More or Less
I read a most interesting quote this Sunday morning. I suppose I should have remembered it from my “school daze.” Actually I though “income tax” was a fairly recent invention (think February 3, 1913 for the U. S.) - I should have known better.
“When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.” — Plato, Greek philosopher. (Associated Press)
Here at the Church (where I work) I know that God’s people have differing ideas about how much of their income they return to God. Many Churches teach that one should give a “tenth” of their income – never less, and more is appreciated. I am convinced we have missed the concept that is God’s design.
The Internal Revenue division of the United States government has laws that determine what each person is to pay. A phalanx of lawyers and CPA’s can utilize a plethora of obscure and otherwise applicable bypasses to lower one’s share of the tax load. And, of course, some “unjust” folk just cheat.
The Church is a little different – but has the same outcome. God’s design is that each person would decide in his heart (read “innermost being”) what he should return to God. It is not a matter of law, but of llove. It is a matter of commitment, purpose, principal, and reason based on what God has provided.
Plato was right! And the same principal is applicable to the Church of Jesus Christ.
February 3rd, 2013 at 9:47 pm
Was listening to Dr. Jeffries appeal to his members to clear up the “phalanx” of dollars borrowed to build their new “campus” by move in day in april. Yes, this April. Wow! talk about Faith! Hope they do it.
February 4th, 2013 at 5:15 pm
actually, the income tax didn’t require an amendment to the constitution. The first income tax was imposed during the Civil War and ended in 1872 because it was no longer needed to pay for the war. It was re-enacted in 1894 to punish the rich and targeted incomes over $4k per year. The Supreme Court struck that down because it taxed rental income and the Court saw that as an unconstitutional tax on real property. It came back onto the scene in the early 1900′s during the Taft administration in the form of taxing corporate income over $5k and the personal income tax was sent to the states as a politically expedient way to get rid of personal income taxes. The Administration and Congressional leaders never dreamed “we the people” would approve it and thought they were done with it. They were dumbstruck when the states approved it. So now the question – why would the people vote to tax themselves? In 1913, my grandfather was 17 years old and I have no anecdotal evidence on which to rely. The first tax was graduated from 1% to 7% and a third of the country didn’t make enough money requiring paying any tax at all. That 33% may have voted for it since it would affect only the “rich”. Sound familiar? Here’s a theory on the rest of the votes. “Let the government take care of people and I won’t have to.” I submit that’s very much in vogue today and perhaps in the church. If the “church” takes care of things then I don’t have to. What a country!
February 4th, 2013 at 5:52 pm
I think it happens everywhere….I can remember the big kid always had more Play-Doh.