Question: 

Should I pay taxes if I disagree with our government?

Answer: 

The end of the year also brings with it the end of the tax season for most people. As we file our taxes we are reminded that a significant percentage of our income goes to the state and federal governments. This often raises an important moral question in the minds of Christians - should we pay taxes to a government that supports programs and initiatives that may be unjust or immoral?

First of all, let's be frank. One would be hard-pressed to find, in any society, a government that made decisions that were completely in line with Bible morals and principles, let alone every Christian's opinions. This is not to minimize the issue, but instead to shed light on it. After all, if no earthly government is flawless, then the ruling bodies during the time of our Lord and His apostles fit into the category, too.

So, what was the attitude of Jesus Christ towards the imperfect government of his time? Consider the following facts and draw a conclusion.

• Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus by killing all children under the age of two in Bethlehem after the time of Jesus' birth (Matthew 2:16).
  
  

• The cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist, was beheaded by Herod the tetrarch to pay off a dancer at his birthday party (Mark 6:19-30).
  
  

• In the Jewish trial of Jesus, the chief priests plotted against Jesus by trickery, the officers struck Him, and the crowd claimed He was deserving of death on the basis of false witnesses (Matthew 26:3,4,59,60,66).
  
  

• In the Roman trial of Jesus, Pilate declared Jesus' innocence but still allowed Him to be crucified (John 19:6). This decision strengthened his political alliance with Herod (Luke 23:7,8,11,12).
  
  

• After the time of Christ, numerous Roman emperors fell into unspeakable immorality and persecuted and killed the followers of Jesus Christ.

Now, do you think Jesus agreed with all of the decisions of His government?

Of course not, yet when Jesus was asked the question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" he replied, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:17-21).

Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote to the church at Rome, "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs are due, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."

Peter also wrote, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake...for this is the will of God...Honor the king" (1 Peter 2:13-17).

It can be discouraging to see our tax money used for improper or unjust causes. Even so, we still must pay our taxes, praying for "all who are in authority" and encouraging government officials to realize "righteousness exalts a nation" (1 Timothy 2:1,2; Proverbs 14:34).

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