It seems that the United States of America is getting a bad rap. Americans are frequently criticized for being selfish, materialistic, and self-absorbed – “greedy capitalists”. But is this true? The U.S. actual giving has increased from $54 billion to $390 billion between 1954 and 2016.

We know the story in Mark 2:1“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world” and in verse 3 it says, “And everyone went to his own town to register”.

Our Constitution requires a census every ten years found in Article I, Section 2 which states “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.”