Wyrdsmyth

Has anyone else ever thought of the similarity between the Bible and the Tax Code? Both are extremely long, boring and difficult to read. Both need 'experts' to interpret it and break it down for us. Both are allegedly from a 'higher authority' that we're not supposed to question.

Does anyone ever feel like both religious authors and the IRS don't really want to know how it all works? Or, that they complicate things on purpose, to make the whole thing seem so esoteric?

The erstwhile 'authority' behind the Bible, is of course, God. But any time there is a problem with the Bible, someone can blame it on the men who actually wrote it, or their editors or translators. For example, there might be 'bad translations,' or things 'taken out of context,' or assertions that 'in those days, they saw the world differently, and you just don't understand it all,' etc.

The erstwhile 'authority' behind taxation is the government. But any time there is a problem with taxes, someone can always blame someone else. Accountants point at lawyers, politicians point at each other, the media points at lobbyists, and there's always some excuse for whatever the problem is.

[ June 03, 2002: Message edited by: Wyrdsmyth ]</p>

Jamie_L

Both were also built piece by piece by lots of people over a long time, such that many original intents may have been lost or buried, and the whole mess is left chock-full of the quirks of myriad individual authors and editors.

Jamie