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Community => Religion and Philosophy => Topic started by: Stormwarden on January 25, 2012, 12:27:13 am

Title: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Stormwarden on January 25, 2012, 12:27:13 am
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/01/23/kentucky-cuts-education-preserves-tax-breaks-for-creationist-theme-park/

And as a bonus? The governor bitches and moans about not having enough money for education. If I headdesk any further, I'll break my desk if my skull doesn't break first. Could someone send Gibbs over  to smack some sense into the governor of that state? PLEASE? Seriously, that Noah's Ark monstrosity is going to go SO WELL, if by that, they mean "be bankrupt in the first five years of operation."
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 25, 2012, 12:35:13 am
On the plus side they did balance the budget cause they took almost exactly the amount from education as they gave to this monstrosity!
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Osama bin Bambi on January 25, 2012, 12:35:42 am
(http://img.memecenter.com/uploaded/1537d04e5860899efa46294b60d151f3b.jpg)
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Art Vandelay on January 25, 2012, 01:33:26 am
Why is the government building theme parks in the first place? Useless shit like that is supposed to be the private sector's thing.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Servo on January 25, 2012, 02:02:52 am
Why is the government building theme parks in the first place? Useless shit like that is supposed to be the private sector's thing.

And it's not even fun useless shit... it's just useless!
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Eniliad on January 25, 2012, 02:23:46 am
You know what? I don't care. They wanted it, they got it. Those who object can do so with their votes come election year.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Random Gal on January 25, 2012, 10:58:17 am
Why is the government building theme parks in the first place? Useless shit like that is supposed to be the private sector's thing.
Because it's a "museum" and therefore educational and deserving of public funds.

At least, that's probably the state's excuse for funding it, while the real reason is "It brings people to Jesus."
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Star Cluster on January 25, 2012, 11:21:59 am
Whatever floats their boat.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Barbarella on January 25, 2012, 11:34:38 am
Y'know. I don't care, anymore! If they want to be stupid they should be free to be stupid.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. I, for one, choose intelligence.

I can't try to change these people. They WANT to be stupid. THEY ENJOY BEING STUPID.

All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 25, 2012, 12:10:48 pm
Whatever floats their boat.

(http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luio92AE5S1r6sxfeo1_250.gif)

HAH!
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Kain on January 25, 2012, 01:39:11 pm
Whatever floats their boat.
(http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lci1drk25S1qeablwo1_500.jpg)
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Captain Jack Harkness on January 25, 2012, 02:07:48 pm
Whatever floats their boat.
(http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lci1drk25S1qeablwo1_500.jpg)

Is that caption supposed to be expressing how the bird or the woman feels?
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on January 25, 2012, 02:28:53 pm
The bird seems to be the more likely one to be dropping an F-bomb. So I go with bird.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Cataclysm on January 25, 2012, 02:53:24 pm
Y'know. I don't care, anymore! If they want to be stupid they should be free to be stupid.



But... THINK OF THE CHILDREN!  :o
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: ironbite on January 25, 2012, 03:23:32 pm
Fuck the Children.

Ironbite-it's what the Catholic Church does and they do all right.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Old Viking on January 25, 2012, 04:20:13 pm
Kentucky.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Da Rat Bastid on January 25, 2012, 05:07:15 pm
Fuck the Children.

Sorry, Ironbite, but I think this guy says it better than you ever could: :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo2Y4PzTCOc
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Osama bin Bambi on January 25, 2012, 05:08:44 pm
Whatever floats their boat.

It took me five minutes to get this joke because I'm a little slow today...
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: SpaceProg on January 25, 2012, 06:04:23 pm
All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!

I can't afford to move!   :'(
Please don't leave me lost and lonely in Dumbhickistan!
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: rosenewock21 on January 25, 2012, 06:07:07 pm
All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!

I can't afford to move!   :'(
Please don't leave me lost and lonely in Dumbhickistan!

Start an FSTDT commune for our southern members to make it affordable for them to move north or west?
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Barbarella on January 25, 2012, 06:48:33 pm
All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!

I can't afford to move!   :'(
Please don't leave me lost and lonely in Dumbhickistan!

Sadly, I can't either. Gotta find me a way though. I really don't belong here. I'm a Northern girl, born & raised in Niagara Falls, NY. I'm not "Southern Fried YEEHAH Y'all" material. I'm just here cuz I'm still with my parents. Well, there should be a fund to help poor Progressives move. I dunno.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Barbarella on January 25, 2012, 06:52:42 pm
All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!

I can't afford to move!   :'(
Please don't leave me lost and lonely in Dumbhickistan!

Start an FSTDT commune for our southern members to make it affordable for them to move north or west?

Communes, that's a great idea, actually. I believe in a variety of lifestyles! Communal Living, Single Family Living, Shacking Up, Monogamy, Polygamy, Polyandry, etc. part of society's problem is this "One-Size-Fits-All" way of thinking concerning how folks live and love.

In the case of the far less affluent, Communal living would be faboo!

The old conservative ways are stupid.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: rosenewock21 on January 25, 2012, 07:24:42 pm
All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!

I can't afford to move!   :'(
Please don't leave me lost and lonely in Dumbhickistan!

Start an FSTDT commune for our southern members to make it affordable for them to move north or west?

Communes, that's a great idea, actually. I believe in a variety of lifestyles! Communal Living, Single Family Living, Shacking Up, Monogamy, Polygamy, Polyandry, etc. part of society's problem is this "One-Size-Fits-All" way of thinking concerning how folks live and love.

In the case of the far less affluent, Communal living would be faboo!

The old conservative ways are stupid.

There'd need to be more than one, though, to accommodate different personalities. Or a way to have membership to all of them for people who do a lot of traveling. member X and member Y clash too much? Send one to live in the Canadian one and one to live in the Californian one, or something like that.

But, yeah, Kentucky will get what's coming to it eventually. Poor education begets poverty in a bad cycle, after all.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: SpaceProg on January 25, 2012, 07:28:30 pm
Woooo!  It'd be just like the 60s!

No poisoned kool-aid though...

I AM southern born...  I would really miss the region and SOME of the people in it.  I wish people would try harder to make "HERE" (wherever here may be) better than moving "THERE".  This isn't really directed at you, though Spuki.  It's more of a general thing.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Da Rat Bastid on January 25, 2012, 09:50:56 pm
All intelligent folks, (like myself) should just move out of the Deep South...have all the idiots from elsewhere move in...let them secceed! Let the Far-Right nuts have the Dumbhickistan they crave! I WASH MY HANDS OF THESE MORONS!

Then, when Dixie is languishing as a Third World Theocracy, the smart, normal Americans on the outside will say "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

OH, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST SHADENFREUDE EVER!

I can't afford to move!   :'(
Please don't leave me lost and lonely in Dumbhickistan!

Start an FSTDT commune for our southern members to make it affordable for them to move north or west?

Well, those of you who can tolerate cold winter weather.... (*ahem* :P ) ...would be more than welcome to form a commune here in Wyoming with me.  Despite being one of the most "red" states in a political sense, it isn't a very fundie-friendly place (hell, that was the case even before the Matthew Sheperd incident). :)
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: rtvc2012 on January 26, 2012, 11:33:53 am
More proof that it's only a matter of time before the movie "Idiocracy" comes true
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Cerim Treascair on January 27, 2012, 02:23:35 am
@ Rat:  Even if there's a whole lot of nothing in Wyoming...

... then again, we could have a fuckton of room for an epic FSTDT commune out there...
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: rosenewock21 on January 27, 2012, 04:01:06 am
Ugh, my head is hurting too much to make more than a basic post. Someone please go start a "The FSTDT Commune" thread in the lounge and we can continue with this discussion on how cool it would be, what we'd have, etc there.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 27, 2012, 07:20:38 am
Does this mean the FSTDT Moonbase isn't an option anymore?
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: KZN02 on January 27, 2012, 01:57:08 pm
Does this mean the FSTDT Moonbase isn't an option anymore?
Given Newt's plan for a moon colony ...
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: TheL on January 27, 2012, 05:00:21 pm
I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought that a full-scale model of the Ark as described in Genesis would convince anyone of the veracity thereof.  Given time, money, and a reason to give a damn, I could build a perfect full-scale model of Aslan's How, but that doesn't make Narnia real.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: RavynousHunter on January 27, 2012, 05:21:06 pm
Does this mean the FSTDT Moonbase isn't an option anymore?
Given Newt's plan for a moon colony ...

Pfft, his moon colony would fail almost immediately.  We can just keep 'im in a cage to poke with sticks and laugh at.  I mean, Moon Base will be chock full of awesome people, we'd need a village idiot to round things out...
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on January 27, 2012, 05:40:35 pm
Does this mean the FSTDT Moonbase isn't an option anymore?
Given Newt's plan for a moon colony ...
Just means we gotta beat him to it.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Star Cluster on January 27, 2012, 05:57:45 pm
I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought that a full-scale model of the Ark as described in Genesis would convince anyone of the veracity thereof.  Given time, money, and a reason to give a damn, I could build a perfect full-scale model of Aslan's How, but that doesn't make Narnia real.

Building it isn't the real issue, as far as I'm concerned.  Like you say, we can build shit.

What I want them to do once they do have it built is start filling it up with real animals like Noah supposedly did.  And that would be 2 of every animal and 7 of "clean" animals.  And I'll be willing to wager they'd not have to go too far out from Kentucky before they'd have the damn thing so full they would be unable to move inside it.  Then I want them to explain why all the different species of animals on earth can't possibly fit in it. 

And I'd also be willing to bet that although they see it can't happen, they'll insist it did because, by god, the Babble says it did, so it has to be true.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: clockworkgirl21 on January 27, 2012, 07:21:24 pm
I think a Biblical theme park sounds awesome. The problem is, it isn't meant to be entertaining, but educational. *shudder*
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Random Gal on January 27, 2012, 07:27:22 pm
I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought that a full-scale model of the Ark as described in Genesis would convince anyone of the veracity thereof.  Given time, money, and a reason to give a damn, I could build a perfect full-scale model of Aslan's How, but that doesn't make Narnia real.
Yes. Fill it up with animals and float it on the ocean for forty days and nights; THEN I'll be impressed.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: StallChaser on January 28, 2012, 04:37:38 am
Because it's a "museum" and therefore educational and deserving of public funds.

That would be perfect for the fundie word redefinition project if it was to ever happen...
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: TheL on January 28, 2012, 10:25:48 am
I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought that a full-scale model of the Ark as described in Genesis would convince anyone of the veracity thereof.  Given time, money, and a reason to give a damn, I could build a perfect full-scale model of Aslan's How, but that doesn't make Narnia real.
Yes. Fill it up with animals and float it on the ocean for forty days and nights; THEN I'll be impressed.

But why would you try to float Aslan's How?
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: SpaceProg on January 28, 2012, 04:01:05 pm
All the DNA coding from all the species on the planet could fit into an Ark that size...  Hmmmmm Aliens...?
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: ironbite on January 28, 2012, 05:08:32 pm
(http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/155/594/yesitis2.gif?1311943181)

Ironbite-Obligatory.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on January 28, 2012, 10:20:41 pm
^ I still can’t get over the fact that that guy actually let himself be filmed with that hair!

You know, when I first saw the thread title, for a moment I thought this had something to do with Noah’s Ark waterpark (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=noah's+ark+water+park&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.noahsarkwaterpark.com%2F&ei=8LokT5OeAsL1ggeP6f3rCA&usg=AFQjCNFqX5Kcq3m5YU5aQsrNjPDG3xePPg) in Wisconsin Dells. (Yeah, even though it said Kentucky.)
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: SkyTrekTower on January 29, 2012, 11:33:06 pm
It is horrible that education is being cut while this park gets to keep its tax breaks.  I understand houses of worship not having taxes, but a tourist attraction should pay them.

Slightly off topic, but points out why it's stupid for the park to be tax exempt.

What also makes me mad is that the economic argument doesn't work when you consider what the state has done when it comes to reopening the old Kentucky Kingdom.  There, the parks original owner is asking for $30million(I believe) in bonds to help reopen the park.  This is a one time thing, and the guy is contributing millions of his own dollars to reopen the park.  Yet the government refused due to it being unnecessary spending.  Now, a park in the middle of Louisville that will be paying taxes and supporting area businesses seems like a good thing to spend money on, especially when it will cost less than giving this park yearly tax breaks larger than the amount the Louisville park is asking for once.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on January 30, 2012, 08:37:15 am
What also makes me mad is that the economic argument doesn't work when you consider what the state has done when it comes to reopening the old Kentucky Kingdom.  There, the parks original owner is asking for $30million(I believe) in bonds to help reopen the park.  This is a one time thing, and the guy is contributing millions of his own dollars to reopen the park.  Yet the government refused due to it being unnecessary spending.  Now, a park in the middle of Louisville that will be paying taxes and supporting area businesses seems like a good thing to spend money on, especially when it will cost less than giving this park yearly tax breaks larger than the amount the Louisville park is asking for once.
Who needs to make sense when you have ideology, right?
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Oriet on January 30, 2012, 12:06:57 pm
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: MaybeNever on January 30, 2012, 01:58:32 pm
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.

Neither do I. I do understand that some people think religion is necessary to be a good person and a good citizen, therefore religious establishments are a public good and shouldn't pay taxes. But this is so self-evidently not the case that it's like giving tax breaks to research of female hysteria.

Then I want them to explain why all the different species of animals on earth can't possibly fit in it.

That's silly. Of course they don't need your "scientist" LIEBERAL atheist humanist pagan communist "species". They just need to have two of each KIND, a term that is rigorously defined, and supported by considerable Biblical reference, as "whatever bullshit we want or need it to be".
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: e13 on January 30, 2012, 02:05:44 pm
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.

I wouldn't care so much, if they stopped promoting politics IN CHURCH! You want a voice in voting, pay fucking taxes. You don't contribute to the tax burden? Then shut up and work a soup kitchen like any good charity.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: SkyTrekTower on January 30, 2012, 02:24:35 pm
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.

Let me rephrase that, I understand houses of worship that conduct actual charity events not having taxes.  Now, while I was raised Catholic, we were never told who to vote for in church, and my church ran food drives, toy drives, etc.  My high school is a different story though, as we were told the most important issue when voting was abortion.  However, it wasn't like we were told we had to go to confession if we ever voted Democrat like some churches did. 

Other churches, especially those run by those rotten televangelists should pay taxes, because they very often do get involved in politics.  The group building this park is involved in politics, and this place is meant to be a tourist attraction.  Therefore, it should pay taxes.

Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on January 30, 2012, 06:38:34 pm
Now, while I was raised Catholic, we were never told who to vote for in church…
Yeah, they never told me who to vote for either, but sometimes, they would take the time to harp on certain issues (*cough*abortion!*cough*) in ways that made for bleedin’ obvious subtext.

This past election—I don’t know what the legality of this was—a fella handing out flyers for the Republican candidate just happened to be hangin’ around just outside the church after mass. Naturally, there is plenty of plausible deniability, but it could also be mistaken for an actual endorsement. I still hope it wasn’t an endorsement, but I just cannot be sure.

And this past week, there was a letter from the bishop claiming that new/proposed rules requiring healthcare providers to cover contraceptives and abortions amounted to an attack on freedom of religion. While the letter claimed it was not meant to endorse any particular party or candidate, the use of the phrase “this administration” in regards to the origin of the new/proposed rules subtly implies that a candidate other than the incumbent could change that rule.

So, I would say that the church has a done a decent job of stealth endorsements.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: ironbite on January 30, 2012, 06:49:40 pm
New law.  If it can be proven that your church is endorsing a political candidate, you lose tax exempt status.

Ironbite-no exceptions.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: SkyTrekTower on January 30, 2012, 07:03:51 pm
New law.  If it can be proven that your church is endorsing a political candidate, you lose tax exempt status.

Ironbite-no exceptions.

I say any involvement in politics is grounds for losing tax exempt status.  As this park is being built by an organization that is trying to get creationism intelligent design taught in schools, in addition to being politically active in other areas, , the park should not be tax exempt.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Smurfette Principle on January 30, 2012, 07:08:04 pm
One time we came out of church and there were anti-choice flyers under every windshield wiper. My parents were furious.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: TheL on January 31, 2012, 10:14:47 am
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.

Neither do I. I do understand that some people think religion is necessary to be a good person and a good citizen, therefore religious establishments are a public good and shouldn't pay taxes. But this is so self-evidently not the case that it's like giving tax breaks to research of female hysteria.

Then I want them to explain why all the different species of animals on earth can't possibly fit in it.

That's silly. Of course they don't need your "scientist" LIEBERAL atheist humanist pagan communist "species". They just need to have two of each KIND, a term that is rigorously defined, and supported by considerable Biblical reference, as "whatever bullshit we want or need it to be".

There were exactly two dinosaurs on the ark, and they made babies that looked like all the different ones.  Also, pterosaurs are dinosaurs.  [/creationist]
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: MaybeNever on January 31, 2012, 02:30:44 pm
It's the "Behemoth" kind.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Sigmaleph on January 31, 2012, 08:15:07 pm

There were exactly two dinosaurs on the ark, and they made babies that looked like all the different ones.  Also, pterosaurs are dinosaurs.  [/creationist]
I do love it when creationists resort to ultra-fast evolution to explain why evolution obviously didn't happen.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Vene on February 01, 2012, 11:17:49 am
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.

Let me rephrase that, I understand houses of worship that conduct actual charity events not having taxes.  Now, while I was raised Catholic, we were never told who to vote for in church, and my church ran food drives, toy drives, etc.  My high school is a different story though, as we were told the most important issue when voting was abortion.  However, it wasn't like we were told we had to go to confession if we ever voted Democrat like some churches did. 

Other churches, especially those run by those rotten televangelists should pay taxes, because they very often do get involved in politics.  The group building this park is involved in politics, and this place is meant to be a tourist attraction.  Therefore, it should pay taxes.
Seems easier just to say charities don't have to pay taxes and if a church happens to qualify as a charity, so be it.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: Oriet on February 01, 2012, 11:36:39 am
I understand houses of worship not having taxes...
I don't.

Let me rephrase that, I understand houses of worship that conduct actual charity events not having taxes.  Now, while I was raised Catholic, we were never told who to vote for in church, and my church ran food drives, toy drives, etc.  My high school is a different story though, as we were told the most important issue when voting was abortion.  However, it wasn't like we were told we had to go to confession if we ever voted Democrat like some churches did. 

Other churches, especially those run by those rotten televangelists should pay taxes, because they very often do get involved in politics.  The group building this park is involved in politics, and this place is meant to be a tourist attraction.  Therefore, it should pay taxes.
Seems easier just to say charities don't have to pay taxes and if a church happens to qualify as a charity, so be it.
Pretty much this. I've never understood why the religious and charity aspects can't be dealt with separately.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: rookie on February 01, 2012, 12:35:10 pm
I gotta go with Oriet here. There has to be a way to work it, even if everyone here knows it'll never ever happen in a million billion years. Something like, oh I don't know, the money used to feed and clothe the poor, visit the sick and elderly, build houses is untaxed. Or written off with proper documentation. Converting other people is not a charity. Bringing them technology to purify water is. If little Timmy wants to preach while he's digging a well, I'd say that's fine. As long as he is digging the damn well. But I think thoughts like that are why I'm not in politics.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on February 01, 2012, 12:52:40 pm
But I think thoughts like that are why I'm not in politics.
We need more thoughts like this in politics.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: rookie on February 01, 2012, 01:02:48 pm
Yeah, but real opinions and practical thoughts don't get people elected. "I want to do these great and wonderful things to improve the lives of each and every citizen. But in order to do that, and keep going what we've already got, I'm going to have to raise taxes." will be in your second to last speech you give in politics. (Your last would be gracefully dropping out after your numbers go down faster than a baby kitten tied to a cinder block and dropped off a 17th story balcony.) Also, saying churches aren't so special isn't going to win you anything either. That'll cause numbers to fall more like a baby floppy eared puppy tied to that cinder block.
Title: Re: Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education
Post by: N. De Plume on February 01, 2012, 02:36:57 pm
Yeah, but real opinions and practical thoughts don't get people elected.
Get enough of them out there, and I think that could change. There are more than enough voters dissatisfied with politics as usual.

Quote
"I want to do these great and wonderful things to improve the lives of each and every citizen. But in order to do that, and keep going what we've already got, I'm going to have to raise taxes." will be in your second to last speech you give in politics.
Weren’t there protests in Illinois not too long ago telling the state legislature to raise taxes? I mean, in general, as opposed to just on the rich? Not something that can be counted on, but handled properly, it could lead to something good. I think the key may be to firmly demonstrate what one gets for one’s taxes.