As the U.S. Congress debates a tax reform bill, Matthew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies at Holy Cross, digs into the Christian and Hebrew bibles to find guidance on tax policy from Jesus and others.
Writing for The Conversation, Schmalz says there are no easy answers to be found, but there are some clues. The Book of Leviticus says the needy have a right to the leftovers of the harvest. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." And in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus taught: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full.”
"At the very least," Schmalz writes, "this means that people should never be afraid to offer up what they have in order to help those in need."
Read the piece at The Conversation.
Additional Coverage:
Raw Story, Dec. 11
