Paying Taxes

Dear Victorious,

What do you think is the proper relationship between Christians and our government when it comes to paying taxes? I know the Bible says we are to "render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar." But it seems that government just spends and spends with no rationale. Does God really expect us to pay taxes when the government is so irresponsible?

Horace T. - Naperville, IL

Dear Horace,

You're citing Matthew 22:21, where Jesus basically tells His followers to pay their taxes - all of them, on time. That is what God expects us to do. God's will for you and I to pay our taxes is not dependent on the level of responsibility in our government ... or even how the money is spent for that matter. Not only do governments spend money irresponsibly, but sometimes they even spend it on things that are offensive (to our core beliefs). Still we do not have permission not to pay our taxes. That is clear.

So here's something for you to consider. Given that our government (here in the U.S.) is so irresponsible, and spends its way into unbelievable debt, is there a better response than simply paying your taxes? I'm not talking about withholding our taxes to try to force change --- that wouldn't be Biblical. But there is nothing that says we couldn't pay more taxes.

What if Christians everywhere started voluntarily sending money to the government? What if we gave our tax return back to the government ... to be applied to the national debt? What if we left, in our wills, the bulk of our estate to the U.S. government for whom we are all so grateful? What if we collectively and individually took ownership of the national debt?

We could repent corporately of our national sin (over being poor stewards) and start making amends to rectify the situation. We could stop taking government benefits when we don't need them. We could give excess to the government. We could demand that lobbyists stop porking up the bills that Congress passes.

Don't you suppose that if we did some of these things, America might end up with a more God-honoring government?