Afterword

Now, if you would like some needed help with your enormous tax burden…

Rx For An Unholy Alliance
Of Church & State

Do you think churches should pay taxes on their income, assets, and properties? Jesus says they should. Let's take a look.

After being asked by the tax collectors whether Jesus paid tribute (Mt. 17:24), Peter said, "Yes" (verse 25). Jesus' statement to Peter, "Then are the children free (verse 26)," clearly refers to the earthly king's children, not God's Children. Peter is told to pay the tax for both himself and Jesus (verse 27).

We should note that the Greek word, didrachma, translated "tribute" (verse 24) is [the tribute money itself], while kensos (verse 25) is [what the tax is paid for]—all taxable properties: assets, holdings, and possessions, that other people must pay taxes for.

Church leaders say those verses refer to the temple tax, but what did Jesus say? In Mt. 22:16-21, we have the Pharisees sending their disciples to ask if Jesus thought it lawful to pay tribute (kensos, as above) to Caesar. After exposing their evil intent, he again affirmed that they should "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Clearly what is Caesar's (the government's) here is the tax money; and what is God's, the directive for religious leaders to pay it. In Lk. 20:22; 23:2; and Romans 13:5-7 we see another word for tribute to Caesar (phoros), again referring to the annual tax levied upon houses, lands, and persons, sales tax, another example.

Some interpret Mt. 16:18 as denoting Peter the foundation and representative of the entire (universal) church. To clarify verse 19, Jesus is saying that what Peter (the church) binds on earth will have been (not will be) bound in heaven. He's not giving Peter (the church) power to make or change the rules, but authority to act on what God has already decided. So, the church paying taxes is a Divine imperative and peremptory.

God has sent men (persons) to war and thousands have died so this Great Nation could remain free. Those who fight and die for our freedoms are required to pay income, property taxes, etc. So should all who enjoy the fruits of their great sacrifices. The "conscientious objectors" refuse to fight and die for our freedoms - purchased with the precious blood of our brothers and sisters - yet, their organizations expect exemption from taxes that finance the return of their lifeless bodies in plastic bags.

If Jesus paid tribute, then every religious organization and paid representative (as Peter) should do it. If the IRS would tax the multimillion-dollar buildings, properties, and swollen bank accounts of those who collect the poor "widow's mite" (about 3/8 of a cent), they may choose to be a little less extravagant, making it easier for the poor widow to pay for food and medicine (another blatant rip-off).

Jesus indeed spoke well of the poor widow (Mk. 12:43), but not of those who took her last 3/4 cent (two mites) and now use His words as license to wring the tired old hands of the aged poor, the single mothers on welfare, the physically and mentally impaired, etc. Every time you see a big Cadillac with Clergy plates, think in your heart, "How many widow's mites did it take to buy that abominable thing??"