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Why are so many Christians fans of Ayn Rand?
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<blockquote data-quote="CryptoLutheran" data-source="post: 57408815" data-attributes="member: 268962"><p>For what it's worth, I come from a theological position that says we owe no allegiance to the State. I've rather consistently spoken of what I believe is a the fundamental difference between Christ and Caesar and have argued that Christians owe all to Christ. </p><p></p><p>When Jesus was asked whether one ought to pay taxes to Caesar Jesus does not give a yes or no answer. That's essential to the passage, Jesus does not say "Yes, pay your taxes." nor does He say, "No, don't pay your taxes." instead Jesus asks for a coin, then He asks whose image was on said coin. Caesar's image, along with this inscription:</p><p></p><p>TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST</p><p></p><p>Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus</p><p></p><p>So Jesus says, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" and "Render unto God what is God's". Let Caesar have his coin; and perhaps what's in the subtext: you, inscribed with the image of God, and all of creation which bears God's mark and inscription belongs to God. Caesar can have the coin, you belong to God.</p><p></p><p>Thus it was not a yes or no to paying taxes, but rather a deeper question of allegiance.</p><p></p><p>Of course St. Paul much later explicitly says that Christians do pay their taxes. Is this because of our allegiance to Caesar? No, but rather because Christians are not lawless troublemakers; Caesar can have his bit of our coin, it's not properly ours anyway but for the sake of the poor and the needy, to be given and distributed among the needs of the Faithful, to widows and orphans, to the hungry and the thirsty. Our wealth is not ours, but for the benefit of others. </p><p></p><p>Tax-paying is not an act of patriotic duty, but a recognition of God's ultimate supremacy over Caesar and our understanding of the ultimate worthlessness of personal wealth ("no man can serve two masters...") and that our "stuff" is not for us, but for God and God's way has always been that it be distributed to the poor and the needy.</p><p></p><p>Christians are not opponents of the State, but neither are they allies of the State. Christians are citizens of a foreign kingdom where a Crucified man is King living as immigrants and exiles; it is not ours to attack the State as dissident rebels nor to be servants of the State as though we owe the State any allegiance--our allegiance is to Christ alone who calls us to be servants of all people regardless of who they are or where they are from. So we recognize the State as being the State, we pay our taxes and abide by the laws insofar as we are able, in peace and with love extended toward all (Romans 12).</p><p></p><p>This is a very firm conviction I have, it is in part why I will not salute nor make any pledge to flag or nation, why I oppose war and do not believe it is right for a Christian to serve in the military nor prudent for a Christian to be in public office.</p><p></p><p>That all said, if as a Christian who can in no way claim rights over the coin I make--for I and all I have and am is the property of Christ and in Christ the property of all--pay my taxes and some small measure of those taxes contribute to the needs of those to whom I have been called to serve by Jesus--the "least of these"--then by what justification can I, in good conscience before Almighty God, claim it as "theft" when all that I own, because of Christ, is not my own. For I have been called to forsake myself for others, called to be dedicated to the needy and least among us.</p><p></p><p>All this rhetoric about "theft" and "legitimate interests" has no biblical basis. It is nothing but an investment of pious language into unpious thought and action. It is a Christianized justification of greed, selfishness and pride. </p><p></p><p>And consistently it cannot be backed up with anything but assertion. </p><p></p><p>So if it helps someone sleep better at night to say that I'm not listening to Scripture and that I'm opposing God and not "properly" Christian because of my continued dedication to the words of Jesus over and against partisan political slogans then by all means, let them. But I am confident that Christ will hold no fault against me for advocating on behalf of the least of these, through He will hold fault against me for all the ways and all the times I have failed to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty. And yes, if that bit of coin I cling so tightly to because it is Caesar's taxes could have been used to help those very same, then I am held guilty on account of it.</p><p></p><p>Kyrie eleison.</p><p></p><p>-CryptoLutheran</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CryptoLutheran, post: 57408815, member: 268962"] For what it's worth, I come from a theological position that says we owe no allegiance to the State. I've rather consistently spoken of what I believe is a the fundamental difference between Christ and Caesar and have argued that Christians owe all to Christ. When Jesus was asked whether one ought to pay taxes to Caesar Jesus does not give a yes or no answer. That's essential to the passage, Jesus does not say "Yes, pay your taxes." nor does He say, "No, don't pay your taxes." instead Jesus asks for a coin, then He asks whose image was on said coin. Caesar's image, along with this inscription: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus So Jesus says, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" and "Render unto God what is God's". Let Caesar have his coin; and perhaps what's in the subtext: you, inscribed with the image of God, and all of creation which bears God's mark and inscription belongs to God. Caesar can have the coin, you belong to God. Thus it was not a yes or no to paying taxes, but rather a deeper question of allegiance. Of course St. Paul much later explicitly says that Christians do pay their taxes. Is this because of our allegiance to Caesar? No, but rather because Christians are not lawless troublemakers; Caesar can have his bit of our coin, it's not properly ours anyway but for the sake of the poor and the needy, to be given and distributed among the needs of the Faithful, to widows and orphans, to the hungry and the thirsty. Our wealth is not ours, but for the benefit of others. Tax-paying is not an act of patriotic duty, but a recognition of God's ultimate supremacy over Caesar and our understanding of the ultimate worthlessness of personal wealth ("no man can serve two masters...") and that our "stuff" is not for us, but for God and God's way has always been that it be distributed to the poor and the needy. Christians are not opponents of the State, but neither are they allies of the State. Christians are citizens of a foreign kingdom where a Crucified man is King living as immigrants and exiles; it is not ours to attack the State as dissident rebels nor to be servants of the State as though we owe the State any allegiance--our allegiance is to Christ alone who calls us to be servants of all people regardless of who they are or where they are from. So we recognize the State as being the State, we pay our taxes and abide by the laws insofar as we are able, in peace and with love extended toward all (Romans 12). This is a very firm conviction I have, it is in part why I will not salute nor make any pledge to flag or nation, why I oppose war and do not believe it is right for a Christian to serve in the military nor prudent for a Christian to be in public office. That all said, if as a Christian who can in no way claim rights over the coin I make--for I and all I have and am is the property of Christ and in Christ the property of all--pay my taxes and some small measure of those taxes contribute to the needs of those to whom I have been called to serve by Jesus--the "least of these"--then by what justification can I, in good conscience before Almighty God, claim it as "theft" when all that I own, because of Christ, is not my own. For I have been called to forsake myself for others, called to be dedicated to the needy and least among us. All this rhetoric about "theft" and "legitimate interests" has no biblical basis. It is nothing but an investment of pious language into unpious thought and action. It is a Christianized justification of greed, selfishness and pride. And consistently it cannot be backed up with anything but assertion. So if it helps someone sleep better at night to say that I'm not listening to Scripture and that I'm opposing God and not "properly" Christian because of my continued dedication to the words of Jesus over and against partisan political slogans then by all means, let them. But I am confident that Christ will hold no fault against me for advocating on behalf of the least of these, through He will hold fault against me for all the ways and all the times I have failed to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty. And yes, if that bit of coin I cling so tightly to because it is Caesar's taxes could have been used to help those very same, then I am held guilty on account of it. Kyrie eleison. -CryptoLutheran [/QUOTE]
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