A Ten Dollar Tax on Cigars?

OK . . .  Now I'm really mad. 

The democrat controlled congress is seeking a ten dollar tax per cigar to pay for the rising cost of children's health care.  Can you believe it?  Ten dollars per cigar???  That's not per box, but per cigar . . .

Bush says he'll veto the tax increase if it ever gets to his desk--not because he favors cigar smoking, but because of other provisions in the bill which would expand federal health care.

While I am not thrilled with the democrats or the republicans these days, this is what democrats do--raise taxes.  Enough already! 

Click here: Business: Cigarmakers in a panic

Can you just imagine the impact this would have on the Reformed tradition?  We are already cranky enough as it is.  What would we do after those long synod and classis meetings?  This would set back friendships and fraternal relations for generations!  

Comments

[Tom]

Perhaps if Kim's good buddy George W. Bush hadn't got us involved in Iraq, we wouldn't be subjected to these taxes. Perhaps if the christian right wasn't so hell bent on telling others how to live their lives, maybe we wouldn't have "sin taxes" to begin with. But let's blame it on a democratically controlled congress. Never let an opportunity to bash your opponents slip by. Turn a non partisan issue into a partisan one. Is that christian?

[David Aubuchon]

Wow, Tom! I think your post is an excellent example of the proverbial pot calling the kettle black!

Let's see......you accuse Pastor Riddlebarger of taking every opportunity to bash his opponents.....and then you turn around and use his blog about the proposed cigar tax to 'bash' the Christian right, President Bush and the Iraq War!

Well done, my friend! You have skillfully 'bashed' 3 of your opponents' pillars in one paragraph! Quite un-Christian, by your standards!

At least Riddlebarger's comment (about the astronomical tax hike being the work of the Democrat-controlled Congress) is factually accurate: Democrats DO, in fact, raise taxes.

[David]

I'll buy Cigars, just not in the USA.

They may as well outlaw them, as no one would buy them in the USA.

[NWProdigal]

As a former cigar smoker, I take exception to the phrase, "smoke my cigars to the glory of God". Just because it was originally stated by Spurgeon doesn't make it Gospel.

It being very difficult, pre-tax, to find a truly good cigar for less than a dollar, I wonder how a person can justify the money spent on this habit? Most decent cigars run in the $3-$6 range.

If this particular distraction keeps you from giving as much as you should to God's purposes then it can hardly be considered "to the glory of God". If it causes one person to doubt the sincerity of your faith and makes them weaker in their own, then I also doubt the supposition.

I quit smoking before I became a believer, but giving them up was part of my repentance toward God. In all sincerity, I would love to enjoy a cigar, but for me it would be overtly sinning against God.

Does that make it wrong for you?
Your answer surely depends on the time and place, I'd venture (now or at the judgment), but I cannot condemn you for the practice. Only God, and your conscience can do that.

[Andrew Jones]

Yes it is ridiculous to give $10 per cigar. How ever now it is 40 cents per cigar.It will be easier for us to have a taste of a good cigar now. But we have to pay tax so that US government can also make some revenue out of it.

[Jeremy Long]

Giving tax of $10 per cigar to US government is ridiculous.If the tax will remain like this people will leave smoking and Government will loose a lot of money if the cigar factories will close. As the tax has already been reduced lets hope that people will keep smoking the cigar.

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