?

Other institutions have been weakened; labor unions now represent just 7% of employees in the private sector.

In his article, Renaud points out that while acts of generosity and advocacy for the poor are commendable, they fall short of addressing the fundamental reasons of our rising inequality, which, as I have demonstrated for more than two decades, are entrenched in public policy.

In order to level the playing field by reducing the power of money in politics, would churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques form coalitions and start targeted campaigns?

The religions’ middle-class and working-class members, as well as supporters from the privileged class, will have to band together to advance an agenda that will make it difficult, if not illegal, for lobbyists to give gifts or make large campaign contributions to legislators, as well as prohibit legislators from accepting such gifts and contributions.

Opinion

The teachings of Jesus include the statement that “it is easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than it is for someone who is wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.” While watching Jeff Bezos board his private spaceship in July, I couldn’t help but think about his remarks. Today, it appears that it is simpler for a millionaire to launch himself into space than it is for Congress to raise taxes on the wealthy. Rather than simply being excellent policy or good politics, this exemplifies good Christian ethics.

  • Rather than simply being excellent policy or good politics, this exemplifies good Christian ethics.
  • According to an AprilMorning Consult/Politico survey, sixty percent of self-identifying Christians say that upper-income individuals pay too little in taxes, while 62 percent of Christians believe that companies pay too little in taxes.
  • An other spring survey, this one conducted by Americans for Tax Fairness, found that 60% of Protestants and 68 percent of Catholics support raising taxes on the affluent and businesses.
  • Abortion and same-sex marriage are two issues that are too frequently associated with Christian politics.
  • The Gospels, on the other hand, describe Christ repeatedly speaking out against economic injustice.
  • NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice executive director Mary J.
  • In favor of a “holy recovery” in the reconciliation package, NETWORK joined a coalition of faith-based groups as well as numerous members of Congress on Friday for a prayer vigil.

A public letter from the organization declared that “the Bible is unequivocal in its opposition to the concentration of wealth while unmet human need is ignored.” The leaders specifically emphasized the need to expand the child tax credit, writing, “Making the full value of the Child Tax Credit available to the poorest households has substantially reduced child poverty, and we are all of one mind that this provision should be made permanent.” The leaders also called for the extension of the child tax credit.

In addition to greater social spending to benefit American people, the Build Back Better program also involves majorclimate investments, which will hopefully set our nation on course for a sustainable future while creating millions of well-paying jobs that recognize the dignity of labor.

According to the world’s main faiths, the moral duty to act originates from the ideals of justice and support for the common good that they teach.

Although the correct number is almost certainly substantially higher, any attempt to equalize the scales is a good thing.

When asked about the worst possible response in the event of a global epidemic, Pope Francis stated that “our worst response would be to delve even more deeply into frantic consumerism and new kinds of egotistic self-preservation.” He also cautioned against “this dogma of neoliberal faith” that “resorts to the magic theories of’spillover’ or ‘trickle.'” He also warned against “this dogma of neoliberal faith” that “resorts to the magic theories of’spillover’ or ‘trickle.” Trickle-down economics — the premise that increasing the wealth of the already affluent will, in some way, help the rest of us — was the inspiration for tax cuts for the wealthiest under previous Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Donald Trump, among other leaders.

The economic theory of trickle-down is diametrically opposed to Christian doctrine.

It is possible to create a more equitable society and economy for everybody if we can muster the political will to safeguard the most vulnerable people and the environment via strong investments in the common good.

It’s now just a matter of having the moral guts to demand that the affluent pay their fair part of the burden. Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons is a fellow at the Center for American Progress’s Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative, where he studies religious liberty and progressive policy.

Would Jesus raise taxes on the rich?

President Obama used his remarks at the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday to discuss how his religious beliefs impact his public policy. The reason he talks about “shared responsibility” is that he truly believes that asking those like himself who have “been incredibly lucky” to give up certain tax incentives is sound economic strategy. It also correlates with Jesus’ teaching that ‘to whom much is given, much will be asked,’ which I find to be true as a Christian. Obama is quoted as stating that “Jesus would tax the affluent,” according to Politico.

Jesus was not a socialist in the following ways: According to Breeanne Howe of Red State, perhaps Obama might better grasp scripture if he “attended church more frequently” instead of “just during campaign seasons.” “Jesus highlighted the significance of contributing to the needy,” but he did so out of gratitude for what we’ve been given, not out of a sense of responsibility to pay taxes to the government.

To be precise, according to the Bible, God “owns all we have,” even our possessions such as money.

fail to lend credence to Obama’s socialist leanings.

But it wasn’t Obama’s objective in the first place.

“Obama’s benediction Seeing a Democrat use religion so well is refreshing: I believe Obama’s address “deserves study as an example of bringing religious ideas and imagery to the service of his wider policy agenda, as opposed to merely referencing religion.” “According to James Fallows in The Atlantic, This is something that Republicans are so excellent at that “we take it for granted.” For one thing, it is “unusual to see it done, and expertly, by a Democrat,” which is why Obama’s prayer has garnered so much attention.

“World is improving, GBA department,” says the narrator.

Taxes: What would Jesus do?

NEW You may now listen to Fox News articles while you work or commute! If you’re searching for an excuse to avoid paying your taxes, don’t go any further than the Bible. Many scriptures in the Bible emphasize that showing respect for the government entails carrying out your obligation to give back to the community. Alternatively, as Jesus phrased it, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” That does not necessarily imply that he thought all taxes were reasonable. Many scriptures in the Bible emphasize that showing respect for the government entails carrying out your obligation to give back to the community.

  • In response to Peter’s arrival to the location where Jesus’ disciples were congregating, Jesus asked him, “From whom do the monarchs of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “It comes from others,” Peter responded.
  • “However, in order to avoid offending anyone, please go to the lake and put out your line.” If you take the first fish you catch and open its mouth, you will discover a coin worth four drachmas.
  • Only Jesus has the authority to go fishing for a tax plan.
  • In fact, the United States Tax Code is seven times the length of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” and twice the length of the King James Bible plus the entirety of Shakespeare’s works taken together.
  • Nonetheless, as the executive director of a non-profit that provides biblical guidance on financial management, I can attest from personal experience that by following a few cautious measures, tax compliance may be more readily attained.
  • Organize your work and be aware of the current status of your fields: Staying on top of all of your resources and becoming organized are two biblical principles that may help you prepare for taxes effectively.
  • The amount of tax-deductible value of things donated to a thrift store, as well as the value of philanthropic gifts to non-profits, ministries, and places of worship, must all be tracked.

Many people would receive a greater return if they itemized their taxes, which may be accomplished with a little planning and investigation.

to Uncle Sam: The fact that you are receiving a large tax return goes against popular culture, yet you have made a clerical error.

In 2014, the average federal tax refund was $3,034, according to the IRS.

3.

Last year, almost 86 percent of us filed our taxes electronically, which is frequently a more expedient method of collecting any refunds that may be due.

Check out websites such as 1040.com, Turbotax.com, or even IRS.gov/freefile for further information.

Don’t play “Where’s Waldo?” with the Internal Revenue Service: Correctly identifying oneself to the Internal Revenue Service might be the difference between receiving a return check and receiving a frightening phone call from a federal agent about missing tax forms.

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One of the most common mistakes that taxpayers make is to provide the wrong Social Security number for their children or spouses on their tax returns.

This month, a buddy of mine paid his taxes, only to learn that criminals had already claimed his return before he could file. After you’ve finished filing your taxes, take some time to reflect on your success. Take some time to go fishing if you have the opportunity.

Learn What Jesus and the Bible Say About Paying Taxes

Every year during tax time, people ask themselves the following questions: Did Jesus pay taxes? What did Jesus teach his followers about taxes and how they should be paid? What does the Bible have to say about taxation, as well? According to a thorough investigation of the subject, the Bible is unambiguous on the subject of homosexuality. Even if we do not agree with the way the government spends our money, our responsibility as Christians is clearly laid out in Scripture. We are required to pay our taxes in a timely manner and in good faith.

Did Jesus Pay Taxes in the Bible?

The Gospel of Matthew 17:24-27 reveals that Jesus did, in fact, pay his taxes: When Jesus and his followers arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax approached Peter and inquired, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” Peter responded affirmatively. “He certainly does,” he confirmed. When Peter initially entered the house, Jesus was the one who spoke out first. “What are your thoughts, Simon?” he inquired. “Can you tell me where the duty and taxes are collected by the monarchs of the earth—from their own sons or from others?” “It comes from others,” Peter responded.

  1. “However, in order to avoid offending them, please go to the lake and put your line in.
  2. Take it and give it to them so that they may use it to pay mine and your taxes.” (NIV) Every one of the three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) contains a different narrative of how the Pharisees attempted to catch Jesus in his words and find a basis to charge him.
  3. “We know, Teacher, that you are a man of honesty, and that you teach the path of God in line with the truth,” they said.
  4. So, what are your thoughts on the matter?
  5. Please show me the currency that was used to pay the tax.” They presented him with a denarius, and he inquired of them, “Whose portrait is this, and where did it come from?
  6. As a result, they abandoned him and fled.

Submit to Governing Authorities

Even in Jesus’ day, many were dissatisfied with the prospect of paying taxes. Because to the Roman Empire’s conquest of Israel, the people of Israel were subjected to a great financial burden in order to pay for the empire’s army, road system, courts, Roman deity temples, and the emperor’s personal wealth. Although the Gospels leave little question that Jesus taught his followers to pay their taxes to the government, not just in words but also by example, there is no doubt that Jesus taught his followers to pay their taxes to the government.

  • God has placed in place the authorities that are now in place.” (NIV) We might deduce from this text that if we do not pay our taxes, we are rebelling against the authority that God has set up in our lives.
  • (NIV) Paul couldn’t have said it any more clearly than he did in Romans 13:5-7 in regards to the payment of taxes: As a result, it is important to surrender to the authorities, not only because of the possibility of punishment, but also out of consideration for one’s own conscience.
  • If you owe someone money, pay him back in full.
  • If you owe someone honor, show him honor.
  • (NIV) Peter also preached that believers should submit to ruling authorities: “For the sake of the Lord, submit to every human authority—whether the king as head of state or the officials chosen by him,” Peter wrote.
  • It is God’s desire that your noble lives should serve as a deterrent to those who are uneducated enough to level baseless charges against you.

As a matter of fact, you are free, but you are also God’s slaves, so don’t use your liberty as an excuse to commit evil. (1 Peter 2:13-16, New Living Translation)

When Is It Okay Not to Submit to the Government?

The Bible instructs Christians to observe the rule of the land, but it also exposes a greater law — the law of God — that they should follow. The Jewish authorities were informed by Peter and the apostles in Acts 5:29 that they should “follow God rather than any human authority,” and they agreed. (NLT) Faithful people find themselves in a difficult situation when the laws imposed by human authority collide with God’s law. The fact that Daniel knelt down in front of Jerusalem and prayed to God was a deliberate violation of local laws.

Yes, there are times when believers must take a strong position in order to obey God by breaking the rules of society.

While it is true that abuses by the government and corruption in our existing tax system are legitimate issues, this does not preclude Christians from submitting to the government as the Bible instructs.

We may take use of every legal deduction and honest method available to us in order to pay the least amount of taxes possible.

A Lesson From Two Tax Collectors in the Bible

In Jesus’ day, taxes were handled in a different way. Instead of making a payment to the Internal Revenue Service, you made a direct payment to a local tax collector, who determined how much you would owe based on his or her discretion. Tax collectors were not compensated in any way. They were able to earn a living by charging individuals more than they were due. These individuals deceived civilians on a regular basis, and they couldn’t care less about how people felt about it. Customs official Levi, who later became known as the apostle Matthew, worked in Capernaum and assessed taxes on imports and exports based on his own judgment.

  • One such tax collector mentioned by name in the Gospels is Zacchaeus (Zachaeus).
  • Zacchaeus was also a small man who, one day, lost sight of his dignity and climbed a tree in order to get a better view of Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples.
  • Neither of these avaricious individuals gave a thought to the price of following Jesus.
  • When they encountered the Savior, they just followed him, and Jesus transformed their lives for the better for the rest of their lives.

Today, Jesus is still impacting people’s lives. It makes no difference what we have done or how much our reputation has been ruined; we may always accept God’s forgiveness.

Taxing the rich to help the poor? What the Bible says isn’t what the GOP says

As a result of the new tax reform measure, there has been a heated discussion about whether it would benefit or harm the poor. When it comes to tax reform in general, there are important questions to consider, including whether the government should redistribute money and promote equality in the first place. Jews and Christians alike look to the Bible for direction on these matters. And, although the Bible is unequivocal on the need of assisting the poor, it is less clear on the importance of taxing the wealthy.

The Hebrew Bible and the plight of the impoverished The Hebrew Bible has a plethora of commandments that oblige the rich to set aside a part of their harvests for the benefit of the destitute.

Farmers are also barred from reaping the corners of their fields so that the poor might have access to the crops growing there and use them for their own food production.

Darren Larson, Creative Commons BY-NC-ND As spelled forth in Deuteronomy 5:10, 10 percent of a person’s output must be given to “foreigners, fatherless children, and widows” every three years.

All debts are canceled every seventh year, during the sabbatical year, and everything that grows on the land is made accessible to all people without restriction at this time of year.

This indicates that, according to the biblical concept, no one can hang on to something that has been declared to be God’s property in perpetuity.

Giving back to Caesar what is Caesar’s is also a command given by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, which is sometimes misinterpreted as forcing Christians to pay taxes.

A number of Protestant reformers, including Martin Luther and John Calvin, took inspiration from Psalm 72 to argue that a “just” government should assist the needy.

Children, the elderly, and the sick comprised the “deserving poor.” The “undeserving poor,” on the other hand, were beggars and criminals, and they were frequently imprisoned as a result.

This is for the greater benefit.

In an attempt to adapt to new problems, approaches that were not anticipated during biblical times evolved.

Elvert Barnes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike In the nineteenth century, groups such as the Salvation Army held the belief that Christians should leave their churches and go into the streets to care for the poor and needy.

Poor people were thought to be societal problems that needed a thorough social – as well as governmental – solution.

He claimed in it that governments should promote “the general good” rather than their own interests.

According to the Catholic Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, taxes is required since the government is responsible for ” harmonizing ” society in a fair and equitable manner.

The pontiff remarked in 1961 that taxes must be “proportionate to the competence of those who contribute” in order to be effective.

Mercy, not the market, has grown increasingly intertwined in modern times.

However, even in the face of increasing interconnectedness, inequality has increased in some parts of the world.

Which social policy will be the most beneficial?

Pope Francis, on the other hand, believes that “trickle-down” economics places a “crude and naïve confidence in those who wield economic power,” according to the Vatican.

The question of whether social program is more beneficial is likely a factual one, considering the Jewish and Christian dedication to the impoverished.

Dr. Mathew Schmalz is an Associate Professor of Religion at College of the Holy Cross in New York.

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