Setting the Summit Record Straight

Over on Lynn v. Sekulow blog at BeliefNet, Rev. Barry Lynn from Americans United for Separation of Church and state is discussing the Values Voters Summit. He writes, “Speaker Star Parker referred to public schools as ‘cesspools’ and claimed that taxing the rich was a ‘violation of the Scripture’.”

I was at the Values Voters Summit this past weekend and heard Star Parker speak. I do not remember her saying that taxing the rich was a “violation of Scripture.” I believe her argument was that taxing the rich DIFFERENTLY than everyone else was a violation of Scripture. In this regard, she is within a common thread heard sometimes among the religious right: namely, that a flat tax is the Biblically preferred or even necessary taxation system.

In Genesis, Joseph levied a 20 percent flat tax on behalf of Pharaoh (Gen. 47:24). Similarly, in 1 Samuel, when the prophet Samuel explains what it means if the Israelites continue to demand a king, he tells them that he will take 10 percent of their crops and flocks (I Sam. 8:15 and 17).

Then there’s also the example of Biblical tithing. The tithe we are familiar with is 10 percent, which is a flat and not a progressive number.

Admittedly, some believe that a progressive tax is biblically allowed or even necessary to comply with the call to show compassion to the poor. And personally, I’m not at the point where I would be comfortable firmly stating that I believe the Bible requires a flat tax. But to set the record straight, Star was not saying it is wrong to tax rich people – she was saying that she believes the Bible says that the government should use a flat tax.

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