Yeah, never mind that most charities are church run. Nothing but harmful...
But they are also exempt from taxation...
They also have no power over the state and fed, which is why ALL religions, not just churches but mosques as well (forgot what Jewish place of worship is called) are all exempt from paying taxes. They weren't just magically given tax exemption, it came with some limitations of things they cannot do.
Well, a simple thing as a mediocre-income computer hardware store also has no power over "the state and fed" and all that, but they do have to pay taxes. How is that any different?
Also, religious institutions have a lot of power on people who follow the religion. They may not be as powerful as they once were (I'm talking about those times when the church was above the king or the state, as applicable), but they still hold a lot of influence over a large number religious people.
Yeah, never mind that most charities are church run. Nothing but harmful...
But they are also exempt from taxation...
They also have no power over the state and fed, which is why ALL religions, not just churches but mosques as well (forgot what Jewish place of worship is called) are all exempt from paying taxes. They weren't just magically given tax exemption, it came with some limitations of things they cannot do.
Well, a simple thing as a mediocre-income computer hardware store also has no power over "the state and fed" and all that, but they do have to pay taxes. How is that any different?
Also, religious institutions have a lot of power on people who follow the religion. They may not be as powerful as they once were (I'm talking about those times when the church was above the king or the state, as applicable), but they still hold a lot of influence over a large number religious people.
Pastors, rabbis, priests etc... do pay income taxes on their salaries/direct donations/services performed (marriages, funerals, etc...). People pay religious institutions out of their own incomes, which has already been taxed. Much of those donations go towards the building, salaries, charitable outreach, missions work and whatnot. The religious institution doesn't make a product that you buy, per se, thus they are exempt the same way if you give a friend or family member money that doesn't count as 'income' for them.
The religious institution doesn't make a product that you buy...
Well, that's strange, I heard they sold lots of stuff, ever since a long time back. "Blessings", forgiveness for "sins" (which were defined by the religious institution, of course), and tickets to some place they call "heaven", being a few of them. One just has to earn their favour. And what better way to earn favour than monetary donations?
And what's funnier, in lots of countries (not the US), the state even allows the church (and other religious organisations) to collect taxes from the people by themselves! Oh, the irony!
The religious institution doesn't make a product that you buy...
Well, that's strange, I heard they sold lots of stuff, ever since a long time back. "Blessings", forgiveness for "sins" (which were defined by the religious institution, of course), and tickets to some place they call "heaven", being a few of them. One just has to earn their favour. And what better way to earn favour than monetary donations?
And what's funnier, in lots of countries (not the US), the state even allows the church (and other religious organisations) to collect taxes from the people by themselves! Oh, the irony!
"Render unto God"
You can go to church (and heaven, presumably) without donating one red cent if you want to. Giving isn't mandatory, just encouraged. Try taking your new laptop out of the store without paying...
You can go to church (and heaven, presumably) without donating one red cent if you want to. Giving isn't mandatory, just encouraged.
Well, at least 7 countries in Europe have a mandatory Church tax (or worshipping tax, as applicable), that even non-religious people must pay.
Also, when religious institutions keep emphasizing their "heaven propaganda" and keep on proselytising non-religious people (or even people of a different religion), as they have done through the centuries with pretty stern vigour, it's hardly just an encouragement, but a systematised blackmailing where they would keep telling you that not following the decrees of the religious institution would lead to a "terrible fate", thus often leading many people to end up believing their preachings and dogma (and also "donating"), simply for the fear of "eternal damnation" or whatever doomsday story the religious institutions have cooked up.
Oh, and don't get me started on the hardcore Muslim countries in the middle east and how sternly they impose their dogmatic fatwahs. There, the religious leaders hold such power they can kill you for just about anything.
That being said, here's time for another famous quote!
"Peacefully they will die, peacefully they will expire in your name, and beyond the grave they will find only death. But we will keep the secret, and for their own happiness we will entice them with a heavenly and eternal reward."
—The Grand Inquisitor to his "Saviour" in The Brothers Karamazov
Make good choices and great things happen! You see, every choice I make: listen I can't control what you think about me, I can't control your opinion of me, and I can't control what you say about me.
But I control how I react, respond, and what I do with my life. I'm in control of my life, I don't let external factors control me! I'm in control of my life because sometimes life can be tough, life can be challenging and sometimes the obstacles in front of you seems like they are too big and it's easier to lay down.
But I remember what my dad use to say, he said listen, son, life is never going to give you anything! But if you make it, if you build it then no one can take it from you! Because hard work and tenacity and refusing to quit while chasing your dream and you'll get there I promise. Maybe you don't hit the stars but you'll land on the moon. You just don't give you and go after it and you stop caring about the opinions of people around you. Stop blaming everybody for your hurts take ownership of your life, take off your mask, don't feed the bear, make good choices, be a best friend, encourage somebody, be a voice of hope and inspiration!
"Banning weapons is the most white privilege idea ever. Rich liberals scoffing at the idea that a person might need to defend their own life is a tower so ivory you can't look at it in direct sunlight. It's the personal safety equivalent of "just have the maid do it."
"Banning weapons is the most white privilege idea ever. Rich liberals scoffing at the idea that a person might need to defend their own life is a tower so ivory you can't look at it in direct sunlight. It's the personal safety equivalent of "just have the maid do it."
That does sound ridiculous. Good thing no politician has advocated for banning "weapons".
Success is simple, dream the dream that you want to achieve and then grind at the level you need to produce it, that's it!
When the world tells you that you can't do something grind!
When you have nothing and want to be something, grind!
When they say your talent ain't enough, that you don't have to resources, the means, the background, the education, whatever it is; get up and grind!
Now tell me what do you stand for? When people look at you do they think excuses? When people look at you do they think victory? When people look at you do they think that is a person who is going to give me everything they got, not on some days but on everyday and it's not going to be predicated upon if I felt like it because I think we all know if we worked only on the days that we felt like it we'd never get much accomplished."
Rage Against the Machine singlehandedly (multihandedly if you include the whole band I guess) made me rethink many of my conservative ideas. I don't always agree with them, but they made me think. Kudos to them for lyrics that actually make you ponder the status quo...
"In the end, perhaps the times did indeed choose to side with us. What's right will be determined by the people of the next generation based on the history that is being created right now, that it will."
Wait...will I get in trouble for not censoring this!
"We invited the Antifa members to come in a join the party and have an opportunity to talk with us. They refused. I thought I had seen and heard it all in my 61 years and nothing would surprise me, but I was mistaken. Now are you ready for this? The Antifa people called me a White Supremacist. What??? Are you kidding me??? Wow!!! That's right, you heard me!!! They called ME, a White Supremacist. Now, I KNOW I've heard it all. It's good to be colorblind sometimes, but this is ridiculous!!!
That threw me for a loop. I scratched my head for a second, trying to make sense of this strangely misconceived insult. But all I could do was laugh. I literally even laughed all the way back to DC on my flight the next morning. The plane wasn't crowded and I had a whole row to myself. The other passengers must have thought I was crazy. I hope my sharing this with you allows you to find some humor as well. Next time someone calls you a name, think bout this, and just laugh your @ss off."
-Daryl Davis
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
"Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them."
"Better is the enemy of good."
- Voltaire
If you believe what you read, the sky is thick with aliens who are designing pyramids, disemboweling livestock, impregnating rural people and generally having a good time at our expense.
-- Scott Adams
Comments
Well, a simple thing as a mediocre-income computer hardware store also has no power over "the state and fed" and all that, but they do have to pay taxes. How is that any different?
Also, religious institutions have a lot of power on people who follow the religion. They may not be as powerful as they once were (I'm talking about those times when the church was above the king or the state, as applicable), but they still hold a lot of influence over a large number religious people.
Pastors, rabbis, priests etc... do pay income taxes on their salaries/direct donations/services performed (marriages, funerals, etc...). People pay religious institutions out of their own incomes, which has already been taxed. Much of those donations go towards the building, salaries, charitable outreach, missions work and whatnot. The religious institution doesn't make a product that you buy, per se, thus they are exempt the same way if you give a friend or family member money that doesn't count as 'income' for them.
Well, if I had to buy a new laptop, I would also have to pay the computer hardware store out of my own income, which has already been taxed as well.
Well, that's strange, I heard they sold lots of stuff, ever since a long time back. "Blessings", forgiveness for "sins" (which were defined by the religious institution, of course), and tickets to some place they call "heaven", being a few of them. One just has to earn their favour. And what better way to earn favour than monetary donations?
And what's funnier, in lots of countries (not the US), the state even allows the church (and other religious organisations) to collect taxes from the people by themselves! Oh, the irony!
You can go to church (and heaven, presumably) without donating one red cent if you want to. Giving isn't mandatory, just encouraged. Try taking your new laptop out of the store without paying...
Well, at least 7 countries in Europe have a mandatory Church tax (or worshipping tax, as applicable), that even non-religious people must pay.
Also, when religious institutions keep emphasizing their "heaven propaganda" and keep on proselytising non-religious people (or even people of a different religion), as they have done through the centuries with pretty stern vigour, it's hardly just an encouragement, but a systematised blackmailing where they would keep telling you that not following the decrees of the religious institution would lead to a "terrible fate", thus often leading many people to end up believing their preachings and dogma (and also "donating"), simply for the fear of "eternal damnation" or whatever doomsday story the religious institutions have cooked up.
Oh, and don't get me started on the hardcore Muslim countries in the middle east and how sternly they impose their dogmatic fatwahs. There, the religious leaders hold such power they can kill you for just about anything.
That being said, here's time for another famous quote!
"Peacefully they will die, peacefully they will expire in your name, and beyond the grave they will find only death. But we will keep the secret, and for their own happiness we will entice them with a heavenly and eternal reward."
—The Grand Inquisitor to his "Saviour" in The Brothers Karamazov
-- Leo Buscaglia
— Me, after reading Lovecraft.
But I control how I react, respond, and what I do with my life. I'm in control of my life, I don't let external factors control me! I'm in control of my life because sometimes life can be tough, life can be challenging and sometimes the obstacles in front of you seems like they are too big and it's easier to lay down.
But I remember what my dad use to say, he said listen, son, life is never going to give you anything! But if you make it, if you build it then no one can take it from you! Because hard work and tenacity and refusing to quit while chasing your dream and you'll get there I promise. Maybe you don't hit the stars but you'll land on the moon. You just don't give you and go after it and you stop caring about the opinions of people around you. Stop blaming everybody for your hurts take ownership of your life, take off your mask, don't feed the bear, make good choices, be a best friend, encourage somebody, be a voice of hope and inspiration!
NOOOOOOOOO!
Leonardo divinci
That does sound ridiculous. Good thing no politician has advocated for banning "weapons".
When the world tells you that you can't do something grind!
When you have nothing and want to be something, grind!
When they say your talent ain't enough, that you don't have to resources, the means, the background, the education, whatever it is; get up and grind!
Hunter S Thompson
Just do it!
What does adidas stand for?
Impossible is nothing!
Now tell me what do you stand for? When people look at you do they think excuses? When people look at you do they think victory? When people look at you do they think that is a person who is going to give me everything they got, not on some days but on everyday and it's not going to be predicated upon if I felt like it because I think we all know if we worked only on the days that we felt like it we'd never get much accomplished."
-- Boris Marshalov
— Anonymous
Rage Against the Machine singlehandedly (multihandedly if you include the whole band I guess) made me rethink many of my conservative ideas. I don't always agree with them, but they made me think. Kudos to them for lyrics that actually make you ponder the status quo...
Himura Kenshin
"We invited the Antifa members to come in a join the party and have an opportunity to talk with us. They refused. I thought I had seen and heard it all in my 61 years and nothing would surprise me, but I was mistaken. Now are you ready for this? The Antifa people called me a White Supremacist. What??? Are you kidding me??? Wow!!! That's right, you heard me!!! They called ME, a White Supremacist. Now, I KNOW I've heard it all. It's good to be colorblind sometimes, but this is ridiculous!!!
That threw me for a loop. I scratched my head for a second, trying to make sense of this strangely misconceived insult. But all I could do was laugh. I literally even laughed all the way back to DC on my flight the next morning. The plane wasn't crowded and I had a whole row to myself. The other passengers must have thought I was crazy. I hope my sharing this with you allows you to find some humor as well. Next time someone calls you a name, think bout this, and just laugh your @ss off."
-Daryl Davis
-- African Proverb
"Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them."
"Better is the enemy of good."
- Voltaire
Obviously been in a Voltaire mood today.
-- Scott Adams
Is he part of the fantasy KKK?