I have nothing to hide

I have nothing to hide.  That is what most people say. The hear storied of Google copying everyone’s location and contacts and they are unfazed.  This is because most people say they have done nothing wrong.  They don’t mind if the NSA or other government agency is spying on them, they have done nothing wrong.  I used to think that.  I used to think that I was obeying the law, so who cares if I am watched.  My life is boring, I thought.  Then I came against Alameda County.  Actually my church came against Alameda County’s Assessor’s office.  Our church was doing everything that every other church was doing.  I had told the assessor’s office everything we were doing and they approved.  Then the government changed the law.  I was still doing the same thing, but activities that were legal last year are no longer legal.  Alameda County changed the law and did not tell anybody.  Now my church is being taxed and fined for things that used to be legal.  Things like weddings and quinceaneras.  We can no longer do any fundraising for new carpet or missionary work.  We cannot host pastor meetings or ministry meetings for our denomination.  

We did not change, the government did.  This is why saying that you are doing nothing wrong is such a bad idea.  What you are doing may be legal today, but what about tomorrow.  As California becomes more and more Socialist, things that people thought were normal and everyone did them are not illegal and people pay the price.

The most insidious part is that the county did not announce the rule change and give time for everyone to adapt.  Instead, they quietly changed the rules 2 years ago, now our church must pay back taxes to 2016, and if we cannot pay, we go out of business.  

Call up 25 churches in Alameda County and ask them if the county has outlawed weddings.  Everyone will say they haven’t but they have.  Having a wedding in a church will remove the tax exemption for the entire year.

So, you may not be doing anything wrong and you may not think you have anything to hide, but when the laws change and no one tells you, the government will have all the information they need to arrest you.