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Archive for June, 2009

Rendering unto Caesar?

Posted in Establishments, Parish in American Context on June 10, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Today, I was reading an article comparing Adam Smith’s argument in favor (!) of establishments furnishing religious instruction with that of Thomas Chalmers.  The essay concluded that, in light of their views, contemporary tax policies are warranted in exempting religious organizations from such standard civil obligations and in allowing deductions for contributions made to them.  This statement reminded me of a recent post in which the author I was treating  contended that such tax policies were not just warranted, but that they placed distinct obligations upon churches actively to work for the common good.  They are, in a way, post-establishmentarian state subsidies of religious organizations to improve the social order.  If that is the case, then ought we as Church to consider our tax benefits as advance payments from Caesar to perform our Christian mandate (Mat. 28:18)?

https://westportexperiment.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/laidlaws-plea-and-plan/

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