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gollygee

(22,336 posts)

17. It helps others as well, but primarily it is a place to learn, worship, and find community

Reply to trotsky (Reply #14)

Wed Oct 21, 2015, 05:53 AM

Oct 2015

Churches also do charity work, but that isn't their primary reason for existence.

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Altar Welfare: Churches Steal $71 Billion A Year From Taxpayers, Spend Little On Charity [View all] KamaAina Oct 2015 OP

it's all a scam Skittles Oct 2015 #1

Totally agree. Religion is the biggest grifting scam ever perpetrated on humanity. Arugula Latte Oct 2015 #7

passing the plate to pay off the pedophile lawsuits Skittles Oct 2015 #8

Yep...while lecturing the sheep on "morality" Arugula Latte Oct 2015 #9

whenever someone talks of how charitable they are Skittles Oct 2015 #10

I agree. The RCC has been a scourge on the planet, Arugula Latte Oct 2015 #47

... Totally agree. Religion is the biggest grifting scam ever perpetrated on humanity. ryan_cats Oct 2015 #45

Neither can I. And to hard earned money to these greedy grifters.... SammyWinstonJack Oct 2015 #46

They even build great cathedrals where the people congregate in order to be told ChisolmTrailDem Oct 2015 #49

Yes. Carlin nailed that in the clip hifiguy posted below. Arugula Latte Oct 2015 #64

Mark Twain analysed it hifiguy Oct 2015 #56

Love those two dudes. Arugula Latte Oct 2015 #63

In the words of L. Ron Hubbard U of M Dem Oct 2015 #2

And his tomatoes screamed when sliced. ileus Oct 2015 #16

Leo Strauss, patron saint of neocons hifiguy Oct 2015 #58

k and r for this soooooo-not-surprising piece. niyad Oct 2015 #3

No surprise here passiveporcupine Oct 2015 #4

Or as Michael "Meathead" Stivic once proposed, commercial church property. KamaAina Oct 2015 #5

Or, in lieu of cash, hifiguy Oct 2015 #59

This is a very poor analysis. It is wrong in every aspect. kwassa Oct 2015 #6

I have to agree with you gollygee Oct 2015 #12

Then I would seriously question what the point of a church is, if not to help others. trotsky Oct 2015 #14

It helps others as well, but primarily it is a place to learn, worship, and find community gollygee Oct 2015 #17

"that isn't their primary reason for existence" trotsky Oct 2015 #20

I'm not a Christian gollygee Oct 2015 #22

Then I think you should leave it to Christians to say what their church does. trotsky Oct 2015 #24

I can state my opinion regardless of my belief/lack thereof. n/t gollygee Oct 2015 #25

You sure can. trotsky Oct 2015 #27

I have mixed feelings about that gollygee Oct 2015 #28

Why isn't it a fair comparison? trotsky Oct 2015 #29

Because churches do other stuff than charity work gollygee Oct 2015 #31

We seem to be going around in circles now. trotsky Oct 2015 #32

The church organizes it gollygee Oct 2015 #34

Religion is an enormous part of the lives of many Americans, critical Hortensis Oct 2015 #35

OK, so back to my baking club. trotsky Oct 2015 #36

Your baking club would qualify for tax exempt status. gollygee Oct 2015 #37

Yes it would. But it would not have the same status as a church. trotsky Oct 2015 #38

Separation of church and state is why churches aren't taxed gollygee Oct 2015 #39

And yet your admission that churches really aren't in the charity business undercuts that argument. trotsky Oct 2015 #40

The Supreme Court ruling doesn't rely on charity n/t gollygee Oct 2015 #41

And yet some churches DO pay some taxes, depending on the activities they are engaged in. trotsky Oct 2015 #42

Evangelicals are the single largest religious group in the country, kwassa. trotsky Oct 2015 #18

The point is that "operating as a church" should not be tax-free - it's a self-interested activity muriel_volestrangler Oct 2015 #21

Churches are tax-free as a means of preserving the separation .... kwassa Oct 2015 #50

And such absolutism is taken advantage of muriel_volestrangler Oct 2015 #52

The clerics I know are nice deserving people. kwassa Oct 2015 #65

I shpould have put emphasis on the 'must' muriel_volestrangler Oct 2015 #74

Oh, BTW the proof about Walmart donations is this: trotsky Oct 2015 #26

Sadly, you're right. Churches aren't required to do charity. The IRS '14 points': Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2015 #30

Catholic Charities and the RCC are two different entities Major Nikon Oct 2015 #51

How do religious organizations overwhelmingly support Republicans? kwassa Oct 2015 #66

Sure, in theory Major Nikon Oct 2015 #67

and they should be prosecuted. kwassa Oct 2015 #69

But they won't be Major Nikon Oct 2015 #71

Do the churches directly run the government in Texas? kwassa Oct 2015 #72

They run more than the government in Texas Major Nikon Oct 2015 #73

I know about Ray Moore, and the absurdity of the Texas history books. kwassa Oct 2015 #75

Government promotes the businesses it taxes quaker bill Oct 2015 #11

Ironically, many ARE operated like businesses. progressoid Oct 2015 #62

I believe this is one of the things on a long laundry list we need to get done davidpdx Oct 2015 #13

#2 xenoturkey Oct 2015 #23

Yup. hifiguy Oct 2015 #60

"steal"...If only we could ban religion. ileus Oct 2015 #15

Time to means test churches based on proven contributions to charitable organizations and their own kelliekat44 Oct 2015 #19

Tax them. Vinca Oct 2015 #33

Hear, hear! smirkymonkey Oct 2015 #43

I thought ryan_cats Oct 2015 #44

Churches as well as museums, hospitals, libraries... LanternWaste Oct 2015 #48

Not all non-profits qualify for a tax exemption Major Nikon Oct 2015 #54

Keep them tithes comin' in friends and neighbors. lpbk2713 Oct 2015 #53

Why does gawd always need money? hifiguy Oct 2015 #61

Let me venture a guess... hifiguy Oct 2015 #55

"preachercreature" FTW! KamaAina Oct 2015 #57

John Oliver nailed these crooks and moochers a few episodes back. Initech Oct 2015 #68

Tax the churches! mountain grammy Oct 2015 #70