Wages From Sin: Churches should not accept money won from gambling

World Magazine ^ | January 11, 2003 online edition | John Piper

[xzins]

I HATE to admit that the system is so ingrained that it will be well nigh impossible to change it. So much of the economy is consumed in accomodating the tax code....accountants, lawyers, software companies, etc. But you are correct. So much of our wealth as a nation is consumed in servicing that tax structure, that we could free up so much just by changing.

Therefore, I'll accept a flat tax as an interim and a better plan. But we've got to keep on hoping and telling the truth about how wrong the income tax is.

[Uri’el-2012]

Then I suggest you set up a meeting with W and the Republican leadership so we can "enlighten" them. Let us know when and where so we can all be there.

40 posted on 01/05/2003 1:38 PM MST by nobdysfool

Do you not know how to be an effective citizen of his Republic ?

A couple hundred dollars a year or just in election year and

they will send you Christmas cards and lots of opinion polls.

Personal letters with comments about your views and about donations works well also.

I presume you have never contacted your representatives.

1Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give
the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect,
1Peter 3:16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be
ashamed of their slander.

chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>

[sitetest]

Dear xzins,

"The sales tax gets them out of our lives."

LOL. No it doesn't.

The rules for sales taxes can be almost as confusing and difficult to understand as the rules for income taxes.

And technically, you, as the consumer, are responsible for keeping the intricacies of the sales tax laws. For the most part, state governments don't spend a lot of time giving individual consumers grief over sales taxes. But they can, and do give businesses grief over sales taxes.

I know. Though my business is a services-only business, we were audited for sales and use tax. Though we don't collect sales taxes, we were audited for our purchases, over a multi-year period. Over that multi-year period, the state examined sample transactions representing millions and millions of dollars of business, over the course of the multi-year period. We were clipped for about $500 in underpayments. We learned that if we pay for an employee to receive training, generally, we don't have to pay sales tax, but if we receive a small textbook during the course of a $1000 technical training course, we might be liable for sales tax. If I buy a computer from over the river in Virginia, and we pick it up at the seller's office, we must pay Virginia sales tax. If he delivers it to our office via his own personnel, we must pay Virginia sales tax. If he ships it to us via common carrier, we must pay Maryland use tax. If he mistakenly charges us Virginia sales tax when shipping by common carrier, then we must still pay Maryland use tax. This actually happened to our little business.

The cost of the audit for me ranged into many thousands of dollars. There was the four-figure fee to my accountants, and quite a few hours of digging through archived records stored off-site.

Compliance is much worse for businesses, unlike mine, which actually sell a lot of taxable goods. Our KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL (for pete's sake!!!) got nicked at a city fair because we didn't have a sales and use tax license for selling FUNNEL CAKES and SODAS.

Because governments, even state governments, don't chiefly rely on sales taxes to generate revenues, they haven't traditionally harrassed consumers.

But should governments, especially the federal government, become primarily dependent on this form of taxation for revenue, expect similar enforcement as we see currently from the IRS for income taxes.

The problem isn't the type of tax. It's how big is modern government. The federal government burns $2 trillion per year. When you're talking about that type of money, folks get ruthless. Folks get mean.


sitetest

[nobdysfool]

Do you not know how to be an effective citizen of his(sic) Republic ?

I am quite aware of how to be, and have done so on several occasions. I am personal friends with a State Senator in my state, too. But that's not what we're really talking about. You are trying to say that we are personally responsible for funding abortions, etc. You are trying to say that the taxes I pay make me culpable for how they're spent. That is a specious argument, at best. Show me some proof that this is true. The fact that I can vote and a Roman citizen could not is not enough to mean that Jesus' remark about "render unto Caesar" is null and void in America.

I suggested that you set up the meeting with W since you want to act as though you're so knowledgeable. I see through your facade. Back up your observations with sound reasoning. Something more than just a few quick condescending sentences.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Are we having the same conversation? Since this is being typed, i doubt that you're having trouble with my accent or regional differences in speach. Once again, it appears as if you did not read the post. i have no time to respond to accusations made concerning issues that i do not support.

Frankly, as far as politics go, i really do not care what W, or the Republican party think, as i am not a Republican. We deserve what ever sort of government we get by simple virtue of the fact that we put these people in office, and fail to "hold their feet to the fire" when they do not carry out the mandates that they were elected to do. Since all law is legislated morality, i find it a good reason to have far fewer of them!

In the future, please spare the non-sequitr posting of scriptural passages and the Chuck (Mistler?) tab, since if this is an example of the reasoning faculties within his ministry, i want nothing to do with it.

[Uri’el-2012]

In the future, please spare the non-sequitr(sic) posting of scriptural passages and the Chuck (Mistler?) tab, since if this is an example of the reasoning faculties within his ministry, i want nothing to do with it.

45 posted on 01/06/2003 5:18 PM MST by Calvinist_Dark_Lord

I don't believe that the following scripture is a non sequitur to any follower of the Christ.

Matthew 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,
Barukh haba b'Shem Adonai
`Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" [Psalm 118:26]
Y'shua haMashiach

It should encourage you in your spiritual walk.

Or

am I mistaken that you are not a follower of the Christ.

---

CHUCK

is my name or are you the only one to whom that is not clear.

I fail to understand you reference to Chuck Missler

With reference to the Base article: Any preacher who rejects the where with all to continue his ministry, I question his scriptural grounding.

If you are a follower of the Christ, I would like to encourage you in your walk with the following verse.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season;
correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and
careful instruction.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather
around them a great number of teachers to say what their
itching ears want to hear.

chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Actually, i was not clear that Chuck was your name. See my profile and you may get an explanation as to why i did not know. None the less, you have accused me of supporting matters that i decidedly do not support, and your citations of scripture have not been germain to the topic at hand. IMHO, you have not attempted to respond to the arguments of myself and other posters you have responded to, preferring to slide from one non-sequitr to another. i honestly do not see that there is an argument between you and i, as i have not been able to ascertain what your positions are from what i have seen posted.