Dave Miller post an article over on SBC-Voices today concerning the issue of a Pastors tax exemption for a housing allowance. Being a huge advocate for "Limited Government" (By which I mean; limited government interference in our lives) I found this conversation worthy of a comment or two.Here is my comment:
Guys, the whole thing is illegal… The Constitution of the United States of America does not grant the Federal Government the power to impose a tax upon the personal income of it’s Citizens.
But who am I kidding, the Federal Government threw the Constitution in the trash a long time ago…
What I find disturbing is the idea of a Federal Government that has become progressively less sympathetic (openly hostile) to Christian Values, and the Ministry of the Church in general, having assumed the power to levy a tax upon the Church (Ministry/Work of God) by taxing the income paid to Pastors.
Where are those who cry out for “Separation of Church and State” when it comes to addressing the taxation of those who labor on behalf of the church? Let’s be honest here… these taxes are being paid by “The Church”… and they represent a tax upon “The Church”!
Of course the Muslim Nations levy a heavy tax upon their Christian Citizens just for being Christians… but that’s another issue altogether… Or is it?
Most of us never stop to think about the correlation between the (illegal) Federal Income Tax imposed for the very fist time upon the citizens of this nation in 1943, and the issue of the Federal Government (directly or indirectly) imposing a "Tax upon the Church".
I do not think our Christian Forefathers would embrace the notion of taxing the private/personal income of the Citizens of this nation... and I think they would have been up in arms if someone even suggested the idea of "Taxing the Church". My how times have changed.
Grace for the Journey,
3 comments:
UPDATE...
In the discussion of this topic over on SBC-Voices I made the following summary of my position on this issue... and seeing as this is my blog, I might as well post them here :-)
Here is where I come down on all this:
1) I am not so much concerned about what the Law is (as currently being interpreted), so much as I am with what the Law should be.
2) I find the whole “Carrot & Stick” approach of the Federal Government in attempting to limit the “Political Speech” of the Church both offensive and troubling.
3) I view the very idea of a graduated (progressive) tax based upon personal income levels as an assault on the “Individual Liberties” that the founding fathers of this nation sought to enshrine in the Constitution.
4) I completely reject the very notion that a purely “Secular Government” is capable of governing righteously, and neither is it capable of maintaining the individual liberties of the citizens of this nation.
Dr. Mohler post a Related Article on his blog today.
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