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Fair and Just?
- Date: Fri, Jun 11, 2010
- Author: Paul Forman
Friends,
Jesus spent considerable time speaking about money because in his culture as in ours, money is often a key to understanding what we value. Think of each dollar spent as a vote or as a unit of life energy. If you give $100 to one charity and $10 to another, you probably value the work of the first charity more than the second.
Because taxes are not voluntary they do not fit neatly into this observation. But our attitudes about paying taxes do reflect values. For some years there has been a national debate over the size of government and how to pay for the cost of government. Of many issues I want to comment on two issues: the issue of user based fees vs community taxes and the issue of what kind of taxes are the fairest.
As pressure to limit taxes without reducing services has mounted, governments - local to national - have turned from community based payments in the form of taxes to user fees. Some of this has been good, at least to some extent. For instance, the cost of getting building permits has increased to more nearly reflect the cost of government to provide the service. Another form of user fees is tolls to use tunnels, bridges, or high occupancy lanes at peak traffic times. The unfairness of user fees is that the fee is not based on ability to pay or the need to use the public improvement. The person making a six figure salary who needs to use the toll bridge to get to work pays the same as the minimum wage person who also must use that bridge to get to work. “Well,” one might say, “there is always public transportation where everyone regardless of income pay the same for the same trip.” But, unfortunately, there is not always public transportation and the same arguments that the wealthy worker uses to justify the use of a single occupancy car are those of the minimum wage worker.
Public transportation takes too long, it does not take me where I need to go, when I need to get there, I do not feel safe riding the bus late at night. The list can go on and on. Private homeowner associations build their own parks and then do not want to pay for public parks to be kept in the same attractive, safe, and clean condition. Some private school parents do not want to pay for public education and some people whose children have grown up and do not use the public schools do not want to foot the bill either.
Historically in American we have chosen to make and pay for community amenities like safe roads, public education, fire and police services, public recreation sites, courts and criminal justice institutions, maintaining a military force, even a safety net to help people who are not served by our economic system for whatever reasons. These and the many other governmental services must be paid for by the whole community. We have also said that after paying the cost of the basic governmental services, if people can afford to do so, they can choose to spend more money and have additional health care, private education, private clubs and parks, and many other benefits. And many indeed enjoy these possibilities.
How should government raise the money to do what we consider to be appropriate public activities? Most of us would say, I think, “in some fair and just way.” What do we mean by that? Well, I mean by “fair and just” that those who can most afford it and enjoy most the benefits of it should pay the greatest part of the cost. When I hear that in the State of Washington the wealthiest 1% pay about 3% of their income for state and local taxes after federal deductions and that the poorest 20% pay almost 18% of their income for state and local taxes after federal deductions, I think something is wrong. It is neither fair nor just. When I hear a good “UCCer” like Bill Gates, Sr. calling for tax reform, I listen. I hope you will listen too and find out more. Initiative 1098 seeks to address some of this injustice and unfairness. Check out www.yeson1098.com. What do you think? Should you and I be paying more taxes? Are we paying our fair share? Is our public life being appropriately supported with dollars and votes? Do our taxes reflect our values?
At the Pacific Northwest Conference Annual Meeting a resolution was passed calling upon local churches of the Conference to study the issue of taxation and join the public debate about what are fair and just taxes. We are going to render to Caesar so let’s get informed. Here is another place where “just say ‘no’,” may not be in our best interest.
These are the scripture readings in the Revised Common Lectionary for the forthcoming Sunday:
1 Kings 21:1-10
Naboth's Vineyard
21:1 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” 6 And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. 9 And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. 10 And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
2 Samuel 11:26-12:10
26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. 27 And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
Nathan Rebukes David
12:1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
Galatians 2:15-21
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Luke 7:36-8:3
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Women Accompanying Jesus
8:1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
