Sunday, March 25, 2007

Render Unto Caesar

D and I did our income taxes today, and it turns out we owe Uncle Sam about a third less than we thought we were going to. Woo hoo! The bad news is, because we paid so much tax for 2006 overall, we're going to have to make estimated tax payments in 2007 to avoid an underpayment penalty in 2008. But that's a headache for another day.

I can understand why people complain about having to do taxes, and why so many choose to hire accountants or other professionals to do it for them, but it's not really that hard--just tedious. Let's face it, the math isn't difficult; the problem is the paperwork, the tax code and all its various convolutions, which--to be fair--are probably required to keep things straight after a couple hundred years of legislation.

After all that, we watched the series finale of Rome tonight. A finer show we may not see on television for some time. It also puts things into perspective, to think about what still worries us two thousand years after Augustus Caesar rose to power, and what stories people two millennia hence might tell of our time. War? Politics? Love? Friendship? I hope the human race is still around then to ask questions.

~CKL

1 comment:

Ned Netterville said...

Jesus, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, but render unto God what is God's.

Inquisitor, "But Jesus, what is God's and what is Caesar's?"

Jesus, "What do the Scriptures say?"

IQ, "Ah, Psalms 24:1 says, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it."

Jesus, "You have answered well my child."

IQ, "But what then is Caesar's?"

Jesus, "What's left is his."

IQ, "I don't get it. That leaves nothing for Caesar."

Jesus, "Neither did Caesar get it. But don't fell bad, my child, Christian-church scholars have misinterpreted these direct and very explicit words of mine for 17 centuries, ever since their church was enthralled by Rome and they began to receive a share in the booty. I told them they could only serve one master, but, nooo, they were loyal, patriotic citizens of the State. Even when their other master turned them into tax slaves they remained loyal subjects. There's just no accounting for the depth of stupidity amoung those who try to serve two masters."

http:www.jesus-on-taxes.com