Towards A Global Government
I envision a world government to which every member country pays 1% of its GDP as tax. To the national government citizens pay income tax and indirect taxes. That income tax might be 25% or 35%, maybe even 40%. Sometimes you pay 35% to the federal government and another 10% to the city and state governments. And if you are to give 10% of your income to God, what are we looking at? Are you giving away half of your income? Maybe more? 60%?
There is income, and then there is wealth. Maybe all billionaires ought to limit themselves and their families to a billion and give away the rest. There can be foundations. There can be wealth tax. There is an urgency to meet the basic needs of all humanity.
There are laws that enforce taxation. If you don't pay up, you could go to jail. But the 10% you give to God is not like that. If you don't give you don't go to jail. If you don't give you don't go to hell either. The tithe is not God's tax. The act of not giving that 10% to God is not sin.
But it is guidance. That guidance is an act of love. God who created everything has no need for your money. Then why ask for it? And not just any 10% but the first 10%. Why? So you may, through your act of giving, reassure yourself that 100% of your income, 100% of your wealth comes from God. That is total surrender. It is so you may engage in work and generate income and create wealth and yet not fall into that trap of idolatry that worship of wealth is. Only God can be worshipped. Worship of wealth is idolatry and it takes you away from God and salvation becomes impossible. You do not give away 10% because priests and pastors need to be paid salaries or because houses of worship need to be built and maintained or because the hungry need to be fed, the naked need to be clothed, and the homeless need to be housed. All that is necessary but secondary. The primary reason is so you may attain 24/7 God-consciousness in the easiest way possible. You do it for you.
And so I will take the first 10% of your income. You are to give the first 10% of your income to God. There is no jail or hell if you don't. But if you don't that might lead you away from God and salvation. Paradise is so wonderful it is worth 100% of your income and wealth, it is worth your very life. But you are merely being asked to give the first 10% of your income.
How do you give me your 10%? You give it to the house of worship you visit. It is not too much to ask that each such house of worship keep their book keeping transparent. Taking care of the needy is the first order of business. Although worship related expenses are very much included. Try and get the ratio right. Reach out to the needy globally.
I envision a world government to which every member country pays 1% of its GDP as tax. To the national government citizens pay income tax and indirect taxes. That income tax might be 25% or 35%, maybe even 40%. Sometimes you pay 35% to the federal government and another 10% to the city and state governments. And if you are to give 10% of your income to God, what are we looking at? Are you giving away half of your income? Maybe more? 60%?
There is income, and then there is wealth. Maybe all billionaires ought to limit themselves and their families to a billion and give away the rest. There can be foundations. There can be wealth tax. There is an urgency to meet the basic needs of all humanity.
There are laws that enforce taxation. If you don't pay up, you could go to jail. But the 10% you give to God is not like that. If you don't give you don't go to jail. If you don't give you don't go to hell either. The tithe is not God's tax. The act of not giving that 10% to God is not sin.
But it is guidance. That guidance is an act of love. God who created everything has no need for your money. Then why ask for it? And not just any 10% but the first 10%. Why? So you may, through your act of giving, reassure yourself that 100% of your income, 100% of your wealth comes from God. That is total surrender. It is so you may engage in work and generate income and create wealth and yet not fall into that trap of idolatry that worship of wealth is. Only God can be worshipped. Worship of wealth is idolatry and it takes you away from God and salvation becomes impossible. You do not give away 10% because priests and pastors need to be paid salaries or because houses of worship need to be built and maintained or because the hungry need to be fed, the naked need to be clothed, and the homeless need to be housed. All that is necessary but secondary. The primary reason is so you may attain 24/7 God-consciousness in the easiest way possible. You do it for you.
And so I will take the first 10% of your income. You are to give the first 10% of your income to God. There is no jail or hell if you don't. But if you don't that might lead you away from God and salvation. Paradise is so wonderful it is worth 100% of your income and wealth, it is worth your very life. But you are merely being asked to give the first 10% of your income.
How do you give me your 10%? You give it to the house of worship you visit. It is not too much to ask that each such house of worship keep their book keeping transparent. Taking care of the needy is the first order of business. Although worship related expenses are very much included. Try and get the ratio right. Reach out to the needy globally.