The Final Choice

Some will think this article is too political and not enough spiritual, but I contend that our spiritual life, which includes our obligation to our creator to preserve those freedoms He has given us, should permeate our social and political life. We are facing a spiritual conflict in our nation which is resulting in a political crisis as well. Those who are fond of quoting Thomas Jefferson's letter about the separation of Church and State should also be aware of his thoughts about government taxation and redistribution of wealth.

"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."

                                --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, 6 April 1816

That is exactly the mindset of those currently in power in Washington D.C. and it is a mindset that is foreign to the United States and to the Bible, which says that "if a man will not work, let him not eat". This Biblical philosophy does not preclude individuals giving the helping hand of charity to those that need it occasionally but it does rule out big government taking from one and giving to another to equalize the wealth. That is a communistic, socialistic philosophy and not a Biblical philosophy and was strongly opposed by Jefferson, a founding father of our nation. This current level of taxation by our government is driven by a "paying an obsequious court to the people" philosophy, as Alexander Hamilton (another founding father) wrote. What this means is our politicians are buying votes with our money!

We need to understand that this current attitude of government of equalization of wealth and the power to unlimited taxation is destroying us as a nation. As John Marshal, our 1st Supreme Court Chief Justice, wrote, "An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation." This habit has infected both Federal and state governments but it has an obvious outcome, destruction.

While the Obama Whitehouse likes to blame the former administration for its financial woes the facts show a different truth.

CNSNEWS.com reports this White House will spend about 25 percent of the nation's gross domestic product — nearly double the percentage of the GDP that America's top spending president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, spent during the Great Depression.

Even federal spending as a percentage of the GDP in World War II is less than what this White House will spend in 2010. In the White House 2010 budget submitted to Congress, the U.S. deficit as a percentage of GDP is estimated at 11 percent.

To put things in perspective, Greece's government deficit as a percentage of its GDP is about 13 percent. Greece's government spending has resulted in insolvency. And the European Union Council of Financial Ministers put Greece on notice that it must reduce its deficit as a percentage of its GDP to three percent in three years.

The Telegraph (UK) reports that Article 126.9 of the Lisbon Treaty authorizes the EU to seize the sovereignty of Greece because of its insolvency. How much more would America's enemies connive to do the same to the U.S.? And would this group of American leaders even resist?

As American citizens we should remember that our ancestors also faced this dilemma of  ever increasing unequal and unfair taxation and they had the same 3 choices we are faced with: 1) elect new leaders, 2) become slaves to government, or 3) take up arms to install a new government. Americans should re-read what Thomas Jefferson wrote about this situation:

"Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them."
--Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking up Arms, 6 July 1775

As the 2010 elections approach we have an obligation to do the 1st choice listed above. If we do not, then we are only left with the 2nd or 3rd choices.

Pastor Charles Cooley