Topic: Economics
Does The Bible Condemn Tax Withholding? Representative Ron Paul condemns federal tax withholding! When was the last time your pastor preached against that Godless evil? Never? I thought so!by creator
(libertarian)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
I have had the dubious pleasure of hearing any number of sermons on Romans 13. For those of you who don't often darken the doors of a church, Romans is part of what I accept as the "inspired Word of God." Sadly, most preachers use Romans 13 to bludgeon parishioners into meek subservience to the latest tyrant sucking at the public teat.
I suspect an unwritten rule somewhere in the "preacher's handbook" requires keeping the sheep in line to be shorn by the state. Never in my life have I heard preached that God condemns the practice of income tax withholding, have you? If you have, I want to shake your preacher's hand!
Dr. Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate I know of who roundly and soundly condemns the accepted practice of income tax withholding as "deceptive," also making him the only candidate in tune with Biblical teaching on the subject.
For a scholarly treatment, download this 4-page PDF document: "Does the Bible Condemn Tax Withholding?" The rest of you, Brothahs and Sistas, may sit back, fasten your seat-belts, and prepare for your first fire-and-brimstone, pulpit-pounding
Sermon Against Income Tax Withholding
Good Morning, Brothas and Sistas! We know God says "Thou Shalt Not Steal!" don't we? The government just hates competition! Jesus said, "The workman is worthy of his hire." Now, did He say "The government is worthy?" No! Amen? Amen!
Even Moses, man of God, said "take some of the first of all the produce... set it before the LORD your God, and worship" Now I ask you, did Brother Moses say "Set it before the IRS?" No, he did not! Did he say "Take the last of the produce?"No!
Now you say, "Preacher Man, How can I give the LORD the first of my produce? My Boss takes it for the government!" I hear you, Brothas and Sistas! The LORD says to your Boss man: "the wages of the laborers... you withheld by fraud, cry out; and ... have reached the ears of the Lord." The LORD is listening! Why ain't your Boss?
You say, "Don't I owe the government that money?" Maybe you do, maybe you don't, makes no never-mind, it ain't your Boss's money, is it Child? That's between you and the government!
Don't none of y'all Bosses try to excuse yourselves now! You say the government makes you withhold, but what did the Apostles say? "We must obey God rather than men." Did you hear that? Can I get an Amen?Amen!
And so, Repent, I say! Put the LORD first, let Him worry about the IRS! Amen, Hallelujah! Now, let us pray! And just leave the prey-ing to the government!
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Jesus preached about the evils of usury many many times. More so than any other subject recorded. Usury of course is interest on borrowed money. This is exactly what our income taxes are used for and has been repeatedly pointed out by Dr Ron Paul.
You wrote: "To be fair, Pastor Huckabee has endorsed the Fair Tax,.."
Well, to be really fair... actions speak louder than words. Anyone can say what the masses want to hear. Nice guy maybe, but his record is evident... high taxes and big gov't.
Posted By: Karen in Erin TN
Date: 2008-03-03 23:39:40
Last fall I saw an ex governor of Arkansas playing a musical instrument on late night TV and got a sick feeling of deja vu. ( Remember Bill in Arsenio circa 1992?)
Hucky would be nice to have around, as vice president under President Paul. Huck's got some growing up to do.
Best case scenario, for some reason McCain can't take office, and Mike wants a nice house but would rather spend his time with his guitar, or is just smarter than he appears and lets Dr. Paul take the number one spot. Then Dr. Paul gets the media exposure he deserves and wins over the nation by fall.
I read this site most every day because of best case scenarios that help me keep a smile of optimism; so thought I would add mine.
Hmm... and maybe St. Paul location is more than a coincidence?
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him (Jesus) in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying,"Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth;nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them,"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
Matthew 17:24-27
When they (Jesus, Peter) had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said,"Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?" He said,"yes". And when Peter had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying,"What do you think, Simon?" From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" Peter said to Him,"from strangers." Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money, take that and give it to them for Me and you."
Romans 13:1-3
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
Romans 13:5-7
Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
We pay taxes out of obedience to God, not necessarily because we agree with it. Paying taxes has been a way of life since biblical times. Like it or not, this will not go away. At least not until Jesus returns and life as we know it today no longer exists.
Again, We pay taxes, obey authority, and follow laws out of obedience to God.
Thank you for your scripture citations and your comment. However, I must ask: Are you an employer?
I ask because your comment ignores the point of this article. You say "We pay taxes out of obedience to God..." but who are employers obeying? God clearly commands them NOT to withhold taxes. The point of this article is not to answer the question "Does an employee owe taxes," but rather to raise question "Why are employers blatantly disobeying God by withholding the pay of their employees?"
I hope you will consider that question, and offer an answer if you have one.
I once owned a small graphic design business with my ex-husband. Every week when I did payroll I withheld the proper taxes from our employees and submitted it the government as ordered by our government, therefore, obeying God to be subject to governing authorities and rendering to government that which is the governments.(Matthew 22:15-21,Romans 13:1-3,5-7).
Employers are under the authority of the government. Sure, there are people who own businesses and pay their employees "under the table". It's a win win for both employer and employee as far as it keeps more money in their pockets but, there are drawbacks. The employee is not protected should a job related injury take place. The employer is therefore responsible for all out of pocket expenses. I am not saying that I agree with alot of what the government mandates but, what I am saying is that God orders EVERYONE to subject themselves to authority and in doing so we obey and honor God. It is a God ordained way of keeping order and peace. God knows what is going on down here. His plans are never interfered with by Congress. He is ultimately in control.
As you can see throughout the New Testament the Roman Empire charged a tax for almost everything(alot like our government today). Buying property, worshipping in the temple, working, and the list goes on. The Romans hired local Jewish citizens to collect these taxes. Some of the tax collectors charged more to their fellow Jews and pocketed the extra money. Jesus knew what was going on when he was there among them, still he ordered his own disciples to render to the Roman government that which is the governments. It doesn't make what they did right, but in so doing, Jesus was actually telling his disciples to obey and honor God by following the laws set before them.
I appreciate your forthright answers and that you respect the teaching of scriptures. You said:
"Employers are under the authority of the government." and "I withheld the proper taxes from our employees and submitted it the government as ordered by our government..."
I sense that you are probably part of a "state church," i.e. one that has submitted to Caesar as LORD in preference to Jesus. If you are unsure about this, ask the pastor whether or not he can speak about presidential candidates from the pulpit?
Scripture says "We must obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29
Which takes priority? The authority of government or the authority of God? Employers (along with everyone else) are responsible to God first and -- only after that -- to government. If there is a conflict, God's authority wins out.
That is the true teaching of Romans 13 which you have repeatedly quoted - GOD and his Word are the "higher authorities" to which ALL must bow. Romans 13:2 "There is no authority except from God." Governments that presume to act outside of God's authority have "no authority."
"...what I am saying is that God orders EVERYONE to subject themselves to authority and in doing so we obey and honor God."
It is not surprising that the "state church" would teach that we must subject ourselves to arbitrary government authority no matter what. The only authority God orders EVERYONE to be subject to is Himself and His Word. When any government defies and departs from that authority, it has abdicated any claim to obedience in that matter.
"...he ordered his own disciples to render to the Roman government that which is the government's."
That of course begs the question "What is the government's?"
Is the government's property whatever the government says it is? Of course not! Government can no more defy the commandment "Thou shalt not steal" than you or I can defy it.
"He is ultimately in control."
Agreed! Then we should obey Him! His Word is full of passages commanding employers to give their employees all the wages they have earned, and not to withhold them. Who should employers obey? God, or government?
If you haven't already, let me encourage you to read the paper linked from this article, and please let me know how you answer the scriptures it contains:
I read the Link you suggested, but my position is the same.
I like to consider myself to be a non-denominational christian. I was raised catholic, but I do not agree with most of what the catholics teach. I believe that there is only one God and that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to be the propitiation for our sins.
When God made the covenant with Moses for the Israelites, He gave them LAWS to live by. Those laws ranged from how they were to worship, work, socialize, eat, sexual morality, etc.
In the New Testament one of the biggest problems with the pharisees were that they followed the laws of Moses outwardly, but their hearts were wicked. That is why Jesus said things like,"It was told to you of old thou shalt not kill, but I say to you that anyone who hates his brother has committed murder in his heart." or "You were taught thou shalt not committ adultery, but I say to you that any man who looks upon a woman with lust has committed adultery in his heart."
God sent His Son Jesus to be the sacrificial lamb for us. In the days of Moses the Israelites would sacrifice a lamb to attone for their sins and Moses, the high priest would seek God on their behalf. Jesus IS the Sacrificial Lamb AND our High Priest who intercedes to God the Father on our behalf. The old law and covenant was replaced by the new law and new covenant that took place beginning with the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and was finalized when He, Jesus, shed His blood for us on the Cross.
As christians, our first responsibility is to God, by accepting His Son Jesus and following Jesus' example. God does not want us to ever go along with anyone or anything who would cause us to disobey or dishonor Him, and if following rules(outward rules, not issues of the heart) set forth by a government would lead one of His people to do so, then Jesus would never have appeased the Roman Empire of that time by following their so called laws, He did so to keep peace and show obedience to His Father.
Life is short, we only have one chance to make the most of it. Let's focus more on matters of the heart as Jesus did, by helping the sick, poor, hurting, widowed, and orphaned people of the world.
In Luke 10:7 it does read, "And remain in the same house eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
If you read Luke 10:1-3 you'll find it says, "After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few;therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way;behold I send you out as lambs among wolves.
The laborers referenced in these passages are the seventy more disciples Jesus was sending out to harvest (to spread the gospel). Their wages were the food, lodging, and hospitality of those in which would receive them.
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