The Estate Tax: What Would Jesus Do?

While Congress decides whether to repeal the return of the federal estate tax, leaving much needed income to close the growing budget deficit hanging in the balance, some Christian taxpayers are using ethical and theological arguments on opposite sides of the debate.

Here’s one side of the debate:

Gary Dawson, a coal miner in Gilette, Wyo., said the Bible clearly mandates people to help the poor, but paying additional taxes to the government is detrimental to such a call.

“I just think people need to understand that our creator blessed us in different ways,” Dawson said. “I think the government as the great equalizer is equivalent to theft.”

“I want to use my wealth for God’s glory, not to build a swimming pool in my backyard and buy a new pickup,” Dawson said.

Coal miners in his region, he said, have an average annual salary of $70,000 to $80,000. “Once I get the needs of my family taken care of, I take care of extended family, neighbors and friends,” he said.

He said excessive estate tax laws contributed to his family’s financial problems. His parents ran into financial troubles when he was in high school and taxes on his deceased grandfather’s estate contributed to his family’s bankruptcy.

And here’s the other:

Jim Wallis, founder and editor of the progressive evangelical magazine Sojourners, is against a complete repeal of the estate tax. He said reinstating the estate tax is a matter of justice.

“Inequality is a fundamental biblical concern. We have been increasing the gap between rich and poor for a long time,” Wallis said. “The only people affected by the estate tax are the super rich, and the super rich can afford to pay it. They owe it back to society and they should pay it.”

In his book, “Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street and Your Street,” Wallis pointed to the growing disparity in U.S. income levels and, conversely, the shrinking “prosperity sharing” sentiment across the country.

Although he said the Bible is not specific about tax rates and exemption values, Wallis is in favor of a “vigorous” estate tax.

Full Article

I wonder what kind of comments this post will get, it’s got Christianity, politics, and money . . . all hot button blog topics.

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3 Responses to The Estate Tax: What Would Jesus Do?

  1. Nathan S. says:

    This quote is maddening to me.
    "Inequality is a fundamental biblical concern. We have been increasing the gap between rich and poor for a long time," Wallis said. "The only people affected by the estate tax are the super rich, and the super rich can afford to pay it. They owe it back to society and they should pay it."

    1. To hear someone say "they can afford to pay it," and "they owe it" absolutely baffles me. And no, it's not because I'm a sheltered neocon who has not been enlightened. I completely understand the debt to society theory, I just completely disagree with it.

    2. "Ineqaulity is a fundamental biblical concern."… Umm has the left forgot that they've been preaching for the past few years? "The U.S. is not a theocracy, we are in no way a Christian nation, Separation of Church and State." Just because someone thinks their biblical values are right doesn't mean they need to be legislated any more than my "wrong" biblical values.

    Lets give freedom a chance and let people choose which charities they want to support.

  2. Dude says:

    @Nathan: You can generalize and demonize "The Left" all you want, but I think Wallis' is pointing out that Jesus was pretty clear about wealth on earth, the poor and inequality. It is in fact possible to be a Christian AND a liberal, they only *seem* to be mutually exclusive to many, I guess. I don't see much fiscal conservatism and trickle-down theory in the red text in my Bible, do you?

    I realize that I just fired off a bit of a cheap shot, so let's just talk about the actual proposal before Congress… rolling back to the 2009 levels of an exemption on the first $3.5million and then 46% on everything above that. Wallis is right, folks affected by this CAN afford it… sheesh.

    "Let's give freedom a chance and let people choose what charities they want to support."
    "Give Freedom a chance"?!? You know that people are free to donate to any charity they want NOW, right? And that they can write off a portion of that donation on their taxes, too. And that taxes are used for the public good.. things like public schools, teacher's salaries, parks, roads, small business loans, student loans. The fact that tax money funds things you don't favor… yeah me too… but I am resigned to the fact that we will always have a black budget for the Pentagon.

    The estate tax is the only one we have that taxes WEALTH… and not INCOME. It is in place to put checks and balances on the creation of an aristocracy in this country, the very people who have profited the most from the freedom you are so in favor of, and who are accumulating HUGE amounts of money. In my mind, they are in the best position to pay. I would LOVE to have to pay this tax, frankly. What better tax than one you pay when you're dead? I won't need the money anyway, and if the Kardashians and Hiltons are any indication of what my son would do with an inheritance of that amount, he doesn't need it either.

    This "crisis" is almost as ridiculous as listening to my Dad complain about "ObamaCare" while he's waiting at all his Medicare paid doctor's office visits. Turn off FoxNews and MSNBC… go volunteer in your community. Live in the gray and not the black and white….

  3. Nathan S. says:

    Dude –
    First off I'm not a Fox News Neocon Republican. It seems you like to generalize as much as you claim I do. I'm a libertarian / capitalist and fully support things like prop 19 and less gun control. Try to fit that in your black and white stereotype.

    Now again, lets take the Bible out of it, because like I said in my other post, it's irrelevant. The Bible was a given as a guide to Christian living not American government. Left or Right does not get to use it as a prop for their policies.

    You know, it's real easy for me to decide what's good for you, what you can afford, but it's entirely different when someone is deciding for me. That's freedom, letting people decided what they want to do with their own money. Within the past two months I personally have been involved in executing the wills for two widow ladies that died. Each had estates that would fall into the 46% taxed margin. They gave their money to children's homes, churches, a private school, a university, a fire station, the cancer society, a pet shelter, a hospital, a shelter for abused women… and dozens others. Did they leave money to their family? sure, but they were extremely generous with those institutions that had blessed them during their life.
    When the government decides that it can better use 46% of their hard earned money, it's taking away their freedom to choose.

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