Yesterday U.S. President Barack Obama quoted the Bible at the National Prayer Breakfast trying to convince taxpayers that government has the right to take more from you if you have used your talents and abilities to their fullest and multiplied your income as a result. Obama did his best to convince listeners that Luke 12:48, a verse taken out of context, teaches Socialism. It does not.
He tried to convince listeners that Jesus would endorse his tax the rich policies. The verse he quoted is taken from a parable of servants who are waiting for their master's return. (see below)
On raising taxes on the nation’s wealthiest citizens, Obama said: “I actually think that is going to make economic sense, but for me as a Christian it also coincides with Jesus’ teaching that for whom much is given much shall be required. It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who have an obligation to use those blessings to help others or the Jewish doctrine moderation, consideration for others.” (video)
Individual humans on this earth are not given currency from God, they are given talents, gifts, abilities. How they use these abilities (or not) is a choice. If one of God's creations decides to use his abilities to their fullest, and if as a result they produce jobs, wealth, currency, there is nothing in the Bible that says they should be forced to give up the product of their labor to anyone.
Yes, those who have more are more are in a better position to share with those in need, and they do, voluntarily, not by force. There is nothing Christian about that.
Obama also played the age card and the youth card when he said: ‘It's hard for me to ask seniors on a fixed income or young people with student loans or middle-class families who can barely pay the bills to shoulder the burden alone...'.
As one commenter here notes, how about Obama stops piling up the burden, how about he stops spending,... I'm sure that never occurred to Obama.
Obama said that Jesus, Muhammad, Moses and Plato would agree with him. "...believe in God’s command to love thy neighbor as thyself. I know a version of that Golden rule is found in every major religion and every set of beliefs from Hinduism to Islam to Judaism to the writings of Plato. When I talk about shared responsibility, it’s because I genuinely believe that,..." Yeah, even Satan could quote scripture to make his case.
CNN continues:
He tried to convince listeners that Jesus would endorse his tax the rich policies. The verse he quoted is taken from a parable of servants who are waiting for their master's return. (see below)
On raising taxes on the nation’s wealthiest citizens, Obama said: “I actually think that is going to make economic sense, but for me as a Christian it also coincides with Jesus’ teaching that for whom much is given much shall be required. It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who have an obligation to use those blessings to help others or the Jewish doctrine moderation, consideration for others.” (video)
Individual humans on this earth are not given currency from God, they are given talents, gifts, abilities. How they use these abilities (or not) is a choice. If one of God's creations decides to use his abilities to their fullest, and if as a result they produce jobs, wealth, currency, there is nothing in the Bible that says they should be forced to give up the product of their labor to anyone.
Yes, those who have more are more are in a better position to share with those in need, and they do, voluntarily, not by force. There is nothing Christian about that.
Obama also played the age card and the youth card when he said: ‘It's hard for me to ask seniors on a fixed income or young people with student loans or middle-class families who can barely pay the bills to shoulder the burden alone...'.
As one commenter here notes, how about Obama stops piling up the burden, how about he stops spending,... I'm sure that never occurred to Obama.
Obama said that Jesus, Muhammad, Moses and Plato would agree with him. "...believe in God’s command to love thy neighbor as thyself. I know a version of that Golden rule is found in every major religion and every set of beliefs from Hinduism to Islam to Judaism to the writings of Plato. When I talk about shared responsibility, it’s because I genuinely believe that,..." Yeah, even Satan could quote scripture to make his case.
"For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48
In Luke 12:36-48, Jesus tells a parable of servants who are waiting for their master's return. Many lessons have been drawn from this parable: a believer's anticipation of Christ's return; a spiritual leader's treatment of his flock; a person's responsibility to properly manage finances. While all of these are quite valid, I think there is something so simple in our Messiah's words that it is easily overlooked.
Most often when referencing Luke 12:48 it is taught that to whom much financial resources are given, much financial commitment will be required. We are then left to believe that only those who have great financial success are being blessed by God. But God never said that material wealth in this life would be His measure of our spiritual journey. Yes, He will provide for our every need, but we must not limit Him to the financial realm. We have been deceived into adopting the worldly standard of success as God's.
We must be on guard against tailoring the Gospel to the world. We are to seek first of all God's kingdom and God's righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Our focal point should be Jesus.
A disciple of Christ is a member of Christ's body, of which He is the head. And we are emissaries of His kingdom here on earth. Those of us who have been blessed by being born in the United States must be diligent not to succumb to the offerings of this society. While financial success is the world's yardstick, it must not become ours. As we seek God's kingdom, should we not look to the full body of Christ? (continue)
CNN Money points out that this overt connection between religious beliefs and political policies is new .
So what does the Bible say about taxes?
Not too much. The Bible is silent on whether capital gains should be taxed at 15% or a higher rate. Ditto for other types of investment income. Payroll tax holidays are not mentioned.
"If you did a search on taxes in the Bible, you are not going to find a lot that's helpful for this discussion," said O. Wesley Allen, a Bible scholar at Lexington Theological Seminary.
Complicating matters, Allen said that one of the most commonly cited Bible passages about taxes is frequently misinterpreted.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is asked whether it is lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, a Roman dictator.
Jesus tells his questioners to give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.
"That passage is often quoted as saying Jesus said to pay taxes. That's not what it is," Allen said. "It's important to remember that the people asking this question are trying to trick him. He gets out of the trap more than he answers the question."
One final thought on Obama's statements. The Left seems to be anti-religion at every opportunity, yet they jump to use religion when it suits their purposes. Shameful. It seems like a desperate attempt, especially after the controversy concerning a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services policy that forces religious schools and institutions that offer employee health insurance to cover FDA-approved contraceptives.
No comments:
Post a Comment