And Romans 13:1-10 tells us exactly what Moral justifications God permits for Taxation:
The Punishment of:
And THAT'S IT.
"You may Steal your Neighbor's money to pay for your pneumonia medicine" just ain't in there.
That is NOT Biblical Morality. That is Marxist Morality.
And Karl Marx hated the God of the Bible.
Would not the prevention of murder qualify?
Good thing this nation isn’t organized according to your misinterpretation of the Bible. How long do you think we would have lasted without an organized military?
I would like to ask if this is an interpretation on Romans 13 endorsed by a particular church, religious movement, political party, or political movement which you support, or if it is an interpretation you came up with yourself.
(This is sincerely asked: I'd like to see some religious or politcal context here, since I'm interested in how these ideas originate and who is propagating them.)
If you were to adopt Biblical principles tout court as the basis of American government, you would have to deal with a lot more roles than just punishment; and a lot more issues than just "Murder, Adultery, Theft, Fraud, and Covetousness. "
In Exodus 21-22, Biblical law addresses not justthe issues cited above, but also has rules for the accepted practice of slavery. It excuses assault and battery upon a slave by beating with a rod (even if, after a few days, the slave dies from the beating) on the grounds that a slave is the master’s property; it allows selling a daughter into slavery. (And do you think she might curse her father for selling her into slavery? well,Exodus also provides the death penalty for cursing a parent).
Exodus has rules for the purchase of a bride; it legislates a 0% interest rate when lending to the poor; it says anyone following any religion other than Judaism is to be “utterly destroyed.”
Leviticus --- in many passages --- addresses diet and food-handling, hygiene and bathing, diagnosis and treatment of disease and the quarantining of those with infectious diseases (public health laws); approved and proscribed forms of sexual conduct, including the penalties for viewing the nakedness of close family members, and for having intercourse with your wife during her menstrual period. It also provides for the extirpation of witches.
In Deuteronomy 17-22 are laws regarding violation of a court order, perjury, malicious accusations, building codes, and juvenile delinquency.
The Bible also alludes repeatedly to the principle of divine appointment of rulers. "...He (God) removeth kings, and setteth up kings..." (Daniel 2:21). "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Psalm 75:6-7).
And more: not only does the ruler rule by divine right, but all other officers of government were to be put in office by this one ruler. In Exodus 18:21 Moses establishes that every level of judge and government leaders shall be appointed by him, personally, without set term of office, and without explicit limitation as to what sort of matters they shall judge.
This is not made a whole lot clearer in the New Testament, where Jesus approves payment of tax to Caesar (did God appoint the Roman Emperors? All of them?) and does not stipulate what the Romans may or may not use the tax money for (I have mny own interpretation of the "God and Caesar" thing, but I don't think it's the same asyours!)
Paul himself, who presumably wrote Romans 13 apparently was a law-abiding, tax-paying Roman citizen in good standing; that is, until they arrested, imprisoned, and executed him (and that wasn't about taxes!)
I really don't think you want to use these Biblical standards to re-make American Constitutional law. Or do you?
I'm looking for your coherent reasons why, or why not.