Render unto Caesar...............

Recently, a friend made a comment on one of my political posts on Social Media, in this case Facebook, that I should in effect, Stop or refrain from complaining about taxes and Render unto Caesar. I admit, I took hum-bridge. That got me to thinking, as a Christian, was he correct, or was I? I believe in my heart in helping others, I believe in a hand up. I believe a hand out by itself is not helpful. The root cause of the "need" for assistance must be addressed. Not every socail program by the Government is successful by any measurement. Why are none ever cancelled? 

So I do what I am internally wired to do, I researched for several months. What I have determined is that I was in fact correct in my gut feeling. Just because the Government takes from you under the guise of doing "good, doesn't make it so. I offer the following: 


Exhibit A, As a Lutheran:

www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=360

Exhibit B, a Chacholic perspective: (granted, close to Lutheran now-a-days...not always.)

 http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/barr-j1.1.1.html


In conclusion........
Finally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the authoritative interpreter of Sacred Scripture, does not construe the Tribute Episode to support the proposition that it is morally obligatory to pay one’s taxes. Indeed, it interprets the Tribute Episode to mean the exact opposite – that Christians are obliged to disobey Caesar when Caesar’s dictates violate God’s law. In sum, the pro-tax position of the Tribute Episode is not supportable historically, rhetorically, contextually, or within the confines of the Catholic Church’s own understanding. As Dorothy Day is reputed to have said, "If we rendered unto God all the things that belong to God, there would be nothing left for Caesar."


Nice to see that my belief in a lean, efficient, results oriented government is not misplaced, or wrong.