Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
In the UK, people can not cheat with regard to paying taxes as the government directly debits a certain amount just before an employee receives his salary. I am not sure about the policies in the Philippines because I have never really worked there before but if I am not mistaken, an employee pays it at his own discretion. So then, there is a greater possibility to miss payments deliberately. If this is the case then paying taxes can be a good example to test if a person abides by the country's legislations. As Christians, we are called to submit to the authorities' regulations as verses 1-7 state.
I remember when I was in third grade, my teacher chose me to represent my class in an impromptu speaking contest. We were given random questions about current events and issues happening in the Philippines that time. Now, I have no idea how I managed to get a silver medal but my question was - "What is your stand on capital punishment - death penalty?" Guess what my answer was?
I was pro death penalty. I agreed to it 100% and I reasoned out with the saying "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". Death for death. If a person is guilty of murder, his own life must be taken away to bring justice to the victim and the victim's loved ones as well. And I included in my speech that once a government passed an ordinance for capital punishment, all subordinates must adhere to it and then I referred to Romans 13:1 =)
We are not ignorant of the mess the world is in right now. There are emerging wars here and there and the leaders tend to become irresponsible, greedy and selfish causing the people to rebel against them. However, it still pays to comply with existing laws. Remember Romans 13:1 - all authorities are appointed by God.
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