Churches and Taxes

[G-DDT]

DetroitYES Home » Non Detroit Issues » Thom Hartmann » Should Churches Lose Tax Breaks For Advocating Hate?

Now this is where the argument bares some merit [[and as flipped out digressive as I got with my writing, was it any different than anyone allowing a "Detroit-based thread" on Churches and taxes unravel to be an intolerant athiest-fest? hmmm?).

There really isn't a "religion test" that filters out the perpetrators from the real deal. As a Christian, many things act as red flags to tip off a Christian. Is it a church that exclusively claims to be the "true church" while all else is a false path? Well, they disqualified themselves right there with that spiritual arrogance void of genuine humility [[and I will spare you all the scriptural citation and all that is roundabouts that condemns those think they are Christ's exclusively.). Do they contradict their own doctrines? Are they living humble lives free from excess that exceeds the average means of living? If they are making lots of money, how much is actually being used for charity efforts to assist those local and abroad, believers or else-wise [[just passing out Bibles and getting folks to sing for their supper ain't gonna cut it as being a "charity" deserving of 501 c-3 exemption-at least not in my own opinion.)?

So far, the best blows made for civil rights were the Kennedy V. Green, Coit V. Green, and Connally V. Green rulings that hit phony racist segregative churches, school, and universities where they needed to get hit. As Randal Balmer [[once again, Christian or not, folks got to view his works. I highly recommend the "Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism" or "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory") pointed out, prayer in school, abortion [[which some evangelicals supported, as they did Eugenics, if it meant thinning down non-whites.), moral decay-all of these were just hobby horse topics to rant about if it could sway masses and acquire filthy lucre.

Once laws that aptly stated that any church or private learning institution that practices racism or segregation will be removed from tax-exempt status were enacted-and with Carter-enforced, then these guys stiffened, mobilized and formed the Religious Right, the Moral Majority, and the Christian Coalition to kick out Carter and get Reagan in. They made it about abortion and prayer in school and impending Armageddon with Reds and Middle Eastern forces, but the one topic they refused to bring up was the very one they wanted to zero in on and turn back the clock on. Yes, old rich, white hatred at it's deepest core. Those that got openly stubborn about their bigotry [[like Bob Jones U-Lahaye's Alma Mater-with their profound racism or Charles Frazier Stanley keeping African American's out of his church) were taken to the highest court or eventually saw their TV show canceled for over 15 years. http://www.politico.com/magazine/sto...l#.V2jDevkrLIU

If we can hold those court rulings indelible, than at least that is one way to cull out the weeds of false prophets and Pharisees of hatred.