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By Scott Tibbs, November 10, 2017
The Weekly Anarchist responded to my post from a few months ago, and he puts forth a well-reasoned and philosophically consistent argument as to why taxation is theft. If I understand it correctly, his position is that government confiscating your wealth by force is not morally different from a private citizen robbing you. In both cases another person or group of persons is taking what you own by force against your will.
The reason I disagree with this philosophy is that I am coming at the issue of taxation from an explicitly Christian perspective. Civil government was established by God and all authority of the civil government flows from God. (See John 19:10-11, Romans 13:1-2, Proverbs 21:1.)
Christians are commanded to submit to the authority of the civil magistrate, and that includes paying taxes. (See 1 Peter 2:13-17 and Matthew 22:19-21.) The Christian who fears and honors God will be a good citizen. Despite this, totalitarian regimes cannot abide anyone who places loyalty to God above the state, so Christians have been persecuted throughout history by these regimes.
Now, nobody likes paying taxes. When I was in high school, I was a Democrat. I supported Michael Dukakis in 1988 and Bill Clinton in 1992. But what started me on the road to becoming a Republican was looking at my paycheck each week and the percentage of my paycheck that I did not get because the government took it before I ever had a chance to have it in my hand or bank account. But as a Believer, I am obligated to follow the civil authority my Lord has set over me, unless it orders me to sin. At that point, I must obey the higher law, which is God's law. (See Acts 5:27-33.)
Previously: No, taxation is not theft and All taxation is forced confiscation of wealth.
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