Is Government Coveting our Money?

Every working American has federal, state, local, Social Security and Medicare taxes taken out of his/her paycheck. But did you know there are more than 40 other taxes we pay? To name a few: unemployment and workers compensation tax, sales, property, and utility taxes, gas taxes, and even taxes for dog licenses. The average American spends 46-58% of his or her income on taxes!

I read an interesting article yesterday that our government is guilty of breaking the 10th commandment: “You must not covet your neighbor's house… or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” And then Moses goes on to say, “You shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, who hate covetousness, to be your rulers.” (Ex. 20:17; 18:21) Clearly, God did not want coveters ruling over the people, taking what is not theirs.

I worked for the federal government for 25 years. And every year when the budgets were prepared, I watched with disgust as our Agency competed with other agencies to get more money than it got the year before—whether they needed it or not. It was nothing less than unbridled greed. Paul said the end-times would be characterized by men who are exceedingly greedy (1 Tim 3:1-2a) Is government over-taxation another sign of the times?