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Thursday, March 15, 2018
Monday, March 5, 2018
Time to Tax Religion
Time to Tax Religion
Why is it that RELIGION is not classified as a business?
The catholic church, or as it is now, one of many church denominations, no longer dictates the running of the people. This is no longer the middle ages or even a European city bowing to Rome.
Religious movements earn money. The own properties. Have large bank accounts and investments earning immeasurable interest. They accrue antiquities of enormous wealth.
It is clear they don't spend all their money to aid their cause or that of their followers. So what is left over goes into their coffers - pure profit. A business model the envy of many.
Any large corporate entity has many laws and political ethics to guide it. The collapse of the home loan market in 2008/09 saw many large lenders and brokers conspire and fail to meet regulations. This resulted in global economic turmoil, fed purely by the self gratification of individuals and company's alike.
Their punishment was swift and the end of many careers and many blue chip corporate empires. These empires may not have the long standing of a religious movement, but they were force-ably withdrawn from playing any further role in the economy.
The Catholic Church is constantly under fire for digressions so unholy it alarms me that they do not have a temporary restraint on their 'religion' status. A recent article stemming from a 5-year long Royal Commission into systemic child abuse, published research on the true wealth of the Catholic Church in Australia. This investigation took place in order to make a comparison to the settlements made by the church to victims of horrendous child abuse by their church leaders.
The church's guilt is past apparent,. Part of the ongoing investigations now focus on the appropriate level of remuneration paid to it's victims.
It is clear the church is not fit to manage a network of employees who have time and time again broken laws and ruined lives. So why do you receive so much legislative protection? Why can't we look past the curtain of antiquity and treat you like a business? In turn punish you like a business who has broken ethical and corporate boundaries.
With these home grown and all too familiar global atrocities in mind, I ask the question; what is the exact purpose of the church? Is it to spread the word of God and the life of his progeny Jesus? That's great, do what you need to do. But after all the talk and banter and reading, what are you actually here to do?
I ask this purely because, if you are not taxed like any business, then any money you have leftover from church collections, bequeaths, property and investment earnings, surely should be spent directly on the righteousness you promote ie. on something to benefit your believers. Is this not the case? Of course not - how else did the catholic Church end up owning billions in property. So what are they actually doing for you?
Is the current church model truly necessary? Can't you read a website to learn more about the bible? Can't you join a on-line sermon instead of going to Church? What do you actually get at Church apart from relieving your sinful guilt?
I would ask the question, how is the church actually helping real people - even their own people? Is there a Catholic Church Children's Hospital? No. Do yo get free health insurance for being a devout Catholic? No. Do you get a free funeral for believing this whole time you're forgiven enough to go to heaven? No - they even charge you for that.
Now I understand each church has to be built, maintained, keep the staff etc etc and I understand you have access to counseling and other services.
But ultimately you are selling a lifestyle through a belief system. The principle is in somewhat similar to insurance yet without the demigod. We take out insurance to protect us against our misfortune or failings. There are no guarantees. The moral code is not there but we can get out of insurance what we want, just like we can use religion to suit our needs. Both require money.
But why does religious profit not get taxed? Why don't the faithful have access to a more comfortable life or a more secure life given the endless wealth of the church?
Instead that burden is on the taxpayer. If you charge for a service then you profit from it and you pay tax on it. It's no different. Even more so, are funds from devout Australian families going offshore into Vatican coffers?
I found out that the AFL is not taxed. The tax free status they receive is because of what value they add to the community as a whole and at grassroots levels. Sounds a bit easy? Correct me if I am wrong, but if widespread child abuse was taking place by coaches and support staff of AFL and local clubs, the organization would be shut down.
Why do we keep protecting institutions that have systemic human abuse; abise of the worst kind imaginable. The subterfuge from the leading ranks of the church that went on for decades like a cloak convenience, is a crime in itself.
A tyrannical reign of christian hypocrisy underpins the cloth of the church and has befouled their fabric of truth.
You break the rules, you lose your status. The catholic church no longer deserves legislative protection. Start by taxing the church. Society does not need any more abusers.
Why is it that RELIGION is not classified as a business?
The catholic church, or as it is now, one of many church denominations, no longer dictates the running of the people. This is no longer the middle ages or even a European city bowing to Rome.
Religious movements earn money. The own properties. Have large bank accounts and investments earning immeasurable interest. They accrue antiquities of enormous wealth.
It is clear they don't spend all their money to aid their cause or that of their followers. So what is left over goes into their coffers - pure profit. A business model the envy of many.
Any large corporate entity has many laws and political ethics to guide it. The collapse of the home loan market in 2008/09 saw many large lenders and brokers conspire and fail to meet regulations. This resulted in global economic turmoil, fed purely by the self gratification of individuals and company's alike.
Their punishment was swift and the end of many careers and many blue chip corporate empires. These empires may not have the long standing of a religious movement, but they were force-ably withdrawn from playing any further role in the economy.
The Catholic Church is constantly under fire for digressions so unholy it alarms me that they do not have a temporary restraint on their 'religion' status. A recent article stemming from a 5-year long Royal Commission into systemic child abuse, published research on the true wealth of the Catholic Church in Australia. This investigation took place in order to make a comparison to the settlements made by the church to victims of horrendous child abuse by their church leaders.
The church's guilt is past apparent,. Part of the ongoing investigations now focus on the appropriate level of remuneration paid to it's victims.
It is clear the church is not fit to manage a network of employees who have time and time again broken laws and ruined lives. So why do you receive so much legislative protection? Why can't we look past the curtain of antiquity and treat you like a business? In turn punish you like a business who has broken ethical and corporate boundaries.
With these home grown and all too familiar global atrocities in mind, I ask the question; what is the exact purpose of the church? Is it to spread the word of God and the life of his progeny Jesus? That's great, do what you need to do. But after all the talk and banter and reading, what are you actually here to do?
I ask this purely because, if you are not taxed like any business, then any money you have leftover from church collections, bequeaths, property and investment earnings, surely should be spent directly on the righteousness you promote ie. on something to benefit your believers. Is this not the case? Of course not - how else did the catholic Church end up owning billions in property. So what are they actually doing for you?
Is the current church model truly necessary? Can't you read a website to learn more about the bible? Can't you join a on-line sermon instead of going to Church? What do you actually get at Church apart from relieving your sinful guilt?
I would ask the question, how is the church actually helping real people - even their own people? Is there a Catholic Church Children's Hospital? No. Do yo get free health insurance for being a devout Catholic? No. Do you get a free funeral for believing this whole time you're forgiven enough to go to heaven? No - they even charge you for that.
Now I understand each church has to be built, maintained, keep the staff etc etc and I understand you have access to counseling and other services.
But ultimately you are selling a lifestyle through a belief system. The principle is in somewhat similar to insurance yet without the demigod. We take out insurance to protect us against our misfortune or failings. There are no guarantees. The moral code is not there but we can get out of insurance what we want, just like we can use religion to suit our needs. Both require money.
But why does religious profit not get taxed? Why don't the faithful have access to a more comfortable life or a more secure life given the endless wealth of the church?
Instead that burden is on the taxpayer. If you charge for a service then you profit from it and you pay tax on it. It's no different. Even more so, are funds from devout Australian families going offshore into Vatican coffers?
I found out that the AFL is not taxed. The tax free status they receive is because of what value they add to the community as a whole and at grassroots levels. Sounds a bit easy? Correct me if I am wrong, but if widespread child abuse was taking place by coaches and support staff of AFL and local clubs, the organization would be shut down.
Why do we keep protecting institutions that have systemic human abuse; abise of the worst kind imaginable. The subterfuge from the leading ranks of the church that went on for decades like a cloak convenience, is a crime in itself.
A tyrannical reign of christian hypocrisy underpins the cloth of the church and has befouled their fabric of truth.
You break the rules, you lose your status. The catholic church no longer deserves legislative protection. Start by taxing the church. Society does not need any more abusers.
The Fall of The West - a modern American Story
The Fall of The West - a modern American Story
America for so long was the white knight of the Western world.
A triumphant nation. First gaining independence from the vast and powerful British Empire to ending War War II and with it, the greatest threat to civil freedom the world has faced for centuries.
America is forged, for all its history on conflict, both internally and with others. Strangely enough, despite their signature of war, menace and meddling, the rest of the Western world has continued to prop the 'stars and stripes' upon the top perch of the shrine of democracy.
But is this about to change? Or has it changed already? Can we really believe or contemplate modelling our own communities and cities on an American model?
Not knowing enough or presuming to know enough about the full machinations of the global political machine, I cannot predict whether alliances will fold, remain or change. However, I do know and I do hear what is enough to suggest that the people of our western communities are changing.
It's true that we know more about their Presidents, than most would know of their own countries leaders. We subscribe to their 'hollywood' culture, their 'family sitcom' lifestyle, their reverence of country and flag, their sporting superhero's and their over indulgent financial ego's.
Most I'm sure would agree that America's culture has had more impact on the everyday lives of the western world than other other for the last century. But is that culture at risk?
Yes, it started with the wrong vote
In the last two years, we are observing and force-ably stuck in bewilderment, of the reign of a 'pop' presidency. A diabolical slight on a status that has commanded such significant figures in history.
I am constantly baffled how 350million minds lacked the foresight to place the world at the behest of a clearly short-sighted, undiplomatic and egotistical man.
I am constantly baffled how 350million minds lacked the foresight to place the world at the behest of a clearly short-sighted, undiplomatic and egotistical man.
If not alone, America's endowment of the Trump era will cause an irrevocable tide of undoing for the age of USA. A simple dissection of America's modern history has caused enough harm around the world, just watch any Oliver Stone documentary. But to add to this, the election of a TV President, is just more salt, deeply entrenched into a wound fast becoming a grand canyon of distrust.
On the street level, our faith in our western leadership from the USA is at it's lowest point. This, in a time where strength and poise in western leadership is so dire to our futures. The face of world politics has many angles and many unknowns. New nations are rising out of communism. A new dawn is here.
It gets worse; the wrong policy
If we steer away from foreign policy misdemeanors, the fake news and focus within Trumps walls, we cannot ignore some disturbing hardened facts. These facts are based around today's world and not amended by any altered media. These facts cannot be ignored by us or or America's own. The fact in question asks how do we respect a country for how it treats it's people. The fact I am referring too is their absolute failure to ignore the horrors of gun control.
Gun control in America is the new apartheid; a sad and horrible era where legacies of a belligerent nation, failed to recognize the birth of a humanitarian world. Gun control is no different. Again, the christian politicians are leading the way. The evangelists, the white shirts, the sorry masses who once condemned others by their skin, now faithfully shelter and harbour outdated legislation that is killing it's own people.
Bearing arms is a right from another age - just like that book the
politicians swear on. It's time to embrace a new age. The writing is on
the wall America. Wake up. Your empire is crashing. Your killing
yourselves and defending the opportunity to have your own people die in
classrooms and kindergardens. How are you so blind?
The unrepentant continuance of the "constitutional right to bear arms" argument is a blatant insult to the families of the thousands of innocent victims. Laws change. Nothing is more important to democracy than the right to feel safe and secure. What happened America? Democracy is living in a society where personal freedom is paramount.
That personal freedom is derided when on any day, a criminal oppressor walks out of a local shopping mall with a weapon that will be the end of days for any child and teacher in their warpath.
How can a country not act.Your future generation is being viciously maimed by your own incompetence. Where are your scruples politicians. If the NRA funds your campaign, then find a new campaign supporter. Where is the conscience of the right? Where are your true Christian values?
If a zookeeper leaves the door to the Lions cage open and the Lion is let free and kills all in its path, the zoo will be to blame. America your politicians continue to throw away the key to gun control and are leaving the pathway clear for more and more killing.
The rest of the world is looking at you with such dismay. Such discontent. Such disappointment. What will it take to see the red writing on the wall. Guns kill. Take the guns away.
Living in an era of fear is the American way. Not only have Americans
suffered incredible atrocities due to terrorism. But they face local
terror almost everyday. That terror must now be completely ingrained in
the mothers and fathers walking their children through the school gates
each morning. A long time ago it was a safe haven, now they can only be
wondering if their child could be next.
America this issue will be your undoing. Not Trumps wall. Not any CIA conspiracy. Your reluctance to not evolve will kill you from within.
Obama and his public machine couldn't fight the gun lobby; so how will a polarizing Trump? But even while Trump is an apparent poster boy for the NRA, perhaps his ego is the way to play this game. Imagine the standing he would have in a log line of presidents if he could be swayed to enforce gun controls?
Obama and his public machine couldn't fight the gun lobby; so how will a polarizing Trump? But even while Trump is an apparent poster boy for the NRA, perhaps his ego is the way to play this game. Imagine the standing he would have in a log line of presidents if he could be swayed to enforce gun controls?
America, you need to put this issue to bed once and for all. We're all watching.
If only JFK were in power, I have no doubt the winds of change would have blown a long time ago.
If only JFK were in power, I have no doubt the winds of change would have blown a long time ago.
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