A group of people are pursuing the idea of a community center in Canon City.

Good for them. Build a community center. Make a boatload of money off of it. Whatever you do, don’t try to fund it with stolen money.

People can build whatever they want. It’s good to build things that are well-run and serve other people. Profit is a measure of how well you have served others. Christians should be the best at turning a profit, because they should be the best at serving others.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that those who are pursuing this idea would be wanting to raise taxes to pay for it. If that is the case, they will be stealing money from some who have no intention of using the facility to subsidize reasonable prices for those who will use it. Taxation is taking money from people by threats of force. Theft is taking money from people by threats of force.

There is no magical ceremony that can change theft into not theft. Getting 50% plus one to vote in favor of a tax increase isn’t the magical ceremony that makes taxation any less violent.

Covetousness leads to theft, and if these people covet a community center, they are in sin. Voting for any tax increase is to violate the Tenth Commandment.