Sunday, October 21, 2012

Human Race - Today You Disappoint Me

 
If there is suppose to be a separation between Church and State in America then Churches should not be able to endorse particular political candidates or try to influence their congregants to vote one way or another. Once they do that they pass into the realm of STATE and at that point all of their tax-exempt status needs to be taken away. This one is personal for me because I have no patience for the judgements or rigid dogma of religious people. Their proclamation usually are directly counter to my own. For organizations that are suppose to exemplify the teachings of Jesus, many of them would be surprised to find that their Lord was not a racist nor a homophobe - in fact it was the dregs of society that Jesus would have felt most comfortable with - not the hypocrites in their Sunday best who walked by this sign and said NOTHING and did NOTHING but accept the balloon juice their spiritual leaders were trying to feed them.

9 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I don't think churches should have tax exempt status anyway. Boy, THAT would take care of 'em!

DrGoat said...

I agree. Especially 'churches' like Scientology and mega-churches. Why they get tax exempt status is a puzzle to me. If they do great humanitarian stuff and help the poor all the time, then fine. But when a churche's leader runs around in a expensive ride and lives a lavish lifestyle, then pay up.

Ruth said...

I read somewhere that the tax-exempt status is so that people can deduct their donation of their taxes. If the church loses it, the person can't write off what they give. That may or may not be true.

david_b said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
david_b said...

This is 'Freedom of Speech', folks, not Church separation folks. Geez.

If you do the research, the original concept of separating Church and State regarded the State not advocating/ implementing 'one religion'.

Guys remember Thomas Jefferson..?

Here's what he wrote in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association..:

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."

Our US Constitution says NOTHING about 'separation', but our First Amendment simply states 'Congress making no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof'.

While I whole-heartedly disagree with any church involving itself with politics, goofballs use this 'separation' to justify all their petty arguments about Ten Commandments, you name it.

Some folks use 'separation' as if it's some law for the weakest of arguments. It's a great idea, but it's been used with ignorance for so many years.

david_b said...

Sorry, made some typos in my first response, and couldn't delete it for some reason.

Budd said...

While inappropriate. I bet this church has about 20-30 members and they all believe the sign 100%. It is my recolection that any church that tells you who to vote for from the pulpit loses tax exempt status as they then cease being a charity and become a political action committee.

david_b said...

I really don't like any political punditry coming from the pastor's pulpit.

Period.

Kal said...

That was the point I was trying to make in my own awkward way.