Amen on taxes

With opposition to taxes tackled with religious fervor in some quarters, it is helpful to recall the words of Jesus. Courtesy of Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, former president of Chicago Theological Seminary, in the pages of the Washington Post:

Jesus’ famous line on paying taxes is “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17) What is less well remembered is the reason Jesus called out both the political and the religious leaders who asked him about whether you should pay your taxes: Jesus “knew their hypocrisy.” (Mark 12:15)

Speaking of hypocrisy, the article of faith in some corners is that there should be no government safety net for the poor. Religious organizations can pick up the slack in their fantasy. The only problem is that fantasy is dishonest, and not in a well meaning idiotic way. Money coming into private sector organizations, including religious charities, to care for those in need always goes down in times of economic difficulty. So, when the need is greatest, the private sector is less able to care for the need.

The “small government” or even “no government” folks want to say that the churches should pick up the slack on taking care of the poor instead of us paying taxes for a social safety net. Rev. Joel Hunter, a prominent evangelical pastor, has recently noted how unrealistic that view really is in a recent talk with the title, “Government is Not the Enemy.” 

We have far too many who squeal like pigs over paying a few dollars to help the poor while gladly paying thousands in taxes to cover military spending. It seems only fair to call these people self-centered cowards who need the largest military in human history to feel safe.