In this April’s Christianity Today Rob Moll reports on the resurrection of the death tax in 2011 under Obama. If you die in 2010, your heirs will inherit all of your wealth up to $3.5 million (after that it’s taxed at 45%), tax free. In 2011, anything over $1 million will be taxed heavily at 55%. Of course this will drive many to give more heavily to charitable organizations rather see their pile disappear down the government sink hole. Moll quotes Calvin College economist John Tiemstra who is in favor of progressive taxes because, scripturally, “Once people have met their basic needs, said Tiemstra, “equality is at least as important as prosperity.”" Heh heh. For the price of the contact lenses I’ll wear this month, I could feed someone for most of a month in a third world country. Why not have the government enforce equality? For one thing, it’s one sure way to squash prosperity (read incentive and therefore production and therefore jobs). And for another, generosity: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?” (Acts 5:4).

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