Render unto Ceasar.....

[Ozbeliever]

Hello all!!

I was reading through Romans 13 last night, in particular vs 1 - 7 where it talks about submitting to the governance/authorities of the day etc.

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God...........Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour."

I have an acquaintance who is in his 40s and who has never had a job in his life. He has been the proverbial eternal student for some time now. He's actually not working or studying at the moment and has no intention of ever seeking employment or paying back any of his HECS debt because he believes that the government owes him. This is a man who professes to be a reformed godly man who abides by the teachings of scriptures.

I was just wondering how the rest of you felt in respect to this issue?

 

[ClementofRome]

Hey, I know someone who resembles that remark! He is 54 and has not worked in 20+ years while his wife holds down 2 jobs. He is not even a student. Claims to be a Christian...

I think that with respect to your friend not paying their debt, his issue goes much deeper than Romans 13. How about "thou shall not steal?" The perception that the govt owes him something is an illusion or a delusion.

 

[mannysee]

Gee, he must have quite a huge HECS debt racked up.
I think it's rather strange to be his age and not to have been employed. How does he get by?
He sounds like a real slacker to me.

 

[Knight]

Hey, I know someone who resembles that remark! He is 54 and has not worked in 20+ years while his wife holds down 2 jobs. He is not even a student. Claims to be a Christian...

I think that with respect to your friend not paying their debt, his issue goes much deeper than Romans 13. How about "thou shall not steal?" The perception that the govt owes him something is an illusion or a delusion.

I concur with Clement.

The government does not "owe" you an education.

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

I concur with Clement.

The government does not "owe" you an education.

They take more than an education's worth of wealth away from me, though.

 

[Knight]

They take more than an education's worth of wealth away from me, though.

Don't get me started.....

 

[Ozbeliever]

Gee, he must have quite a huge HECS debt racked up.
I think it's rather strange to be his age and not to have been employed. How does he get by?
He sounds like a real slacker to me.

He lives at home with his mother and gets "Newstart Allowance" (for the non aussies, that's like the dole or unemployment benefit.)

What adds to the irony (in my view) is that this guy has studied theology, latin, greek and hebrew. He's certainly a scholar and seems to have a good knowledge and understanding of the scripture, yet he believes that he should never have to pay taxes or pay back the cost of his education.

For example, probably a few months ago, he met a girl on a christian website, who asked him to go and visit her overseas. He was going to go but then decided that he wouldnt' because it would mean being out of the country for 3 weeks which in turn meant that he would have to reapply for Newstart allowance when he got back - ie he would lose out on his payments from the govt and would have to go through the reapplication process.

However, he still genuinely believes that he is in the right in his thinking.

In terms of the issue of rendering to Caesar what is his etc, how do you think that applies to us when we look at the government of the day in our land esp in relation to how they rule etc relative to our beliefs? (Did that make sense??)

 

[mannysee]

well, the government of our country let alone pretty much any other, will never be a 'Christian' one. Remembering that Jesus's kingdom is not of this world YET.

I'm sure you know of plenty of scriptures refering to how this world lies in darkness (of which we were once a part!) and of which (including the appointed government) we are to be subject to (although grey areas can and do rear their head in life as a Christian).

As to your friend, it seems that his calculating mind for money is severely restricting his chance of life/living, your account of his overseas friend being one example.