Kentucky prefers Noah's Ark theme park over education

[e13]

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.

[SkyTrekTower]

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.

[N. De Plume]

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.

[ironbite]

New law.  If it can be proven that your church is endorsing a political candidate, you lose tax exempt status.

Ironbite-no exceptions.

[SkyTrekTower]

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.

[Smurfette Principle]

One time we came out of church and there were anti-choice flyers under every windshield wiper. My parents were furious.

[TheL]

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]

[MaybeNever]

It's the "Behemoth" kind.

[Sigmaleph]

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.

[Vene]

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.

[Oriet]

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.

[rookie]

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.

[N. De Plume]

But I think thoughts like that are why I'm not in politics.

We need more thoughts like this in politics.

[rookie]

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.

[N. De Plume]

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.

"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.