Does breaking the law go against God?

[Unknown Banana]

..? (Not sure if this is in the right forum)

For instance,when a law doesn't require a person to sin, but just doesn't agree with you personally. Not paying taxes for example. If there was no chance of being caught, and you continued to do so without asking forgiveness from God, would it definitely impair your relationship with Him?

I bring this up because I have a friend who is in this exact situation - she works as a personal nurse for a disabled person. The patient doesn't want to pay the tax, and would rather keep it quiet. There is no chance of being caught, but if the patient was made to pay income tax for my friend, then she would have to pay it for all her other nurses (hence this is not really an option for her).

I've told her that her only option then would be to quit. (And she also wants to pay back the government... whereas in my opinion they already waste half our money and never listen to what the public wants, but anyway...)

What do you guys say?

[timothybeasley]

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and God what is God's"

There is more money where that came from, you never lost it because it was never yours. Money is a universal bargaining chip that allows free trade between any two people and it's purpose is to acquire goods in lieu of barter negotiations. When you begin to see money as a social invention to aid in the easy acquisition of taxable product, which the government reaps by the way, then you can give to Caesar what is his.

You are soul living in a human body and as such are higher than a dependence on Mammon. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you". Walking in the spirit opens doors previously sealed, taped, and bolted closed. By willingly letting go of entrapping possessions, we free ourselves from the heavy yoke, and taking the yoke of Christ upon us lightens the load immeasureably, so give to God what is God's (your fellowship, belief, time, honor, and humility), then even what little you had will be multiplied a thousand-fold.

[God_is_personal]

Hi, Unknown Banana > I suppose this thread could be moved to Chapel; you can ask a moderator; I had one moved. This thread now is in Apologetics 301??? Apologetics 301 is a debate forum for theists versus atheists, Banana!!! When you slip on a banana peel, you never know where you might slide to, I guess.

If I was helping to take care of a person who was not reporting payments to care people, and therefore no taxes were being payed; I don't think I would report this and get anyone in trouble. I would pray...see as well as I could how God personally guided me. And I can see a couple of possibilities > if my total yearly income was less than requires a tax report, maybe I'd stay; or I would move out; and I might stay but not accept pay, if I sensed God wanted me there, doing it freely in love >

That's an interesting issue, for me > how Jesus says, "Freely you have received, freely give," in Matthew 10:8. So, if I was doing care for a person, how could I charge money, anyway, for doing a love thing? And I notice how "a number" of personal care workers for pay are stressed out, wasted, etc. > to me, this can be a warning of how you pay an emotional price for making money doing what love would do for free.

By the way . . . the Bible says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," in my New King James Bible. Why is it that people so love money? It occurred to me that people like money so much because >

. . . . . . . . . money has no conscience;
. . . . . . . . . . . money will cooperate with
. . . . . . . . . . . . . whatever you have your money do.

But people have consciences; so you can NOT get a person to do whatever you jolly well please. Or, of course, the person won't go along with you unless that one gets what he or she wants in return.

If people are in love with money, they can't have a real love relationship with you. They can't do what love would have them do. This patient could be such a person, who wants to keep as much money as possible, not share it by means of paying taxes which CAN be used for good, at least somehow. So, you're dealing with a person who does not know how to love..."possibly"; and your friend does not need to compromise her(?) conscience for a person who is incapable of loving her by doing what is honest with her.

And we pray for your friend and you and the patient and the other workers. We offer ourselves to You, God, for how You can give us more and better than we now are ready to accept and obey. OOPs, and look at the rain coming down NOW!!! Halleluiah!!!

[LGM]

..? (Not sure if this is in the right forum)

For instance,when a law doesn't require a person to sin, but just doesn't agree with you personally.

Well, unless you want to provide us with a well defined list of what behaviors are "sinful", this whole question is moot.

You can't "go against god", since no god is here establishing what things are "against" it's wishes.

You can however go against people who claim to speak for god. And people who claim to speak for god can believe that "breaking the law" (ie. bombing an abortion clinic) is what their personal god wants them to do.


Not paying taxes for example. If there was no chance of being caught, and you continued to do so without asking forgiveness from God, would it definitely impair your relationship with Him?

What relationship?
It's easy to claim anything you want about an invisible deity that exists in your imagination. He is at your command.

[One Bad Pig]

Thread moved to Biblical Ethics 201. Sorry LGM, but you'll have to bow out.

[James Peter]

I think that tax evasion can (justifiably) be seen as a form of theft. You are stealing from your nation. Is theft every justified? Is theft justified if there is no risk of being caught? There is your answer.

[djdavo]

just a suggestion: why doesn't your friend just claim what she made on HER taxes? i don't see how that has anything to do with the person she's taking care of.

and it doesn't make sense that the disabled person is 'paying taxes'. i believe your friend would be an independent contractor,and as such the disabled person doesn't have to pay fica,etc for her. she just claims the money (minus her costs of course!) on her taxes as additional income.


oh yeah..and not paying taxes is wrong :)

[neonmagek]

..? (Not sure if this is in the right forum)

For instance,when a law doesn't require a person to sin, but just doesn't agree with you personally. Not paying taxes for example. If there was no chance of being caught, and you continued to do so without asking forgiveness from God, would it definitely impair your relationship with Him?

I bring this up because I have a friend who is in this exact situation - she works as a personal nurse for a disabled person. The patient doesn't want to pay the tax, and would rather keep it quiet. There is no chance of being caught, but if the patient was made to pay income tax for my friend, then she would have to pay it for all her other nurses (hence this is not really an option for her).

I've told her that her only option then would be to quit. (And she also wants to pay back the government... whereas in my opinion they already waste half our money and never listen to what the public wants, but anyway...)

What do you guys say?
I forget where in the Bible it states it, but it says to follow the law of man so as long as that law does not require one to violate God's law. It is also refered to when it states, when in Rome do as the Romans. I can probably dig it up from the Bible if you want it.

Biblican Ethics is a Orthodox Christian only area. Biblical Ethics Sticky (http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/announcement.php?f=164)