Why should any mainstream religious institution whose foundation is based on one archaic Hebrew Semitic Bible be allowed to shirk responsibility in paying their share of the federal tax burden?
Dear Ones,
Emperor Constantine, influenced by his pious mother, exempted church property taxes in the Roman Empire in the 300s CE. But it wasn't until 1894 that a US Christian Congress let churches and parishes off the hook when it came to paying federal property taxes. Why can't churches share and represent their part in being good citizens?–instead of taxation without representation.
The excuse for this abuse is chiefly that churches teach morals and are benevolent–but so are hospitals, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other groups volunteering for charities. And whose cultural morals are they passing on? And are they tolerant of same-sex marriages and birth control?
This is a slap in the face for tax-paying citizens who know the history of three related religions trying to kill one another off ever since Constantine made Christianity legal. Present terrorism and violence with radicalized Muslims now copycat Christians who still proselytize to make their religion catholic, universal under the Great Commission to convert Earth to one ideology. Now there are thousands of divisive sectarian churches that branched off the original church–even home churches climbing on the band wagon to be tax free. And all of them differ according to their own controversial rules.
When wars are declared its always the churches who drape their alters and outsides of their buildings with flags and bunting in support of nationalistic wars (one step away from Fascism)–my country right or wrong. Onward Christian Soldiers Marching on to War with the Cross of Jesus–who ironical was a great peacemakers a satire that is its own cartoon.
Do we not remember the bloody Crusades and the torturous Christian Inquisition that reigned for thousands of years, a very checkered history of killing in the name of "God."
President Lincoln knew that right is might, while war departments and often absolutist law religions believe might is right.
In a gun shell, the debt of three trillion burdens us all by the last born-again administration that invaded, attacked and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan. This could be paid off by church taxes–with enough left over to fund community and junior colleges for unbiased education instead of more toxic and child-deforming munitions backed by rival religions.
I wrote this poem during the Bush administration
BEYOND
Beyond gray billowing clouds of man-made wars,
Beyond Earth's bright horizon of the sun,
Not one biased absolutist deity,
Or phony race–instead universal harmony.
Beyond lies wisdom beyond our ken,
Beyond is the answer–peace for all life, the deer and her fawn.
Beyond no youths sacrificed to barbaric rituals of war.
No savage men empowered with hatred and bloody gore.
Oh, then only will there be justice, a new call.
Flags of empire soon become rags in the wind.
Beyond lies freedom for all,
Food for the hungry–let pursuit of happiness begin!
Mame,
helenesmith1.blogspot.com
