Thursday, April 25, 2013

The New Internet Sales Tax and ‘Rendering to Caesar’

From Gary DeMar at godfatherpolitics.com

...First, we don’t live under Caesar. Our system of government is antithetical to that of the Roman Caesars. At the national level, our “Caesar” is the Constitution. At the state level, it’s our state’s constitution. Our rendering is to them. The principle to “pay tax to whom tax is due” (Rom. 13:7) is present, but let’s not forget that we don’t live in a dictatorship (yet). At the present time, an internet tax is not due.

Second, at the present time, the law states that products purchased out of state are not subject to state sales taxes unless the company selling the products has a physical presence in that state. That’s the present law. So how am I not rendering to “Caesar” by not paying a tax that at the present time I am not legally bound to pay?

Third, governments at all levels tax us far beyond their rightful governing authority. There is a second part to Jesus’ statement: “render to God the things that are God’s.” That includes Caesar. Civil governments are not exempt from the limitations put on them by God, and as voters, we have an obligation to keep governing authority and power in check.

Fourth, voters have a constitutional right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances,” as the First Amendment clearly states. We are not obligated to be passive when governments want to pass laws. Just because a group of public officials want to implement a law does not mean that we have to accept that proposed law based on the directive to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” It’s not “Caesar’s” until it’s the law, and if it ever becomes the law, we can work to overturn it. At the present time, a nationwide internet tax is not a law, therefore, I am not violating Jesus’ command by not paying a tax that I’m not legally bound to pay...

Read it all here...

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