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Give unto Caesar

  • 29-11-2003 4:54am
    #1
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,580 ✭✭✭✭


    In the bible, Jesus says something like "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's, Give unto God what is God's", I think in response to people asking if they should pay taxes to the Romans, presumably asking for selfish or political reasons. It has been invoked to make not paying your taxes a sin (thou shalt not steal aside).

    I've been thinking about this recently and wondering does God really care what Caesar gets, once God gets what God "needs"? I'm not advocating tax evasion or anything, but in the case of a (fundamentally) corrupt government or a dictator or a warmonger, do we still have to give to Caesar (Caesars tending to be war mongers)?

    Would it actually be a sin to give to Caesar in such a case? Can we invoke "suffer little children" to say "No I am not going to pay taxes to you to wage a (wrongful) war".


Comments

  • #2
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,768 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    I was under the impression this had nothing to do with taxes pre se, but that the world is divided into a religious sphere and
    secular sphere of influence. That Casesr, meaning a government of the day, should be obeyed so long as it does not impinge on matters of God.

    However you might be on safer theological ground if the tax was directly going into a War fund.


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