I wonder how much the US economy would improve if the gov stopped the tax breaks for church property and made the churches pay income tax. The catholics alone could fund NASA.
I like the way you think and you're probably right. Considering that the church instituted a celibate priesthood because widows of priests were keeping the altar candlesticks you would be in for a huge fight.
All those teachings about the evils of putting "stuff" over real values seems to fall on dead ears.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
You know it is always easy to point fingers at the excesses of any group. And it is fun to point out their shortcommings but where are the reports of all those many ministries that are faithfully doing God's work? It makes one feel real good about one's self pointing out the faults of the hypocrites. However it makes one feel very inadequate to point out the good that others are doing and that you know that you should be doing. So it is no wonder that all the ink goes to point out the hypocrites shortcomings, and the person doing so is in the end no better.
You know it is always easy to point fingers at the excesses of any group. And it is fun to point out their shortcommings but where are the reports of all those many ministries that are faithfully doing God's work? It makes one feel real good about one's self pointing out the faults of the hypocrites. However it makes one feel very inadequate to point out the good that others are doing and that you know that you should be doing. So it is no wonder that all the ink goes to point out the hypocrites shortcomings, and the person doing so is in the end no better.
The use of many religions is to control people, to make them follow their leader, it was a government and rule of law before we had secular versions.....
Yes some good comes of it but if you were to really divide up how much tithing actually goes to truly helping the poor/sick etc after all the "overhead" and church maintenance/salaries/etc I bet that number is going to be incredibly small percent wise.
I've met a handful of good people in the clergy. A few others I'm pretty confident about as well but all in all the old adage of "follow the money" applies more often than not.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
You know it is always easy to point fingers at the excesses of any group. And it is fun to point out their shortcommings but where are the reports of all those many ministries that are faithfully doing God's work? It makes one feel real good about one's self pointing out the faults of the hypocrites. However it makes one feel very inadequate to point out the good that others are doing and that you know that you should be doing. So it is no wonder that all the ink goes to point out the hypocrites shortcomings, and the person doing so is in the end no better.
Ah, the old "You must be religious to do good things" argument. You don't. What's the last charitable thing you did for someone? You could have performed that act of charity without believing in the existence of god. I don't need the idea of god to convince me that helping other people is a good thing. I can decide what I want my world to be like, and I can act accordingly. I want to live in a world where people stop to help stranded motorists; I stop and help stranded motorists.
It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure this out.
(Incidentally, I want to live in a world where people derive humor from mixed metaphors.)
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We work together every damn day. --Jon Stewart
Me too and I carry a gas can for that purpose. I've never not stopped to help. I realize some danger may exist but reading people has been central to much of what I've done in life.
Once I asked God if he had any work for me. By the next exit I discovered He'd given me a drunk on his way home to bury his mother. Who else would God give a stranded drunk to other than another drunk in his first year of sobriety? God has a weird sense of humor.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
Those nuns scared the crap out of us kids. They were the fire & brimstone preachers of the Catholic Church.
Oddly now I feel my closest friend is God and he's unto all my crap & limitations but he guides me with tongue in cheek humor to serve him. I wish everyone had a similar relationship with him and sincerely believe most are capable of it.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost