I have often heard this quotation used in explaining why churches are tax exempt. The logic was that if the government could tax churches, it could destroy them. I find that logical. If it weakens business and drives jobs out of the country it could certainly cause problems for the corporate organizations called churches. It would have not effect, obviously, on the true universal church that is made up of the redeemed.
What was interesting as I researched this was that the original phrase had nothing to do with churches, but with banks. And the banks involved were federal. The source I found most useful was a site called “The Freeman.”
If you want to look at the article the part that relates to the general quote is found in the first few paragraphs. The author goes on to discuss many issues and implications.
The quote comes from a Supreme Court case, McCulloch v. Maryland in 1819. Maryland was trying to levy the same tax on the Bank of the United States that it applied to other banks from outside the state. The logic of John Marshall and the court was that the state could not tax a part of the federal government because that would involve the power to destroy that government. Makes sense.
The ominous implication is that taxes can also be used to destroy other persons and organizations. Taxes can take the form of direct taxes or of regulations and fees that produce the same results. I once asked a salesman why I could not find any golf clubs made in the US. He informed me that the environmental regulations made it almost impossible to produce them here. I don’t know how accurate his information was in reality, but it matched up with what I see and know. This is how regulations from unelected bureaucrats effects our lives every day.
Remember that all tax and spend issues begin in the House of Representatives. Remember that these people are up for re-election every two years. How long is your memory? Do you want to have some hope? Next time vote for change.
homo unius libri
Voter's memories are very selective. They remember forever the bad of their opposing party, but forget every sin of their own. God forgets neither, nor the sin of the voter in casting votes for those he KNOWS are crooked.
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