Masterskrain, I agree that religion and the state must remain separate. And in the interest of this separation I respectably suggest the elimination of any and all special tax status given religious organizations, let them pay the same corporate taxes that other company’s do.
@master….yeah, the Roman Catholic Church used JFK and Nancy Pelosi as puppets in government. NOT.
-the Supreme Leader chose the few on the ballot out of more than 600 Iranians wanting to run for president.Islam runs every one of the 57 Islamic governments in the world, through the clergy. Theirs is a religious-political system.-the new Prez is now getting his orders from the Supreme Leader, who is the power that started Iran on the Nuclear Program and World Domination agenda.(nothing like that system exists in the Western democracy systems)
@UM5…..religious organizations are non-profit.Corporations are money-making and pay taxes on PROFIT.The USA has the highest corporate tax rates in the world.IMO the atheists want to take away a tax-exempt status from those organizations with God-worshipping members. Like Hitler and Stalin and Mao, atheists and God-haters are Satan’s puppets, fighting God-believers at every opportunity.-A Deist believes that God exists. Many believe much that the Bible teaches. A Christian believes in Jesus, God’s Son who provided atonement for our sins and who offers eternal life to all who trust in the name of the Saviour, called Jesus Christ, and called Yeshua by Hebrew believers, the Messianic Jews of today.-Many of the founders came from nations like England that united state and church. They knew from experience and study that form of union leads to discrimination and persecution. The American government avoids any State Church for that reason. Most Christians and most Tea Party members (which is a political, not a religious organization) agree that Church must be separate and the State must not infringe on religious rights of citizens.
Does it really make a difference what the Founders believed about God? They didn’t believe in Einstein, so should we say that relativity can’t be taught? They didn’t believe in evolution, so should we say evolution shouldn’t be taught? They were smart people, some of them, but they were of their time. I don’t say that we are morally better, but our knowledge of science has improved a lot. And no scientific advance has ever required a belief in god.
The founding fathers knew well the terror and danger of theocracies, which is why they wrote Article VI and the First Amendment. None would have fallen into that category we today call “evangelical Christians” who despise Jews, Muslims, and most Christian sects other than their own.
Another nice, peaceful theocracy more than willing to get along with its neighbors: Israel.
BTW: when will the IAEA, and U.S., demand an actual accounting and inspection of ISRAEL’S nuclear program and weapons stockpile? Several viable proposals have come up to monitor Iran’s nuclear program for power, and all have been rejected by the U.S., and well, Israel.
Maybe if we stopped talking about blowing Iran up, the populace there who do NOT want war, or the destruction of the U.S., might be listened to in our “discussions”?
edclectic almost 11 years ago
Kill us all, let god sort us out.
UM5 almost 11 years ago
Masterskrain, I agree that religion and the state must remain separate. And in the interest of this separation I respectably suggest the elimination of any and all special tax status given religious organizations, let them pay the same corporate taxes that other company’s do.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 11 years ago
-the Supreme Leader chose the few on the ballot out of more than 600 Iranians wanting to run for president.Islam runs every one of the 57 Islamic governments in the world, through the clergy. Theirs is a religious-political system.-the new Prez is now getting his orders from the Supreme Leader, who is the power that started Iran on the Nuclear Program and World Domination agenda.(nothing like that system exists in the Western democracy systems)
d_legendary1 almost 11 years ago
“I seem to recall most of our Founding Fathers were all deeply devout men which is why there are so many references to God in their writings.”
Didn’t know Deist meant deeply devoted to God.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 11 years ago
@UM5…..religious organizations are non-profit.Corporations are money-making and pay taxes on PROFIT.The USA has the highest corporate tax rates in the world.IMO the atheists want to take away a tax-exempt status from those organizations with God-worshipping members. Like Hitler and Stalin and Mao, atheists and God-haters are Satan’s puppets, fighting God-believers at every opportunity.-A Deist believes that God exists. Many believe much that the Bible teaches. A Christian believes in Jesus, God’s Son who provided atonement for our sins and who offers eternal life to all who trust in the name of the Saviour, called Jesus Christ, and called Yeshua by Hebrew believers, the Messianic Jews of today.-Many of the founders came from nations like England that united state and church. They knew from experience and study that form of union leads to discrimination and persecution. The American government avoids any State Church for that reason. Most Christians and most Tea Party members (which is a political, not a religious organization) agree that Church must be separate and the State must not infringe on religious rights of citizens.
lonecat almost 11 years ago
Does it really make a difference what the Founders believed about God? They didn’t believe in Einstein, so should we say that relativity can’t be taught? They didn’t believe in evolution, so should we say evolution shouldn’t be taught? They were smart people, some of them, but they were of their time. I don’t say that we are morally better, but our knowledge of science has improved a lot. And no scientific advance has ever required a belief in god.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
The founding fathers knew well the terror and danger of theocracies, which is why they wrote Article VI and the First Amendment. None would have fallen into that category we today call “evangelical Christians” who despise Jews, Muslims, and most Christian sects other than their own.
Another nice, peaceful theocracy more than willing to get along with its neighbors: Israel.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
BTW: when will the IAEA, and U.S., demand an actual accounting and inspection of ISRAEL’S nuclear program and weapons stockpile? Several viable proposals have come up to monitor Iran’s nuclear program for power, and all have been rejected by the U.S., and well, Israel.
Maybe if we stopped talking about blowing Iran up, the populace there who do NOT want war, or the destruction of the U.S., might be listened to in our “discussions”?
Ambydextrous almost 11 years ago
Thank you. Were women even allowed to vote in that so-called election?