Insight on the News
Ministers or Tax Evaders?
The New York Supreme Court ruled that the Life Science Church has “defrauded the public, operated an illegal pyramid scheme and illegally practiced law by giving tax advice, which was incorrect, to people who paid up to $3,000 each to learn how to avoid taxes by becoming ordained ministers of the church” and must return the money it collected. In addition, the church was fined $10,000 for violating a previous restraining order. According to the New York Times report, “the church had run dozens of seminars and collected approximately $20 million in fees from people who became ministers to avoid paying Federal and state taxes.”
Individuals were told that they could keep on with their secular employment yet be tax free by starting their own church chartered by the Life Science Church. They could then either donate up to 50 percent of their earnings to the church and substantially reduce their taxes or take a vow of poverty and give all their earnings and property to the church. The church would then pay all expenses and the individual would be tax exempt, it was claimed. The court rejected such argument. “The ruling,” said Daniel Kurtz of the state attorney general’s office, “would encourage the state to pursue other organizations and individuals seeking tax exemption under the guise of religion.”
True Christians would not want to take deductions that are not allowed by their governments (as ministers or otherwise), but as Romans 13:7 counsels they will render to “him who calls for the tax, the tax.” They do not use their ministry as a means for evading taxes.
Missionaries Take Sides
In Central America “churches that were at one time sanctuaries from violence are now the targets of terrorists of both the right and left,” reports Newsweek magazine. For example, in less than two years a dozen missionaries have been murdered in Guatemala. Why the violence against missionaries? Explained Newsweek: “Theoretically, missionaries are supposed to leave politics to the politicians and concentrate on saving souls. . . . The fact is, however, a growing number of missionaries—mainly Catholic—are taking sides. The U.S.-based Catholic Relief Services recently attempted to transfer three of its program directors out of Central America, allegedly because they had become too politically involved.”
The politically involved missionaries defend their action on the basis of the plight of the poor. “You cannot bury your head in a Bible and ignore these realities,” asserted one of such missionaries. “In the midst of such violence, not to take sides is to take sides.” But what example did Jesus Christ set? Rather than taking sides, he pointed out that the kingdom of God, not political change, is the real remedy for oppressed people. He counseled those who need food, clothing and shelter: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matthew 6:33.
“From Bad to Worse”
“Homosexuals are ceasing to be an inconvenience to moviemakers,” reported Time magazine in a discussion of the increasing number of movies centering around homosexuality. And how is homosexuality portrayed in these movies? Commenting on a typical one, Time said: “Like all the other pictures in what looks suspiciously like a trend, it reportedly shows homosexuality neutrally, as just another fact one is likely to encounter while stumbling through modern life.”
Thus the movies continue not only to refrain from giving moral direction but to mislead people into thinking that immoral life-styles are normal. The Bible foretold that such trends would mark the “last days,” saying: “Wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.”—2 Timothy 3:1, 13.