Religious institutions should be respected for their humane teaching. But when mortal leaders twist archaic words into death for not converting to foreign doctrines, they become evil even unto their own gods. Sadly throughout history this has been a long record of abuse that has never changed and is rising in the present time by radical extremists. Calling people heretics and killing them if they don't comply to their belief systems is bluntly religious murder, as in the bloody crusades. In the meantime, such ideologies that become corrupt against humanity are overlooked as their institutions get a pass when it comes to income property taxes.
Dear Ones,
The first US income tax was associated with aggression. It was levied during the Civil War to help pay for all it's destruction and ammunition to boot–an unnecessary ongoing burden of combat added to necessary internal domestic upkeep. It sure taxes one's brain that blind faith institutions are exempt from federal property taxes. This is outright taxation without representation.
Many secular institutions are charitable but pay property taxes. Just what do churches do that keep government out of their pocket? Weddings and funerals are able to keep going without any aid from churches–especially since they are new innovations compared to other matters in the life of Earth–what really matters. Young people today often choose the locations for these joyous and sad events along beaches, in boats and at remote exotic places not in sight of a church–and with them composing their own vows and choosing their own music, mostly non-organ and non-organic.
It's exasperating that no national churches are represented in sharing federal income property taxes! How interesting it would be to calculate the amount of free territory US churches own. In colonial days missionaries cruelly took over First American lands by merely building foreign churches on them–forced upon indigenous people as priests burned the natives' cultural art and even forbade the original people from braiding their hair!
It looks like religion–although supposed to be separate from the state–is still wagging the dogma tail into a frenzy. Tax payers are in a fury enough by having to pay extra hard-earned money to compensate for the loss of revenue through the pulpit of imbecilic fairy tales. Churches represent the largest lucrative business in the Americas by taxing their own members in all senses of the word.
Without a sense of history, most young people think the Inquisition is a a new position. The Christian Inquisition and Militant Tribunal meant religious punishment for being a heretic–stretching people in death and torturing them with demonic brutality. There's even a term called "church militant," the blazing truths! When I was a young girl I was given the impression that the words heathen and heretic meant sinner. But when I got over my naivete' I realized it meant nothing more than a dissenter of Roman Catholic doctrine and Protestants–the protesters as well.
The Inquisition was founded by a priest by the name of Dominic in the 12th century. This violence and terrorism lasted until the 20th century, with people of European descent still vibrating from it in their DNA. Why else would priests and other Christians still tremble from fear to say they no longer believe in tom foolery–which has nothing to do with morals and the conscience. Today, young people, oblivious to church atrocities, leave in a heartbeat. In the United States the Inquisition caused people to be burned alive or hanged as witches and wizards and for other religious reasons as recent as 1930. What a record of corruption. This fact does not refer to good Christians who only believe in the loving teaching of Jesus of Nazareth,
In reality the Inquisition is lasting up to the present through a "Holy Office" now euphemized as a word beyond recognition–as if no one would know what it meant. And don't forget Michael Servetus who did research on pulmonary science, was burned at the stake under the influence of John Calvin, a Protestant–the founder of the sect Calvinism. Servetus was accused of not adhering to one of Calvin's new church doctrines–the reason for thousands of rival Protestant churches as members breaking away and inventing their own dogma.
So much for that. Back to the inequality of income tax on property, funds that churches should have paid that must amount to zillions. Just think what good could be done with this delinquent money!
Mame
helenesmith1.blog spot.com helenesmith@macdonaldsward Helene Jingleheimer Smith (for a little levity)
