Palin Says "Pray Away The Gay"

[LIYankees]

While we're on the subject of religion, does anyone know why at the ripe age of seventy two, McCain had a spiritual revelation and changed his faith from Episcopalian to Southern Baptist? That's no trivial switcheroo. Was it an honest conversion, or a conversion of political convenience? Does religion really matter to McCain or is he just another asshole exploiting the idiots who still believe in MiddleEastern desert gods?

You hit the nail on the head. Fact of the matter is, a large number of politicians are atheist, agnostic at the very least. It is astounding how religion plays such a major role in our "secular" nation. Our founding fathers did not believe in a deity, and I am sure they are turning in their graves.

Food for thought: A persons religiosity is negatively correlated with education (more educated people are less likely to be religious). Religiosity is also negatively correlated with interest in science and political liberalism.

[chefmike]

Bottom line. The GOP has sold it's political soul to the Religious Wrong. They forbade McSame from giving Ridge or Lieberman the nod due to their pro-choice views.

[LIYankees]

Bottom line. The GOP has sold it's political soul to the Religious Wrong. They forbade McSame from giving Ridge or Lieberman the nod due to their pro-choice views.

lol again, the sweet irony of what our supposed secular state has turned into.

drafted and signed by Washington and Adams:
"As the government of the united states of america is not, in any sense, founded on the christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Musselmen; and as the said states never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
The opening words of this quote would cause uproar in today's washington.


The paradox is how the United states, foudned in secularism, is now the mos religious country in Christendom while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. There are theories as to why this is. One is that we are a country of immigrants who could have embraced a church as a kind of kin-substitute on alien soil. The other major theory is since America is legally secular, religion has become free enterprise. Rival churches compete for congregations with all the aggressive hard-sell techniques of the marketplace. What works for anything else in our free market works for religion.

[chefmike]

Rival churches compete for congregations with all the aggressive hard-sell techniques of the marketplace. What works for anything else in our free market works for religion.

It's a license to steal and it always has been. Even the cult of scientology is tax-exempt. WTF?

[trish]

By exempting religious institutions from paying taxes, the State, in effect, establishes what counts as a religion and what does not. The State establishes a religion whenever it grants tax exemption status to a church. This, to my mind, is against the establishment clause. Tax churches.

[hippifried]

By exempting religious institutions from paying taxes, the State, in effect, establishes what counts as a religion and what does not. The State establishes a religion whenever it grants tax exemption status to a church. This, to my mind, is against the establishment clause. Tax churches.

This is a common misconception. You don't get exempt just by being a religious institution. You have to prove your non-profit status. The various churches would love it if that was the case, but it just isn't. Churches get nailed for tax infractions all the time. You also don't have to be a religious institution to get the exemption.

[trish]

Good to know. I take it you're claiming that being a religious institution is absolutely irrelevant to the IRS's considerations of a church's tax status?

[hippifried]

Good to know. I take it you're claiming that being a religious institution is absolutely irrelevant to the IRS's considerations of a church's tax status?

Quote me all you like. I don't mind. Just don't put words in my mouth.

So... No! That's not my claim at all. Being a religious institution gives you a leg up because the finances of the entire religious community are geared to working the exemption. If you call the IRS & say "Hi, we're starting up a new church...", they'll automatically make an assumption & send you everything you need to file for tax exempt status. Why else would you call? They don't care who you are or what you worship. They only care that the forms are filled out properly & all the rules are followed, & the forms showing that you're following the rules are filed on time. There's lots of rules. Volumes of rules. Tomes of rules. The assumption of you're desire is automatic. The exemption is not. It's always nice to have some lawyers & accountants among the parishioners.