Times change, but I cannot imagine a conversation like this, if it took place some 30 years ago, as being regarded as anything but at least slightly scandalous among most Christians. But I can imagine it now, rather easily too!
What has changed about "Christian collaboration with the Government ?
I would propose that one major factor is that the Government has decided to play fast and loose with the definition of "Marriage". So now it is not irrational for Christians to take an attitude toward the Government of saying:
See to your own house on matters of marriage and we will see to ours. Our definitions of marriage are now substantially at odds with yours. Now we are talking about very different things, so, we will set our own standards of what constitutes a marriage and if that does not suit your purposes, remember you are the ones who changed things that are essentially a moral and religious matter. Do not expect our support of your agenda! as we have different understandings of what the word "Marriage" means
And now back on topic about Social security. If one understands that the SS system is a socialist government program, then anyone gaming the system with respect to marriage is probably breaking the law, at least in spirit and probably per the letter.
If I am correct in that assessment, then it does not bother me so much that the schemes to prevent losing financial benefit from Social Security are essentially gaming the system or defrauding the government.
Because they mean something different by the word "marriage" than we do and we can meet their definition for their purposes separately from meeting our definitions for our purposes. Maybe it is legal, but then we must also ask if it is Christian. (
As an extreme example, it is my understanding that zoosexuality is still legal in some states, but that does not mean it is OK for a Christian.)
Please understand that the social security system is not a "Pension" in the real sense of the word where in return for faithful and diligent work you receive payments in your retirement, often in proportion to how you benefited your employer.
Social security is a
socialist program in which certain contributors:
-- employers
-- "some" workers
are "taxed" to support the program
because they purportedly have the ability to pay and then certain classes of people in the society receive benefits from the program according to their
needs. E.G.:
-- retirees
-- children of some deceased workers,
-- spouses of some workers,
-- certain disabled who cannot work to support them selves, (e.g. drug addicts on maintainance programs)
-- etc.
all based on certain classes of their
needs as defined by the government.This is all based on the socialist outlook that says:
From each according to his ability.
To each according to his need.
In my reading of JW printed instruction to elders of local congregationsn(not their usual literature and there is a story behind how I got it). They have been doing this sort of thing in countries where some state established church or legal authority has left their members in a situation where they cannot obtain a legal divorce from an abusive marriage. The JW organization will perform a marriage for members where this situation exists. (often where the hostile spouse blocks the ability of the JW spouse from abiding by JW doctrine). However they do impose a requirement that if the opportunity arises to obtain a divorce, that the couple must do so and if married within the JW faith they must then legally register the marriage. It is my understanding that this has occurred in certain South American countries and it is not always only JW's who flaunt the civil law in those societies.
As the SS budget gets tighter and closer to collapse we should expect that there will be more scrutiny of those who are gaming the system. So those engaging in such fraud may find that they could end up having to pay back the over payment of benefits plus fines and penalties and even the confiscation of assets. Perhaps a lawyer should be consulted to help establish a liability shield, through trusts and the other artful doings of such things by contracts, deeding property to the heirs with a lifetime lease for the parents, etc.etc.
But certainly some of this falls into the same sort of area of taking advantage of every available tax deduction even when it is unbalanced or not fair or evenhanded.
The loss to society is that if churches start doing this wholesale, that it provides societal support for those who are gaming the governmental system and only encourages general lawlessness.
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P.S. If we have any JW members here who read this, nothing offensive was intended in referencing JW policy.
Likewise nothing should be inferred about comparisons from my reference to the matter of zoosexuality, I merely wanted an example so blatant that there should be no confusion between legality and Christian acceptability.
I never met anyone that I could not learn something from.
.gif "Cross")
