Hi Ocd,
I obviously don't like tax's of any sort, my husband pays a huge amount of tax because he comes under a special category due to the type of work he does as a computer programmer and owning his own business. Over here in England it seems we get taxed a lot (eg with fuel prices the equivalent of $6.76 per gallon). Now they are talking about an internet tax over here and the EU are also talking about an SMS tax!
The thing is, perhaps you should look at where these taxes are being used. Are they going to good causes, as is more likely in the case of the church or are they being used to in our case mainly pay for the huge defence budget?
Maybe the following passages will help you to decide what is right.
'Payment of the Temple Tax....., "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us." (Matt 17:26)
'Paying taxes to Caesar......, But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." '(Matt 22.18)
'For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil'. (1 Timothy 6:10)
'Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.' (Matt 19:23)
God Bless
Eve
