I read an article in the USA Today that was titled “Ungodly Hubris” that you can read here, that was written by Oliver Thomas. I am not going to rehash any of it here, but I want to encourage you to read it yourself. The whole article was really good but one part jumped out to me that I want to quote here….
And, she [The United States of America] has gone from a progressive tax structure, that was built upon the biblical premise that to whom much is given much is required, to one that provides massive tax relief to the people who need it least the rich.
That statement there really got me thinking. What do you think. Is Oliver Thomas correct in his thinking or is he wrong?
I think 45%-50% is more than enough to qualify as “much is required.” I don’t make 250K or anything near that neighborhood. There is much talk about fair from the side of America that wants to get money from the government’s money tree (the upper 10% of taxpayers) but I think those people who are in the highest tax bracket would argue it’s not fair that half of the money they make is gone before it ever gets to their bank.
Todd,
I think there are two issues with the biblical quote you use.
1) much is required does not biblically translate into “you must pay a higher tax rate” It should more directly translate into, ” you should create more jobs, you should donate more to causes, you should use your weath for the benifit of those less fortunate” None of that translates to you must give more to the government. Problem here is that you cant legislate morality, even with the tax code.
2) who exactly is rich? A lot of money does not make you rich (biblically, you know this)
Just my thoughts
Len, even though the *statutory* tax rate is 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33% and 38%, the *effective* tax rate for anyone in those tax brackets is actually much less. So while some people may balk at raising the rates, there are enough deductions and exemptions and such to lower their rates dramatically.
If I saw a lot more people in the higher tax brackets creating jobs, donating to causes, etc. I be more inclined to agree with Chris’ #1. However, too often the process of obtaining wealth changes a person’s attitude and behavior into something Christians would call the love of money. And it’s the love of money (not money itself) that is the root of all evil.
While we can’t legislate morality, it is our responsibility as Christians to ensure the less fortunate are taken care of. (Love your neighbor as yourself). That was the basis for this country (although the founders were careful not to combine faith and government) and we should uphold that.
While Jesus’ message was vague enough to encompass many different assets (I think that’s what’s great about His teachings), This discussion was about money and taxes.