I was shocked to find this today. I have not heard one word on the news. I fear for women and my gay friends.
WHat do you think of this?
One might think that churches earning well-over $82.5 billion annually (in 2013) from taxpayers subsidizing religious non-profits (churches) was enough welfare for the “charitable Christians.” Add to that staggering annual figure the $41.7 billion in annual payments (in 2004) in welfare from Bush’s “faith-based initiative” programs. Money well spent according to W. Bush who wanted the taxpayer’s money to “save one soul at a time.” Still, even that unconstitutional abomination didn’t satisfy their greed for more taxpayer money and more control over government. And, the sad truth is that tearing down the barrier between church and state will set a Constitutional precedent allowing evangelicals to do so much more than just force taxpayers to support their “ministries.”
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If any American thinks neutering the religious clauses will not affect them, they are insane. Of course women will be forced into subjection to evangelical men’s demands, and the LGBTQ community’s rights, what few they’ve won, will be summarily eliminated along with the Fourteenth Amendment. Religious Republicans already complain the “equal rights” for all Americans in the Fourteenth Amendment violate their religious freedom.
Some Americans are already aware what evangelical malcontent Education Secretary Betsy DeVos intends for America’s children, and a few more likely know that Trump wants taxpayers to fund Republicans’ religious Super PACs. However, the Dominionists want to control every aspect of every Americans’ life and that entails controlling the government.
Whether the faithful like it or not, there is historically never a good outcome when religion is involved in governing. This is not to say that all of the faithful are intent on dominating the rest of the population. However, with a Republican majority in Congress, a man who panders to Christians in the White House, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that already started deconstructing the religious clauses in the First Amendment, there are dangerous times ahead.
And, they begin in earnest with one Supreme Court ruling brought to the court for the sole intent of demolishing what Thomas Jefferson said was “a wall of separation” between church and state to make it simpler to impose an evangelical theocracy.
Can we somehow make Science a religion. Start our own private science school. Be tax free. all the insane benefits the churches get.
If we are 21 % of population is that enough to constitute a religion. Ill make church pamphlets:) We can have science out reaches. I know it sound really crazy to me too, but things have got to change. Trump signed a bill that makes it legal to preach politics from the pulpit and now they will infiltrate our schools. We gotta push back! How are we going to do that my highly educated friends?
John Oliver on his show: "last week tonight" (A series on HBO but you can watch all his stuff on youtube,) explained how easy it is to form your own tax shelter "church." Google: "Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption" Should also be able to find the 10-15 minute episode(s) on youtube that cover what is required to form your own church.
He actually created his own "church" for the show, that was completely legal before the eyes of the IRS and the US government. For fellow atheist/thinkers out there, this show is a great show that explores major issues most other "news" organizations won't cover. It is one of the very few shows I watch with any regularity.
Yes! I remember that episode. so awesome. have you seen the old man catheter commercials he makes for trump. they are sooo awesome and he airs them on Fox so trump will see
Oh yeah definitely :)
Last Week Tonight is one of my few sources of solace in the madness that is trump and the far right.
Thank god for HBO, one of the few media companies out there that does not rely on ad dollars that twist everything including news to their agenda.
Vice, (the weekly and not the daily,) is also usually a good show on HBO that covers stuff that most news organizations do not. Although it is not nearly as funny as John Oliver is. (Always so serious!)
HBO also has a bunch of good documentaries they carry/produce. They had an excellent one on Scientology years ago. I wish they would do similar for christianity and other much bigger religions. But I can understand even with all the billions HBO made off of game of thrones, going up against all the religious nuts that is major religions is a very daunting task that could hit their bottom line hard.
(TV/internet is mostly forbidden for members of scientology, so HBO is not going to lose subscribers over uncovering the farce that scientology is.)
LogicForTW, Yes the Scientology documentary I watched was "Going clear" I think. It had the heads of Scientology who used to audit Tom Cruise talk about their tactic to push Nicole away and Get Tom. Nicoles dad was a physiologist and they were the enemy. another awesome documentary is The 13 th on Netflix. Talks about how government jailed small time drug abuser that were African American and gave slaps on the wrist to white cocaine big time drug users and dealers. Essentially it was a way to enslave African Americans again
and it worked:(
That is the one. Going Clear. My dad actually ran across these nutjobs, (He is vaguely catholic,) when someone convinced him to go to a few of their meetings. The stories my dad told me about these guys, takes delusion to the next level.
The leader of the group was idle chatting with my dad and a few others after the group meeting. One of the fluorescent lights, (the old cheap office eye strain inducing kind,) flickered. Mid sentence the leader pointed up and said, "see? proof!" and kept on with the completely unrelated conversation he was having.
AMC, (I think,) also has a running mini series going about two higher profile, "high up", people defecting from Scientology and all the issues they faced. Pretty terrifying really. While scientology is more extreme then most christian churches, much of the same craziness can be had in small rural communities along the bible belt. Give up religion and you are an outcast from your family and entire local community.
I will look up "The 13 th" documentary on Netflix, sounds fascinating.
Yes my client told me about that mini series. I gotta watch it
Did you know there is a compound up in Hemet ca where scientologists are kept and made to do manual labor for dimes. One of our clients said her dad was an inspector in hemet and they are really good at keeping up with regulations and yet he hates them. so crazy!
My coworker and I have a theory that David Misgavige wife is being held up there against her will and Tom and David are LOVERS
In a true atheist world, which I live, I'm the stranger bedfellow.
Theism suggests humanity has a purpose, albeit steeped in an imagination not of this world, sporting the lure of immortality under some eternal despot. Duh, gee Tennessee, that sounds good to me.
Then there's atheism that denounces any purpose not seated in man's innate will to survive. This is my religion. I have no purpose. I have nothing that suggests my life, nor any other life form is important.
Nothing matters.
Trump can do whatever he desires because of that and if he brings about total human annihilation no one is better or worse off for it.
If SCOTUS erases the line between church and state it will simply open up expanded dialog about the gainers and the losers with no change for the worse a possibility, already there being assumed (life with no purpose).