Comments on: Paying Your Taxes http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/ A Ministry of Shepherds' Fellowship Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:38:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Cindy http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-21053 Mon, 07 May 2007 19:53:55 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-21053 IRS........Ingenious Ripoff System IRS……..Ingenious Ripoff System

]]> by: Travis Seitler http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-20250 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:30:08 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-20250 I completely agree that we are to pay any taxes we owe. What taxes we owe, of course, is currently a matter of debate. Here in the USA, the law says one thing but the IRS says another... I completely agree that we are to pay any taxes we owe. What taxes we owe, of course, is currently a matter of debate. Here in the USA, the law says one thing but the IRS says another…

]]> by: Savvy Steward http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17848 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:11:23 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17848 Wow, there seems to be a lot of negative feelings towards taxes in the U.S. Taxes are a drag, but I'm sure everyone would agree that it could be much worse. We are fortunate to live in a democracy. If you are unhappy about the way your state or your country spends your tax dollars, then do something about it. The only reason our congressmen and government officials are allowed to make decisions is because we put them there through our votes. States such as Maine and New York have high state tax rates. If you are unhappy, move to a state where taxes are lower. http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/taxesbystate2005/index.html But in the end, I really think it is an issue of trusting God. He is that gave this government authority. Pray and find peace in His full sovereignty. Wow, there seems to be a lot of negative feelings towards taxes in the U.S.

Taxes are a drag, but I’m sure everyone would agree that it could be much worse. We are fortunate to live in a democracy. If you are unhappy about the way your state or your country spends your tax dollars, then do something about it. The only reason our congressmen and government officials are allowed to make decisions is because we put them there through our votes.

States such as Maine and New York have high state tax rates. If you are unhappy, move to a state where taxes are lower. http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/taxesbystate2005/index.html

But in the end, I really think it is an issue of trusting God. He is that gave this government authority. Pray and find peace in His full sovereignty.

]]> by: sarah http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17590 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 06:21:45 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17590 I have a better idea for the tax system. Instead of having federal and state tax, why not have a consumer tax that would be around 20-25%? Then everyone would pay taxes and it would definately be according to how much one earns since the rich spend more and the poor spend less and also those who are illegal would pay and also those who come from other countries to visit would help pay for taxes. Then businesses could afford to pay for health care insurance for their employees and those who did pay for health care insurance could keep around 2-5% of the tax they get from us and those who didn't pay for health care would have to pay the whole 25%. Our current tax system would be outlawed through the constitution except for those businesses who go outside of the US for cheaper help...they would continue to pay taxes according to our current system and duty. We would abopt a theory that we pay Americans first so we would stop giving all our money to other countries and to the UN and pay off our national debt and all the other things we need like better roads and better education etc. We wouldn't have to worry about retirement because more money could be put in the stock market etc because we would have more money to do that with plus we would have the 25% tax for the government to put into our retirement. If we have anything left over, then we could help poor nations by giving under strict guidelines of them actually giving it to the poor! I have a better idea for the tax system. Instead of having federal and state tax, why not have a consumer tax that would be around 20-25%? Then everyone would pay taxes and it would definately be according to how much one earns since the rich spend more and the poor spend less and also those who are illegal would pay and also those who come from other countries to visit would help pay for taxes. Then businesses could afford to pay for health care insurance for their employees and those who did pay for health care insurance could keep around 2-5% of the tax they get from us and those who didn’t pay for health care would have to pay the whole 25%. Our current tax system would be outlawed through the constitution except for those businesses who go outside of the US for cheaper help…they would continue to pay taxes according to our current system and duty. We would abopt a theory that we pay Americans first so we would stop giving all our money to other countries and to the UN and pay off our national debt and all the other things we need like better roads and better education etc. We wouldn’t have to worry about retirement because more money could be put in the stock market etc because we would have more money to do that with plus we would have the 25% tax for the government to put into our retirement. If we have anything left over, then we could help poor nations by giving under strict guidelines of them actually giving it to the poor!

]]> by: Cindy http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17570 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:52:15 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17570 Nate, you have a better attitude than I do..........so maybe I better work on that, but it must be because you don't live in Pennsylvania!! Nate, you have a better attitude than I do……….so maybe I better work on that, but it must be because you don’t live in Pennsylvania!!

]]> by: Cindy http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17567 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:13:02 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17567 This is why Christian's should pray fervently for Jesus to return and establish righteousness because it only makes you boil inside when you see all this unrighteousness and injustice in our government and in our judicial systems. It makes it really hard to trust God with the government. The Christians in Paul's day had a hard time trusting God too. I am sure many, when they died, were happy to leave this crummy world. I look so forward to death.........no more taxes given to evil, corrupt, sick people. I LOATHE our fraudulent and corrupt government, that takes our hard earned tax dollars and gives it away in massive amounts to evil dictators to bribe them to keep the peace. These evil dictators take our money that our "elected officials" give them and continue to build up their nuclear arsenal and we wonder why peace treaties are always broken. You can not communicate and be diplomatic with unrational evil dictators (it like bribbing a child with a cookie if he is good.....and we all know where that gets us), but we do it anyway for our PR around the world and it's so fake! Nothing but a smokescreen. Taxes are nothing but legalized theft and then the government makes you feel guilty when they are stealing your money. They go on their elaborate vacations and lobsters dinners and fancy hotel suites. Those politians just write off your tax dollars and use them to enhance their life style meanwhile you don't even have enough to pay rent and get groceries to feed your children. I couldn't help but leave a comment. Yes, we are to pay our taxes and yes we are to be obedient to God but that sure doesn't mean I have to like it!!!! This is why Christian’s should pray fervently for Jesus to return and establish righteousness because it only makes you boil inside when you see all this unrighteousness and injustice in our government and in our judicial systems. It makes it really hard to trust God with the government. The Christians in Paul’s day had a hard time trusting God too. I am sure many, when they died, were happy to leave this crummy world. I look so forward to death………no more taxes given to evil, corrupt, sick people.

I LOATHE our fraudulent and corrupt government, that takes our hard earned tax dollars and gives it away in massive amounts to evil dictators to bribe them to keep the peace. These evil dictators take our money that our “elected officials” give them and continue to build up their nuclear arsenal and we wonder why peace treaties are always broken. You can not communicate and be diplomatic with unrational evil dictators (it like bribbing a child with a cookie if he is good…..and we all know where that gets us), but we do it anyway for our PR around the world and it’s so fake! Nothing but a smokescreen.

Taxes are nothing but legalized theft and then the government makes you feel guilty when they are stealing your money. They go on their elaborate vacations and lobsters dinners and fancy hotel suites. Those politians just write off your tax dollars and use them to enhance their life style meanwhile you don’t even have enough to pay rent and get groceries to feed your children.

I couldn’t help but leave a comment. Yes, we are to pay our taxes and yes we are to be obedient to God but that sure doesn’t mean I have to like it!!!!

]]> by: Nate B. http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17566 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:42:20 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17566 Bill, Great question. And I think the answer is that we are responsible to pay our taxes no matter what. The Roman Government was hardly moral (in many ways less moral than our own). Yet Scripture simply says: Pay your taxes. Whether it was the arrogant Herod the Great murdering young children in Bethlehem, the adulterous Herod Antipas murdering John the Baptist, the cowardly Pilate allowing the murder of Jesus, or the insane Nero murdering Christians, the biblical injunction is still the same: Pay your taxes. God will judge the government for how it uses its resources. In the meantime, we are called to be model citizens (cf. 1 Peter 2:12-15), which includes submitting ourselves to our government's tax laws. We are not responsible for how those funds get allocated. But we are responsible, by explicit biblical command, to pay the taxes we owe. Hope that helps. - NB Bill,

Great question. And I think the answer is that we are responsible to pay our taxes no matter what. The Roman Government was hardly moral (in many ways less moral than our own). Yet Scripture simply says: Pay your taxes.

Whether it was the arrogant Herod the Great murdering young children in Bethlehem, the adulterous Herod Antipas murdering John the Baptist, the cowardly Pilate allowing the murder of Jesus, or the insane Nero murdering Christians, the biblical injunction is still the same: Pay your taxes.

God will judge the government for how it uses its resources. In the meantime, we are called to be model citizens (cf. 1 Peter 2:12-15), which includes submitting ourselves to our government’s tax laws. We are not responsible for how those funds get allocated. But we are responsible, by explicit biblical command, to pay the taxes we owe.

Hope that helps.
- NB

]]> by: Matt http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17564 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:15:30 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17564 Bill: You mean things like government-sponsored abortion? Bill: You mean things like government-sponsored abortion?

]]> by: Bill Woessner http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17551 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:55:54 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/04/16/paying-your-taxes/#comment-17551 Thank you for the interesting post. I'm surprised you didn't quote Matthew 22:21: "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Those are, after all, the words of Jesus. I'm wondering about the extreme case. What if the government is doing something absolutely abhorrent with your tax dollars? Consider, for example, Nazi Germany. The Germans' tax dollars helped fund the Holocaust, not to mention a war which killed tens of millions of people. Did the Bible compel them to pay their taxes, too? Obviously, that's an extreme case, but it's one that's repeated (albeit on a smaller scale) generation after generation. There's Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Darfur, just to name a few off the top of my head. All are examples of state-sponsored genocide, funded, at least in part, by taxes. Thank you for the interesting post. I’m surprised you didn’t quote Matthew 22:21: “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Those are, after all, the words of Jesus.

I’m wondering about the extreme case. What if the government is doing something absolutely abhorrent with your tax dollars? Consider, for example, Nazi Germany. The Germans’ tax dollars helped fund the Holocaust, not to mention a war which killed tens of millions of people. Did the Bible compel them to pay their taxes, too?

Obviously, that’s an extreme case, but it’s one that’s repeated (albeit on a smaller scale) generation after generation. There’s Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Darfur, just to name a few off the top of my head. All are examples of state-sponsored genocide, funded, at least in part, by taxes.

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