When Christians proclaim that the taxes used in helping the poor are the result of the government stealing from them, and their brothers and sisters in the faith don’t, after recovering from their horror, quickly rebuke the one saying that, it is clear that majority Christiandom and the Body of Christ are two entirely different things.
True disciples of Jesus Christ weep as mere devotees of Christiandom stand utterly condemned and a hurting and lost world regards the Church as nothing more than the home of the hateful, the greedy, and the privilege-choked.
The problem is, we have no way of knowing where the money we pay in taxes is going. How can I be sure that my taxes are going to care for the poor rather than build a road or a bridge, or support something I don’t agree with, like Planned Parenthood?
So there really isn’t a direct correlation between paying taxes and helping the poor. I think Jesus intended a more direct connection and if I paid less in taxes I would be able to give more directly to the causes I support.
Comment by BJ Carlson — July 19, 2012 @ 4:12 am
B.J., thanks for your comments. The reality is that your taxes are going not only for roads, bridges, and other social and physical infrastructure needs, as well as somethings you don’t like (Planned Parenthood) and other things I don’t (the war in Iraq). I was referring, though, to those like Wilson who seem not altogether concerned that their taxes pay for that sort of infrastructure, disagree mightily with tax-funded areas he disagrees with, but howl “THEFT!!” at the specific usage of his tax monies to help the poor. Further, while I’m sure you’re very generous, there simply is no other societal way to ensure a reasonable social safety net than for all of us to pay taxes — rather than having you pay for Moscow’s Hope Center, me paying for the Food Bank, my friend giving to her church, etc. Those are blessedly worthy things, but they cannot subsist on either the amounts people are likely to give, much less the uncertainty of those organizations surrounding the giving people do. Your taxes DO pay for programs for the poor, unless Paul Ryan gets his way, and there IS a direct connection to your tax money and someone else’s benefit. Besides, when a great percentage of people erroneously think that Blacks and “illegals” take nearly 50% of “welfare” money (the real amount is considerably less than half that for Blacks and smaller still for “illegals,” so having people pay “more directly to the causes (they) support” would result in radically unfair, unequal distribution of funding.
I really appreciate your comments and would love to have your response!
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Comment by Julio — August 9, 2014 @ 6:50 pm