“The Bible teaches that the civil magistrate may require a certain level of taxation (Rom. 13:6-7) and that Christians are required to pay those taxes cheerfully. But the Bible also teaches that civil authorities are capable of breaking God’s law, including His prohibition of stealing. Even if Ahab had had his wits about him and gotten hold of Naboth’s vineyard through land reform or a rezoning maneuver, we would still know what to call it — stealing. Samuel informed us what the threshold of economic tyranny is when he told the Israelites that if they called a king like the other nations, he would eventually begin taxing them at ten percent (1 Sam. 8:15-17). We, in the grip of our ignorance, think we would be as free as the birds if we got back to that level of tyranny. For many of us, the tax burden is approaching fifty percent. No wonder it’s hard to think straight” (The Paideia of God, pp. 34-35).
Have 'Em Delivered
Write to the Editor
Hello, thank you for sharing your wisdom! Do you think that eminent domain is ever biblically justified? For example, what about the case of a vacant property with holes in the roof that animals have inhabited for several years and is a potential safety hazard?