To pay or not to pay: tax is the question

Followers of Jesus especially struggle with two competing demands — the duty to steward one's money, and the duty to submit to one's rulers.

A week ago, the Government of India presented the Union Budget 2024-25. One of the topics that has generated the most conversation on social media platforms is that of taxes. There is a lot of conversation around how the Government is charging a lot of taxes unfairly. Many citizens are upset about the new tax regime. This includes even the followers of Jesus.

Followers of Jesus especially struggle with two competing demands — the duty to steward one's money, and the duty to submit to one's rulers.

Submission to rulers

One of the teachings throughout the Bible is that human rulers are ultimately appointed by the true Sovereign God. And it is the duty of the followers of Jesus to submit to these rulers. Jesus himself said, "pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar" referring to the taxes that were owed to Caesar. Paul said in his letter to the Romans that we ought to submit to the governing authorities.

Stewardship of money

The other teaching of the Bible that followers of Jesus seek to obey is the duty to steward one's money. Many WhatsApp forwards that I have received over the past couple of weeks are along these lines. Many citizens are concerned that the Government of India is not using the tax money to provide good amenities, as the Government ought to do. Such people would criticise the Government for taking taxes and not using them properly.

Both of these teachings are true, and the desire to obey them is commendable. And yet, the two can seemingly be in conflict. How ought we to think about taxes and the Government if we are to balance the two demands?

The balance: stewardship of democracy

The framework I propose we think through is to think of ourselves as stewards of our democracy.

For a democracy to be stable, there is a need that the citizens of the country do not riot against a democratically elected government. And yet, for a democracy to function in good health, it is necessary for the elected government to be held accountable by the people who elected them.

Thus, when we think of ourselves as stewards of democracy, we can avoid the two extremes of rebellion (which would destroy democracy) and unquestioning compliance (which would be neglect of duty).

Stewardship of democracy in practice

But what would stewardship of democracy look like in practice? I propose that a steward of democracy be an interceding person who is informed and involved in the governing of the country.

Firstly, a steward of democracy intercedes for the elected government. The steward understands the truth that God is Sovereign and King over the whole earth. Therefore, he asks the Sovereign for blessings upon his city, state and country. He understands that the government that rules over his land is made up of humans who err. And only God can overrule human errors to ultimately bless the land.

Secondly, a steward of democracy is informed about the happenings in the country. A desire to pray for the city, state and country translates to a concern for people. And a concern for people translates to a desire to know how they are doing. It is certainly not possible to be informed about every thing that goes on in the city or state or country. It is not the amount of information one has, but the posture of the heart that is key here. An informed steward is not necessarily one who reads the newspaper or watches the news, but it is certainly one who has their ears open — who is not apathetic to what goes on around them.

Thirdly, a steward of democracy is involved in the life of the country. There is a sense in which everyone who lives in the country is certainly involved by virtue of living here. But a steward is one who is intentional about the way he lives. A steward of democracy seeks to make the life of his neighbour better. This could be by ensuring he doesn't litter on the road... It could be by not parking his car in a no-parking zone... It could involve writing letters to the editor of a newspaper, seeking to influence government decisions to bring about justice. It could also be by being involved in the lives of his neighbours, listening to their concerns and seeking to serve them. An involved steward is not necessarily one who is involved in activism or politics. But it is certainly one who is involved in the lives of his neighbours.