"Render to all what is due to them: tax to whom tax is due .........."-Romans 13:7
Muriel and I went to see "Secretariat" this past Friday night. Christian writer, director, and producer Randall Wallace has made an excellent film appropriate for all ages. "Secretariat" is a feel good movie and because the overall framework of the story is based on history, the outcome is predictable. None of this diminishes its enjoyment.
Wallace says that one of the themes is that there is joy in becoming what you were made to be, an echo of the reformation theology of vocation, but, maybe due to the political season, I picked up on another theme that made me angry.
In one of the sub-plots, Penny Chenery takes over her father's horse farm when he passes away. Her most immediate obstacle is finding a way to pay the $6 million estate tax without selling the farm. Imagine. Her father had worked all of his life to build up a successful business and upon his death, the government steps in and takes so much that the family has to scramble to find a way to hang onto their inheritance. This is nothing more than outright thievery.
The reason that it made me so angry is that this year the estate tax is at the level that it should be--zero. On January 1st, 2011, it is going to rise to 55% unless Congress acts to extend what is known as "The Bush Tax Cuts". So far they have refused to act before the elections and if the Dems lose the House and Senate, may refuse to act out of spite. The American Revolution was brought on by taxation policies less confiscatory than this.
Secretariat's story took place in 1973, but Dell Tackett tells a modern version of the same taxation story at http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid599539952001?bctid=629270648001 . Dr. Tackett tells the story of 80 year old Eugene Sukup of Sheffield, Iowa, who has built up a successful business and what the family faces upon his death in light of taxes policies that are soon to be put in place. If this doesn't light your fire, your wood is wet.
[13:1] Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
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It seems if you read the entire chapter you would not be so upset about the tax. If Christians were to follow the example of Christ they would not have to worry about a large estate tax. Seems to be a contradiction to worry about an estate tax. I would assume that your estate would be of the world therefore causing a slight anger toward the government. I think Jesus was not concerned with the tax because he owned nothing what was there to tax?
A million dollar estate is easily attainable in todays standard for the average Joe. So who are they kidding? Death/estate taxes SHOULD equal ZERO!!! It's easy to levi taxes on those who are perceived to have everything, but is that what the founding fathers really wanted? This is class warfare (welfare) pure and simple. Estates are what we build from the ground up, working, investing, saving....for OUR future, and OUR childrens future. This money has been taxed over and over in our lifetime, but the final straw is to get their final take when we die. Like they say, nothing is certain but death and taxes, and they seem to go hand in hand according to our government. Truely a redistribution of $$ (not wealth) for the have nots! Does that make me greedy?
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