Would Jesus have objected if Caesar had used tax money for charitable works?
And Jesus Said Unto Paul of Ryan ...
- Thread starter annabenedetti
- Start date
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Doesn't answer the question - Caesar would not be contributing to charitable works in God's name!
Atheists can find value in contributing to charitable works with no intention of seeking God's approval.
How doesnt it? Jesus would be concerned with what they did for Him, are you maintaining that liberals and secular government claim to be doing what it does to honor Christ with tax money?
We are suppose to give to the church, and the church to those in need, Jesus clearly separated what is Gods and what is governments. Did you miss that still?
No, but it's as clever a justification for criticizing public charity as I've seen.
The men who posed the question to Christ were attempting to either trap him into a charge of fomenting rebellion by suggesting people shouldn't pay the tax due to Roman authority, or to turn the people against him by lending his authority to Rome in directing that they pay it (Rome not being particularly popular). Jesus avoided the trap by saying we owe Caesar back his coin and God back what is God's, which isn't a different division of money, but our souls and selves. Christ wasn't really commenting on where and how you spend your money at all.
ClimateSanity
New member
Criticizing government charity doesn't need justification. If you want to really help the poor, government is the worst way to do it. In third world countries, the money is stolen and never gets to the poor. How is 40% return or worse better except by quantity?
Sent from my XT1254 using TheologyOnline mobile app
Any rational criticism requires justification. So it depends on whether you mean to be taken seriously or simply rant.
That's a thesis in need of support. In fact, Medicare alone would be a fine rebuttal. The NIH would be another.
Then you're likely going to have to wait a little longer for that argument to have traction here.
That bone needs meat on it. If I make a 40% return on my IRA I'm going to be clicking heels.
A thought, T H...
Actually, that whole thing regarding what was Caesar's and what was God's was a Dispensational issue back then - it has nothing to do with North America some two thousand years later.
Dispensationalism being the issue of economies, or administrations; and their administrations, or stewardships, who such concerns, as to what, under what, when, until when, and so on.
Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Back then, Israel was under a course or series of punishments from God, for her continued disobedience of Him under Moses, see Daniel's prayer, in Daniel 9, and it was that astounding, vast Roman Empire's turn at bat, for Israel to have to live under, as a foreign power able to dictate their lives on Rome's terms.
Eventually, God ALLOWED Jerusalem's destruction in by Rome in 70AD, when Israel's continued rebellion against God culminated in their rebellion against Rome.
They were supposed to take their courses of punishment per their Covenants with Him at like it; until He said otherwise, again, see Daniel 9.
How long is Israel under said course of punishment?
"Until seventy times seventy" - Matt. 18:22.
Or 490 years, Dan. 9:24.
Which, according to the Apostle Paul; was...temporarily interrupted, Rom. 11:25-29.
That "render to Ceasar" principle has nothing to do with the U.S.
ok doser
lifeguard at the cement pond
From a self-reliance perspective, what's the difference between going to the gov't for help and going to family or church?
ClimateSanity
New member
Your aren't being self reliant if you go to either for help. I was talking about teaching self reliance in this country. If we did, there would be less relying on either for help.
Sent from my XT1254 using TheologyOnline mobile app
Sent from my XT1254 using TheologyOnline mobile app
Ideally that's great, though even the best of us need help now and again. Thus, the question remains:
I would roughly say: ClimateSanity's..et al. pecuniary interest!
ok doser
lifeguard at the cement pond
and why shouldn't all of us (not just CS) be against letting the government waste our money?
ClimateSanity
New member
If the best of us need help from time to time then the best of us are self reliant and the question is irrelevant.
Sent from my XT1254 using TheologyOnline mobile app
ClimateSanity
New member
We don't teach self reliance in this country and it results can be seen in our poverty problem. ...CS.
Our society doesn't teach self reliance. Since we don't, people either don't learn skills that are needed to provide for a family or the value of savings. They also dont learn that some lifestyles and some circles of friends are prone to lead to trouble. Family used to have enough knowledge and wisdom to be able to guide their children through these liabilities.
Since family and our society as a whole doesn't do these things anymore, more and more people find their way into financial trouble.
As for quip....most people find they need help from time to time....perhaps, but the numbers are far greater now than in the past for reasons I just stated.
Once help is sought, it's bearing on self reliance is moot if there was absolutely nothing a person could have done in foresight to prevent it.
drbrumley
Well-known member
So what makes sex not rape?
What makes a job not slavery?
What makes a transaction not robbery?
Uncoerced, truly free and voluntary consent.
What does waste mean to you in this context? Any taxation by the government or that which doesn't serve your interests?