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Pastor alarmed after Trump-loving congregants deride Jesus' teachings as 'weak' (www.rawstory.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Evangelical Christian leader Russell Moore revealed this week that many evangelical pastors have become alarmed that their Trump-loving congregants have become so militant that they are even rejecting the teachings of Jesus Christ.In an interview with NPR, Moore said that multiple pastors had told h...

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Separation of church and state was created to protect both the state AND the church. Churches are not supposed to be political organizations for their own good. Dividing into camps along political lines and shouting at each other is what happens out in the world. It's not supposed to happen at church.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Dividing into camps along political lines and shouting at each other is what happens out in the world. It’s not supposed to happen at church.

Wait, I thought this was their main feature...

The comedian Emo Philips has a well-known joke about religion that may explain some of the decline in membership... "Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over."

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Churches should be taxed though. Give unto Caesar and all that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's nothing special about churches. The ACLU has the same tax breaks and associated restrictions.

It's why the ACLU is actually 2 different organizations. There's the ACLU and the ACLU Foundation. ACLU is a political lobbying group that is directly involved in political activities and therefore has to pay taxes and donations to it are not tax-deductible. The ACLU Foundation other is a legal services charity that is tax-exempt and donations to it are tax deductible.

Churches simply don't have the direct political arm. If they do, then they should be taxed. I once saw a church lose it's tax exemption when the pastor told the congregation they should vote for Obama.

If churches should be taxed then all non-profit organizations should, and you therefore shouldn't be able to make any kind of tax-deductible donations.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

If churches should be taxed then all non-profit organizations should, and you therefore shouldn't be able to make any kind of tax-deductible donations.

That is acceptable to me. I have run two 501(c)3 entities, and guess what, we got audited every year and had to pay taxes if we turned a profit.

Also since those personal donations are just used by the rich to not pay their fair share, close the loopholes.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Churches literally don't have profits. There are no shareholders or anything. There are employees, but pretty much all non-profits have staff, and paying staff (who still have to pay income tax) isn't "profit."

The only issue I have with auditing them is that the vast majority of small churches that are struggling to keep the doors open literally can't afford an audit, and the big, corrupt churches enriching corrupt assholes are still technically non-profit and won't be hurt.