How Churches Can Help

[LoveLife&Laughter]

One of the big gifts from our government that religious groups and their leaders receive is something called the parsonage exemption. This exemption allows religious leaders who receive a home from their religious congregation to exclude almost all the costs of home ownership from their taxab..., at the expense of the American taxpayer. This exemption isn't open to leaders of secular and charitable organizations, just those who lead government-recognized churches. So that means that if you are one of over a hundred thousand priests, ministers, rabbis, and imams in America, you can get your house paid for through the taxes of Americans who may not even believe in a god. Pretty unfair, right?

This exemption is pretty broad, and allows religious leaders and their organizations to not pay taxes on things like the down payment on the leader's home, principal and interest payments on its mortgage, real estate taxes, liability insurance, and rental payments. These religious leaders can also exempt things such as utility and internet bills from their taxable income just because they work for a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue. But that's not all. Religious leaders are also exempt from paying personal property taxes, which is a huge steal for them considering how nice some of their homes are. more...

[Snagg]

Superstition and mysticism were the original fleecing cons. "I have a DIRECT LINE to the Bear/Trout/Warthog/Whatever God, and if you don't give me nice stuff, I'll call his wrath down upon you ! And give me your daughters, while you're at it."

 

It remained that way for quite awhile, until tribes began to bump into each other, and chose to co-operate instead of killing each other. This threw a wrench into the individual shaman's personal dogmas, and organized religion began when those lice-ridden lunatics swallowed their own bullshit and went to war with each other over the spoils of the newer, bigger and more prosperous tribe. And it's been that way ever since.