Friday, September 17, 2004

Tax and God's demand

I had this whole thing typed out, submitted it to BlogSpot and at that very moment I experienced a network problem that prevented its submission. Unfortunately I was submitting it via the web nd lost it all. So, I have to start again. Oh... the wonders of technology. Can't live with it, can't live WITH it!
 
The other day, while driving on my way to work, I noticed a newspaper poster with the headline that higher taxes could be expected in 2005. With taxes as high as they are already, and with a government that is exposed almost daily with corruption and waste of money, it does not amaze me that they want more money.
 
When God, in the Old testament, set the amount that the Israelites had to pay, He set it to 10%. This certainly makes God the one who is more efficient with His resources. This 10% that God demanded was to be given by all income groups. There definitely was no staggered "tithe" system in God's economy. On the other hand, the government has a staggered tax system where the more you earn the more you pay to the government. This means that if you pay the higher bracket of tax then you end up working half the year earning income for the government and the other half for yourself. Certainly, this cannot be good for the working man's view of being a citizen when being a citizen means nothing to the ruling party or government. In this country, where the taxes are sky high, you would imagine that when the people give their opinion the government would listen and take heed. However, this is not the case! Way back in 1996 the government had to make a decision to either open up pornography to the masses or keeping it illegal. They did the decent thing and asked for briefs to be presented to them by the public and interest groups. The amazing thing is that after these briefs and the study period of these briefs by the government they went ahead and legalized pornography; and that after 97% of all briefs presented to them gave reasons why pornography should remain illegal! They went squarely against the wishes of the people they claim they are representing! This certainly is not a democracy in the true sense of the word! Democracy should provide a government that is FOR the people BY the people.
 
When God set up His 10% tithe for the Israelites He knew that they would understand that the harder they work the more they will have for themselves after that 10%! This creates the understanding that we do work for ourselves and that hard work pays off! When the government keeps on expanding the tax brackets and making tax payments higher percentage wise as you earn more, why should the people feel that they need to work harder to get more money to give away to a government that does not govern for the people at all, but rather to heap more and more gravy on themselves from the governmental gravy train?
 
Who is the greater one, God or the government? If your answer is not "God" then I will pray for you. Who does the government think they are to demand more of people than God demands?
 
When Jesus said: "Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's," did He mean give to Ceasar what Ceasar demands or give to him what is his?
 
Just thinking...

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