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johnny9fingerswww.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-49017512
Wherein we find that some folk, despite being nominally Christian, don't appear to be aware of "Render unto Caesar" which deals with this case specifically. How detached from reality are Christians these days? And how ignorant of their own beliefs and scripture?
Or maybe these folk aren't actually Christians. Maybe they are just rather simple capitalists who want some sort of affiliation with what they imagine to be their cultural inheritance. Maybe they want inclusion in some structure that does not partake of "the other"; because that is often how we define ourselves.
But whatever their motivation happens to be, these folk appear to be heterodox. Christians render unto Caesar. Jesus is recorded as actually telling them to do so in all of the synoptic gospels; they were told to pay their taxes, and at a guess, looking at the wording and context, in full. But try telling some Christians that. The context of the Zealot's revolt against Roman taxation rather makes the case specific. But it does go to show just how far back we can document anger about taxes.
What do the modern Christians think about taxes?
I mean if Jesus said it directly (as with the Sermon on the Mount) surely even Pauline theology can't ignore the direct instruction Jesus gives.
Or maybe American Christianity can just redact those bits of Jesus's teachings it objects to.
Wherein we find that some folk, despite being nominally Christian, don't appear to be aware of "Render unto Caesar" which deals with this case specifically. How detached from reality are Christians these days? And how ignorant of their own beliefs and scripture?
Or maybe these folk aren't actually Christians. Maybe they are just rather simple capitalists who want some sort of affiliation with what they imagine to be their cultural inheritance. Maybe they want inclusion in some structure that does not partake of "the other"; because that is often how we define ourselves.
But whatever their motivation happens to be, these folk appear to be heterodox. Christians render unto Caesar. Jesus is recorded as actually telling them to do so in all of the synoptic gospels; they were told to pay their taxes, and at a guess, looking at the wording and context, in full. But try telling some Christians that. The context of the Zealot's revolt against Roman taxation rather makes the case specific. But it does go to show just how far back we can document anger about taxes.
What do the modern Christians think about taxes?
I mean if Jesus said it directly (as with the Sermon on the Mount) surely even Pauline theology can't ignore the direct instruction Jesus gives.
Or maybe American Christianity can just redact those bits of Jesus's teachings it objects to.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-20 01:25 pm (UTC)"If you can't find me a passage in scripture or gospel that says 'thou shall not pay tax' then can you see I have difficulty finding a starting point?"
no subject
Date: 2019-07-20 08:48 pm (UTC)In Catholic catechism it was taught explicitly as being anti-Zealot, pay-your-taxes to the person whose face is on the coin, etc. But I accept that could be part of the establishment leanings of Catholic Church rather influencing theology.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-21 09:47 am (UTC)My first interpretation is that it was a "don't be so damn selfish and just pay your taxes" but also noting a separation between secular and spiritual tributes, as it were.
I don't interpret as meaning that all anti-tax protests are wrong, or nor the Pauline message to follow all the laws of secular authorities. Rather, I think that Jesus was saying "this is a bit below my grade for consideration, don't you think?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 10:06 am (UTC)I've spent some time thinking about this, on and off for months; both accepting the obvious justice of the statement in terms of scale and magnitude, and also disagreeing.
I think the fact it is noted in all the synoptic gospels, with pretty much the same interpretation in all accounts, seems to indicate that it was given thought to, and considered, and pronounced upon in a pretty definite fashion.
I suppose it's a slightly Jansenist look at tax. :)
no subject
Date: 2020-03-18 12:20 am (UTC)Heh, you too, eh?
> I suppose it's a slightly Jansenist look at tax
Well, we know how they ended up!