God's Politics, Part One: Economics (Cont.)

So, what bearing does my previous post have on the current election? The terms “socialist” and “Marxist” are being thrown around quite a bit. Regardless of what you choose to label it, Senator Obama’s tax plan proposes to raise the tax rate on people he deems “rich.” At the same time, the Earned Income Tax Credit allows millions of Americans who do not pay taxes to receive checks from the government. The Tax Policy Center estimates that over 67 million adult Americans (33%) do not pay any federal income taxes. No matter how you slice it, this is government redistribution of wealth. As Christians, we may be tempted to believe that this is a just and compassionate approach. But, is that truly the case?

Here are some tax statistics from the bipartisan Tax Policy Center. Did you know that 70% of the tax burden is currently carried by the top 20% of taxpayers? Were you aware that the top 10% of American earners pay more than 55%? Senator Obama has stated repeatedly and unapologetically that he will raise taxes on the top 5%. He claims that these folks have had a “free ride” under President Bush. So, how much of the burden are they carrying? Would you believe 44%? Hardly seems like a free ride to me. It’s not about favoring “the rich.” It’s about not further punishing the people who are already paying the vast majority of the bill.

Senator McCain stated it best in a campaign speech he gave this morning. He said, “Senator Obama’s running to spread the wealth. I’m running to create more wealth.” Exactly. The Christian conception of the dignity of hard work and the rightness of enjoying its fruits have led to enormous wealth creation. It defies common sense and any reasonable conception of fairness and decency to punish individual wealth creation and financial success which has resulted in enormous benefits to society as a whole. Our standard of living in the United States is one of the highest in the world and it is a direct result of the exceptional political and economic freedom we enjoy. Regardless of a person’s socioeconomic status, he or she is far better off in the United States than almost any other place in the world.

Furthermore, how can the Body of Christ benefit from sending more dollars to Washington to be distributed by bureaucrats on programs that may or may not align with Christian principles? Wouldn’t the Lord be more pleased if His people were able to keep more of what they earn so they can use their resources as He directs them to expand the Kingdom of God? Admittedly, part of the church’s mission is to feed the poor and care for the needy, but that should not override the primary mission which is to share the gospel.

One last note. It has become fashionable in some Christian circles to characterize the rich as “greedy.” Indeed, many rich people may, in fact, be greedy. If that is the case, God will judge their hearts accordingly. However, it is important to note that greed is not defined merely by the possession of great wealth. Greed is the unhealthy and unquenchable desire for “more” at the expense of others. The tenth commandment says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." The desire of a person to keep what they have rightfully earned is not greed. The desire to get a piece of someone else’s wealth is.