Jason Lisle of Answers in Genesis offers an introduction to “God’s law” on his blog. It’s mostly gibberish, but I find one of his comments in response to a reader to be absurdly inconsistent. To begin with, he insists that because the Bible says you have to tithe 10%, any government that taxes anyone over 10% is “apostate.”

The government may rightfully tax people for the purpose of funding police and military to protect its citizens from evil-doers. However, when the government taxes its citizens excessively and/or for purposes that God has not authorized, such as redistributing wealth, this is wicked and amounts to theft. And the people who put such practices in place will have to answer to God for their actions… First, a Christian should pay his or her taxes fairly and honestly from the start. Second, if a Christian sinfully withheld tax and was dishonest, then he or she should repent, own up to the mistake and be willing to pay a punitive fine in addition to back taxes. Third, governmental authorities should stop excessively taxing their citizens to fund programs that God has not authorized. It is a sign of apostasy when a government takes more in taxes than God has us tithe (e.g. 10%)]

Okay, so when the Bible says that you have to give 10% to the religious authorities, this totally applies to government and it is apostasy for any government not to comply with that command. But the Bible commands that we take care of the poor and needy dozens and dozens of times, more than it says almost anything else, yet the government that follows that command is also apostate. Just more evidence that people usually read the Bible to find ways to support their pre-existing beliefs, not as a source of those beliefs. And there is enough contradiction in it that one can find anything they want in it as long as they’re willing to be intellectually dishonest.