(March 28, 2016 at 6:35 pm)drfuzzy Wrote:(March 28, 2016 at 5:45 pm)athrock Wrote: This is a classic example of why a little knowledge of scripture can be a dangerous thing because the NT also says:
Hebrews 10
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Now, Rocket, if Christians are encouraged by the author or Hebrews to "not giving up meeting together", where, exactly, do you recommend that they meet if they cannot use the buildings which their tax dollars were spent upon? Shouldn't all groups of citizens have equal access to these facilities?
Sure. Schools should just open their doors to all groups that want to use "buildings their tax dollars were spent upon". The Muslims should be able to preach to your kids, then the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Satanists, the Wiccans, and we Atheists that you love so much. We should take the facilities meant for education and just use them for any group that wants them, who cares whether students need to use the gym, or the band room, or the labs.
(I'm being sarcastic if you can't tell.)
Oh, but you have no need to worry. There are church buildings on every corner in the US of A. And they're tax-exempt. Now, they're supposed to be taking care of the poor, but they're doing a horrible job of that. If we taxed the churches, we would have billions of dollars to feed the poor and care for the homeless, just like your Jeebus would want you to do.
Who do the schools belong to if not the citizens who paid for them? So, yeah...equal access to the use of the facilities.
Which is a far cry from allowing Muslim or Christian groups to teach to children, of course. We're talking about weekends and evenings when the buildings are not being used. Picking up a few bucks in rent for the use of a building that is otherwise sitting idle seems like a pretty good use of the taxpayer's property.
Oh, one more point...I personally think that if the government wants to tax churches, it can and should do so. Churches don't make much of a profit, so I don't know how much revenue that would really generate for the US Treasury, but if it gives haters one less reason to whine, then I'm for it.
Of course, that ought to go for all non-profits equally including Planned Parenthood and Greenpeace among others.