Taking advantage of tax breaks as a form of witness to one's love of God and neighbor...

At the National Prayer Breakfast this past week, President Obama opined about economic and tax policy, weaving together scriptures from various world religions with issues concerning economic social justice.

The Motley Monk believes the President's entire speech is worth listening to, if only for the purpose of hearing Mr. Obama weave these ideas together in such a way that one might walk away falsely believing that his position is wholly and entirely what Jesus, Moses, and Mohammad would have their adherents do.

In particular, consider President Obama opining in his speech that blessed as he is, he would willingly give up his tax breaks as a form of witnessing to his faith.

From a Christian perspective, this comment struck The Motley Monk as particularly odd because, after all, Jesus taught his disciples to "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's" (Mark 12:17).  As that particular teaching has been understood throughout Christian history, Christians are citizens of this Earthly City and, in justice, are required to pay taxes to the government.  Christians are also citizens of the City of God and, in justice, must witness to their love of God and neighbor by caring for the poor and needy.

U.S. tax law---which defines tax breaks---is how Caesar determines what taxes the nation's citizens must pay.  This is where President Obama appears to be a bit confused.  God has not revealed tax law.  No, Congress has defined tax law.  Taking advantage of (or for that matter, not taking advantage of) tax breaks does not express love of God and neighbor---a religious act---but reflects a rational decision on the part of each citizen---a civic act of complying with the law.  To  his credit, Mr. Obama has fulfilled what U.S. tax law requires.

What God revealed in the Jewish Scriptures is that rendering unto God what is God's is a matter of tithing.  Like it or not, that's 10% of gross pay (not "net" after taxes).

Using that standard, President Obama's tax returns indicate that he has not fulfilled the letter of the law. Between 2000 and 2004, the President and his wife donated $10,772 of the $1.2M they earned to various charities. That's <1% of their joint income. The couple's donations increased between 2005 and 2006 when, as an Illinois' Senator, Barack Obama wrote a bestselling book. Over those two years, the couple donated $137,622 to charities. That's ~5% of their $2.6M income.

In the Christian Scriptures, Jesus moved away from this "letter of the law" approach by contextualizing the idea of what love of God and neighbor require within a broader yet more intensely personal context, the "spirit of the law."  As creatures of God, every human beings bears the obligation to love God and neighbor to the degree that each is capable.

Using that standard, the President's assertion that giving up his tax breaks---keeping from Caesar what Caesar has allowed him and his wife to keep---qualifies as fulfilling the greatest of all commandments, the spirit of the law, is patently false. The only thing Mr. Obama may be rendering unto God---to express his love of God and neighbor---are those donations over the years to various charities. But, then, if that were the case, why did Mr. Obama take an income tax deduction?  Does that not sully what may be an act of charity?

Why Mr. Obama made that statement mystifies The Motley Monk.  In doing so, he only adds credence to his critics who have argued that the President doesn't "get" the Christian religion but "uses it" to lend support what he does "get," namely, his socialist agenda.


Let the discussion begin...