[extropy-chat] grow closer to god--through the mail!!

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "Damien Broderick" <thespike at satx.rr.com>
> Unfortunately I failed to read the full covering text in time and hastily 
> used the SACRED PAPER ITEM for an entirely different purpose, which I fear 
> might preclude returning it to the church through the UNITED STATES MAILS 
> for CLEANSING and spiritual RE-CHARGING.

Well, at least you applied our tax dollars towards something useful!

Marie Alena Castle (from the Atheist Alliance, an organization the government has *not deemed fit to call a religion* and, therefore, which organization isn't qualified to get all the free goodies enjoyed by other religious organizations ... why, I don't believe it ever occurred to those dumb infidels to call themselves a religion!) has written (excerpted):

COST #1.  RELIGION PROSPERS FROM YOUR MONEY.  The wall separating state and church is full of pass-throughs.  Who do you think makes up the revenue shortfall caused by religious tax exemptions?  You do!  If you own or rent any property, residential or commercial, the property taxes are several hundred dollars higher than if religious property, worth billions of dollars, was also taxed.  You pay more, because they pay nothing.

IRS estimates of money that accrues to religion in exemptions, subsidies and donations is over $170 billion a year - just to promote religious fantasies!  That's over $2 billion a year per state on average.  Think what a truly secular society could do with that!  Lower our taxes substantially, fix our roads and bridges, improve our schools, rebuild deteriorating neighborhoods.  And if you think religious charitable works are paid for by religious institutions, think again.  Anything significant they do is funded by the government.  

It is always extremely difficult politically for governments to find a compelling reason to deny religion whatever it wants.  If you own a business and want to expand, you must abide by zoning laws designed to preserve neighborhood values.  Not so for religious institutions.  They can expand as it pleases them, adding to traffic congestion and noise, restricting views, destroying historic preservation areas and generally enhancing their interests at the expense of everyone else's.

Now, here's a low blow.  If you lend money to religionists who then declare bankruptcy, the money they tithe to their church cannot be touched to help repay you.  The church gets its tithes while you get the shaft.  It's the law. [end excerpt]

You know, if I were a free-stater/out-and-out-libertarian, why ... I would holler to the rafters about how religions (all except for the atheist religions) are diverting so much in the way of resources and sucking off so much in the way of taxes from us poor working stiffs.  And the discrimination doesn't stop there, as atheist serfs have to pay double duty - (1) for not being recognized as a "religion"; and (2) for being taxed to benefit the "legitimate" religions.  

I tell ya' ... it's unmitigated bigotry ;-((

Olga
  







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