Tim May wrote:
At 7:10 PM -0700 11/4/97, Anonymous wrote:
More telling, she doesn't seem to have a problem using a religious (and therefore tax-exempt) organization to push a political agenda. Apparently that whole 'separation of church and state' thing only applies when it's convenient.
If religions want to play politics, the least we can do is get them to pay for the privilege. I'd feel a certain guilty pleasure seeing some of those bottom-feeders taxed into penury.
Nonsense. And a dangerous course.
One can decide to "tax churches" or to "not tax churches." I have no particularly strong opinion on either option.
But one must definitely _not_ base the decision to tax or not to tax on the opinions expressed by a church!
I feel that Tim is correct, in terms of "opinions," but the Christian political agenda goes beyond 'opinions' and into the realm of political activism which is regulated by law. It is a fact that the Moral Majority/Christian Right/Felons For Jesus, etc., make no bones about using their tax-deductible resources to mount political campaigns that illegally skirt the rules pertaining to the direct support of political parties and candidates. If the Commie Chincs brunching at the Whithouse and sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom tried to excuse their illegally made payoffs to the current administration by getting a glazed look in their eye and speaking about answering to 'a higher power', the press and the citizens would lynch them. Certainly, the Christian political movement is no 'dirtier' or more criminal than the rest of the Fools On the (Capitol) Hill, but they are all the more hypocritical for claiming the higher moral ground in their illegal activities. Criminals is criminals... JHFCMonger