Are We Creatures of the State or Created for Freedom?

By Peg Luksik
7/8/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The issue is whether or not the government has the power to use taxes to control the behavior of its citizens, effectively making those citizens the property of the state

Stand in front of a mirror and ask the person you see this question: "When your government looks at you, do you want it to see a creature of an all powerful State, or do you want it to see a creation of an almighty and eternal Father to whom both you and the officials of that government will be accountable someday?"

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HARRISBURG, PA. (Catholic Online) - Stand in front of a mirror and ask the person you see this question:

"When your government looks at you, do you want it to see a creature of an all powerful State, or do you want it to see a creation of an almighty and eternal Father to whom both you and the officials of that government will be accountable someday?"

Two hundred and thirty-six years ago, a group of Americans asked themselves that same question. Their answer became the foundation of a new country, and was recorded in the document we know as the Declaration of Independence.

They were creations, with both the rights and the responsibilities of that status. And in order to protect their rights so they could honor their responsibilities, they were required to stand against a government that refused to recognize that truth.

Afterwards, they formed a government that they hoped would continue to recognize each citizen as a creation. They knew that this required strong fences to limit the might of the government, and they wrote a Constitution that included those limits.

But in the final analysis, protecting our rights and honoring our responsibilities as creations lies in our hands. No document can magically limit the power of the government unless we insist that the government obey its provisions.

We have not done so.

The current Supreme Court ruling is an excellent example. The Constitution explicitly says that Congress has the power to tax income. It does not say that Congress has the power to use taxes to control the behavior of citizens. It does not say that Congress does NOT have the power to use taxes to control the behavior of citizens. It does not address that issue at all.

But we the citizens addressed that issue long ago, and we said it was okay with us. We have allowed our taxes to be adjusted if we bought a home, or added weatherization, or paid student loan interest, or placed money in IRA accounts, or . And not only have we passively given permission, many of us have actively worked to add things to the list of tax "breaks".

But a tax break for one person is a tax punishment for the other. If person A buys weatherization and person B buys new bedroom furniture, but only person A gets the tax break, aren't we actually punishing person B for not buying weatherization?

The issue is not really weatherization, or even health care.

The issue is whether or not the government has the power to use taxes to control the behavior of its citizens, effectively making those citizens the property of the state.

Will we allow ourselves to become nothing more than creatures of an all powerful state, who can be "molded" through economic and legal carrots and sticks into compliance, or will we retain our status as creations of that almighty and eternal Father?

As we continue to reflect on our national birthday, we would do well to remember that we can only exercise our endowed rights by honoring our endowed responsibilities. And protecting and preserving the freedom that each of us was created for is the most fundamental of those responsibilities.

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Peg Luksik is the Chairman of the Center for American Heritage. Learn more about the heritage of this exceptional nation at www.centerforamericanheritage.com

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: freedom, declaration, Independence, Health Care, Affordable Care Act, independence, freedom, Peg Luksik

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1 - 10 of 11 Comments

Juneau Alaska
10 months ago
False dichotomy.
Rob
10 months ago
Judy, maybe it's my solutions orientated personality that drives me so crazy with the DC establishment. Yesterday they had the 39th vote to repeal the healthcare law or parts of it. Sure does play nice to a voting base, but get's nothing done. In the real world results matter. In the real world if you took a losing plan to your boss 39 times, wasted company resources 39 times, they would promptly show you the door. In DC they must think it's all a play and the resources they expend to do all this is paid for with monopoly money. Our legislators have the power to do some amazing things. Whatever one thinks of the ACA, it's law and supreme court supported. So why can't these guys get to work fixing some of the provisions that need it and safeguarding and improving those that are worthwhile? Why can't they be solutions orientated instead of chasing their tails and producing absolutely no results. Heaven forbid they all get together and do something for the good of the country.

I am convinced that the GOP in this instance (would be the DEMS if the shoe was on the other foot) will allow this law to stand so they can use it as a tool to garner votes. I honestly believe that is why abortion has been on the books for so long. If they really got serious about it, what would they fight about to get our votes? They surely can't impress us with their ability to get things done? We need to wake up and remember their approval rating are in the low double digits for a reason. Shame on us for continuing to vote these losers back time and time again. Being elected as a house rep or senator must be like winning the lottery. It's the only job in the US where you can sink the ship, accomplish absolutely nothing and get paid a king's salary with benefits for life. And we wonder why our lot in life continues to get worse? Geez.
Judy Claar
10 months ago
"What's the rush for the peasants"? IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Obamacare had how many pages? that no one read! in the House or Senate! (understand my mistrust Rob?) Rushed through for what? To get it right the First time so it doesn't have to be done over again? (Oh Rob, we couldn't have that memory brought back up..) again, understand? There is paranoid, and there is normal, and there is Gaslight. And then, there is a Daddy that warned his daughter about Big Bad Wolves. Where are we? I am less trusting than you because of my experience in Life? No.
And yes, We Do Need Healthcare! But there are many many issues that should be presented to the people, let alone Big Brother alone. Big Brother alone is failing and we are falling right behind. Why? Because we voted in those who could not stand true. And when they tried, the bullies got to them, and you see what we have. "Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Immaculate Heart of Mary, send us those leaders who can stand up to bullies. In your Names we Praise You and Thank You. Amen."
Emma
10 months ago
@gfgrosek.........Obama care, as it stands, will force me to go against God's Teachings and against the Catholic Church! It is, in an indirect, rather occult manner, taking the fruits of my labor and using that to take innocent human life!!!! I do not see anywhere in either Holy Scripture or the teachings of our church that says, "It's ok to kill the innocent, if it's to save another life." To stand with the Catholic Church, I have to stand against this mandate. I could not say that this is "ok" because it's going to help some. The poor already HAVE healthcare! It's called medicaid. This is about dictating to Christian Charitable Organizations that they MUST follow the government rather than follow God. People need to wake up and understand that. We're either Catholic and we follow Christ, or...............we're not. We can't be lukewarm.
Robert
10 months ago
Dear Fellow Catholics,

Today I implore you. Stand for Freedom. Please do not vote to take my daughters religious freedom away. She is very young and a vote for Obama almost insures that she will no longer be able to worship God as our faith calls us to do.

Please do not cast the vote that forces her to learn that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.

Please do not cast the vote that tells her she can have a choice to kill her child but not a choice to follow the teachings of her faith.

Please do not cast the vote to take her freedoms.

You see, she is young, she has her whole life in front of her. Please do not take her Freedoms away!

I implore you to STAND FOR FREEDOM. Not for my sake but for the sake of my daughter.
gfgrosek
10 months ago
I care not what a man made government thinks of me. There is no salvation through the US government. I strive to be a follower of Christ----controlled by the church created by Christ.
Obama care is not the end of the world. It will definitely help many poor people. If Catholics want to reduce the amount of abortions and keep their neighbors from sinning, they need to tell their neighbors the good news of God's kingdom and convince them to follow Christ.
Rob
10 months ago
In a perfect world taxes would solely be used as a pure revenue generator. But the use of taxes to effect social change has been going on since the beginning. In fact, when you consider both party's platforms in the current race to president, they both are proposing tax plans that are an attempt to modify behavior. I completely disagree with the author's premise that because tax policy is crafted in a certain way that it's a conspiracy to make people slaves to the state. And unfortunately the author does very little to support that claim. I think addressing equality in tax policy is a good thing, but not all things are created equal. What works at one time does not always work in another. Tax policy that works in one country does not work in another given the huge difference in economies, cultures etc. Uniform policies do not even work on a state to state basis as local economies are as varied as country's are. And taxes must keep up with our ever changing and more complex business environment.

We can debate the merits of the healthcare law and what needs to go or stay. But as a follower of healthcare policy, healthcare spending and related taxation in my state, one thing is abundantly clear. We have a healthcare crisis of epic proportions in this country where the uninsured is creating a huge burden on it's respective local governments. And personally speaking, I think it's shameful that in the most prosperous country in the world, we are the only advanced country where becoming ill can plunge you into bankrupcy. Medical costs should not wipe out the fruits of a person's life long labor. I sure do with our politicians can get off their ideological horse and actually make something work for the country. But I can see why they aren't motivated, they have the best healthcare and retirements plans in the world. What's the rush for the peasants right?
Kasoy
10 months ago
The current issues in the land (Obamacare, HSS mandate, bailouts, etc.) can only be resolved through the ballot as CJ Roberts cited in his opinion on the healthcare law (that elected officials can always be thrown out of office if majority of the voting citizens do not agree with their policies). The main concern of many conservatives is the growing danger of our elected officials going the way of socialism, ie, trying to provide every need of society thinking that they know what is best for everyone which stifles individual initiative and self-reliance, and at times restricts freedom to choose what is best for oneself. Such policies are oftentimes at odds with one of the basic tenets of Catholicism - the principle of subsidiarity that a higher level unit of society must not infringe on the right of a lower unit to take action if it is capable to so to resolve its situation. In the case of healthcare, the individual is capable to decide on what he thinks is advantageous to him. If he decides to live a healthy lifestyle, he may reckon that he does not need insurance except for the most extreme emergency cases. [Just like car insurance, we don't insure our cars for flat tires, oil change, or regular maintenance. We get insurance for the unlikely event of a major car accident.] Some people ask why they should be forced to subsidize the healthcare of people who decide (or cannot control) to live an unhealthy lifestyle (eg, smokers, heavy drinkers, junkfood lovers). It may be charitable to do so if done out of love and genuine concern for others, but the government cannot mandate people to become charitable. The govt has no business providing healthcare to everyone. It stifles individual initiative to live a health lifestyle and to save money for healthcare. Also, it lessens opportunities for people to practice true charity. Subsidiarity leads us to presume that healthcare is the responsibility primarily of the individual, then the family in which he belongs, then the immediate community or organization where he is closely associated. Failing all these, the individual can seek assistance from non-government charitable orgs (like Catholic charities or philanthropic foundations). I am afraid that someday the govt will mandate through more taxes that we all help in providing food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. Imagine the disincentive for people to work hard and save money for a home.
Emma
10 months ago
Has anyone here ever seen a dog that's layed down in a nest of ticks? Now, one tick on a dog can be plucked off with tweezers, the bite disinfected usually with no harm to the dog; but, if a healthy dog lies down in a nest of ticks, they will suck the life right out of it. Severe anemia leads to confusion and fatigue until the dog no longer has the capacity to survive. It dies. Now, imagine that the citizens of the US were once the healthy dog. Over time tick after tick has attached itself to the citizenry.....................not pretty. We, as a people, are so anemic from the parasites that have attached themselves to us in the form of special interests, taxes and politicians that we're increasingly weak and confused. They become bloated, we're being sucked dry. It's also not an easy task to pluck a whole nest of ticks off of a dog. The dog if not treated in time dies, but, if we as a nation, don't begin soon, before long, we're all dead dogs!! We, as a nation need now more than ever to turn to prayer.
Larry
10 months ago
I think this proposition is ill framed. If the government gives you a break for acting one way it is not necessairly punishing another person for acting another way. If you get something before a certain date then you get it at one price or quicker, and after that date it will take more time or is more expensive. You get to decide when to get it if you want it. You may not want it so you don't get the break or lower price or quicker service.

The health care is a different issue. It is a demand on all (even those who self insure) that they get insurance through the way the government demands or you pay a penalty. You're still not insured, the money does not go to an insurance fund but for what the government wants to spend it on and if you get into an accident and have no insurance to pay for it, the government (your and my pockets) still has to pay for it. It's taxing for not doing something that is the issue and what government does with the tax it collects - it's not to cover insurances. That's the force on the population - that goes against the pillars which formed this country - limit government and keep our freedoms. That's the point!

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