God, Government, & Taxes

In 2017, Michael Bowman was indicted by a federal grand jury for failing to pay the government more than $356,000 in back taxes. Since 1999, Michael Bowman had refused to file a tax return saying his Christian beliefs about abortion forbid him from paying his taxes. Michael isn’t the first Christian to wrestle with this question about what our responsibility is to the government. Some Christians would say Michael has a right not to pay taxes so he can be sure his money doesn’t fund ungodly practices like abortion or unjust wars. But many other Christians would disagree. Ultimately, the most important thing isn’t what Michael Bowman or you or I think about this matter. It’s what God thinks. In Mark 12, Jesus specifically addresses the issue of God, Government and Taxes.