Newsletter #122

On an Important Distinction and Taxes

A few thoughts on important distinctions and some passages on an unpopular topic.

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Straight-Line or Jagged-Line?

Last week I was joined in Springfield by a good friend and fellow pastor, Faron Thebeau. We collaborated in giving a seminar about faith and politics, which seemed especially appropriate given the year we’re currently experiencing as Americans.

We used Jonathan Leeman’s very helpful How the Nations Rage as a touchstone/conversation partner in the seminar, though we went beyond the scope of his book in a few instances. I especially appreciate Leeman’s book introducing a useful tool or concept to a wider audience: straight-line thinking versus jagged-line thinking. Robert Benne, a Lutheran theologian, first expressed this in Good and Bad Ways to Think about Religion and Politics, a book I benefited from during my doctoral studies.  

Imagine you have a particular public policy issue or question. Take environmental regulations, which are diverse and complex in our country. How would you proceed as a Christian to determine how to view this subject biblically? Can you draw a straight or direct line from a particular environmental regulation (let’s say concerning emissions) to a particular biblical principle, passage, or command?

Many of us think about Genesis 1-2 and the call of humanity to steward creation by subduing it and exercising dominion over it. However, how much more specific could you get? Not much! Thus, you have a jagged line issue. Environmental stewardship is a biblical concern, but the line between biblical passages and how to resolve the thousands of environmental policy questions is a jagged, winding line at best. Wisdom and context become incredibly important.

Let’s take a different example: abortion. Can you draw a straight line between any particular passage or principle, and being against abortion? Why yes: “You shall not murder.” Obviously, the details matter. One must establish what an abortion is in terms of the act itself, but once you’ve done that, it becomes clear that elective abortion is a violation of the Sixth Commandment. One might debate how best to word anti-abortion legislation, or more positively, how to promote a culture of life, but the ultimate moral principle is much clearer.

Akos Balogh’s visual representation of Benne’s distinction.

One of the implications of this straight-line/jagged-line distinction is that it sharpens our discernment and chastens our claims when it comes to asserting “the right position,” which Christians tend to equate with “the biblical position.” It reminds us that there could be a range of faithful views on very specific public policy questions that depend not primarily on obeying a biblical command, but translating general biblical principles into practice with contextual wisdom.

Another reasonable approach for Christians is to appeal to the importance for nations to obey those documents (such as Constitutions) and laws which are rightly adopted and enacted by legislatures and citizens. In other words, one could think (a) the Bible seems to allow for some liberty in terms of where to land on issue x; (b) our Constitution seems to forbid government intrusion into the area of life in which issue x falls; therefore (c) it seems wise to adopt a more localist, individualist, or libertarian posture on this specific question.

However, I think we do well to start with the straight-line/jagged-line distinction, before moving into questions of Constitutional interpretation. Most of us aren’t trained jurists, but we had better be sure that we’re becoming more skilled and wiser in interpreting and applying Scripture.

Taxes?

Without resorting to a full-blown case study, taxes are on my mind. As I write this, I’m preparing to preach from Matthew 17:24-27 –

When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Most assuredly, tax policy is one of those issued that falls into the jagged-line category. The complexity of the tax code will be quite clear for any honest, tax-paying reader. Then start thinking about the distinctions between municipal taxes, county taxes, state taxes, and federal taxes. How about tourism taxes and fees? Are “fees” the same as taxes?

However, jagged-line thinking doesn’t allow us to assume that the complexity of a subject and fewer passages on that subject means we don’t have to think long and hard about what the Bible does say. For example, just consider the following two passages that refer to taxes:

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”  When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22)

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:1-7)

You quickly notice that Jesus does offer a robust affirmation of civil authority, the place of taxes, the distinction between God and Caesar, and more. I'm not claiming that passages such as these answer all or even many of our tax-related questions. However, they do provide a foundation and partial framework for thinking about the authority to tax and the obligation of Christians to pay taxes.

What ails you or your church in this election year? And how much of it might be alleviated through thinking with clearer biblical distinctions?

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Quotes of the Week:

Y’all, can we please stop with the comparisons between Jesus Christ and Donald Trump. They are bordering on blasphemy. If you don’t understand why you should not compare the trial and execution of Jesus Christ to the trial and non-execution of Donald Trump, you might not be as strong in the faith as you think you are.

Comparing a completely innocent Christ, God Almighty and creator of the entire universe, to a man who cheated on his third wife with a porn star after his wife had given birth, and then used a sleaze bag lawyer to pay her hush money resulting in a trial, is a bridge too far even as I agree that what Trump did was not a crime and this was a show trial. But it was the playing out of sin. Christ was both sinless and blameless and also, again, God Almighty himself, the second person of the Trinity.

Erick-Woods Erickson, “I Know Enough to Know I Don’t Know”

For a very large swath of the human population, probably the majority, constantly forming and expressing and fighting over opinions on contentious topics is an unusual and unpleasant activity. It’s not that many people out there just don’t naturally form opinions, on art and culture and politics, the way anyone does. But to think of those opinions as something to constantly bring into a state of contention with others, to argue all the time as a matter of day-to-day life, is intimidating even for many smart and principled people. It’s hard to recall now, but there was a very recent period in which most people had no greater opportunity to share their opinions than to say them out loud at work or a bar or during the fellowship service after church. The truly motivated might stand on the street with a bullhorn or start a paper newsletter or write letters to the editor. Most people never bothered. The cacophony of opinion we live in is very new.

Freddie deBoer, “Mad Max is Sidelined in His Own Movie," and Why Patently Wrong Ideas Never Die.”

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What I’m Reading, Rereading, or STILL Reading:

James K. Dew and Ronnie P. Campbell, Natural Theology: Five Views.

James Davison Hunter, Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America’s Political Crisis.

Chris Bruno and Matt Dirks, Churches Partnering Together.

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Announcement:

I’m grateful to be presenting a seminar at this year’s Free Will Baptist National Convention in Tampa. I hope to see you there! More details to come.

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Parting Shot from Being Out and About

A local billboard ad sponsored by a local furniture store:

“Good lovin’ shouldn’t be followed by bad sleep.”

Well, I suppose that’s one way to get a potential customer’s attention.