Would you attack the Church if you could?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Can we take the same stance with people in America?  If you cannot support yourself, you should not be allowed to stay.  Interesting concept.  You must be a Trump supporter.

Why would you give an institution an exemption you wouldn't allow for an individual? Be specific.

[AceBoogie]

Can we take the same stance with people in America?  If you cannot support yourself, you should not be allowed to stay.  Interesting concept.  You must be a Trump supporter.

While there are plenty of people who abuse government assistance in the United States I think people who are legitimately unable to support themselves should receive some kind of help. That is not at all the same as saying a church should receive tax exempt status just for... well... being a church. Not even really seeing where you draw that parallel to be honest; it's apples and oranges. And no, I would not consider myself a Trump supporter.

[rado84]

By attacking I mean violently and/or economically speaking. Would you do it if you had the power? Such a the Nazis did?

I think the Church cant reedem itself after all the damage it has done to humanity. Torturing and murder would not be enough to make them paid for what they have done. But if you had the power to command an army to attack the Church/Vatican would you do it? Would you like to see their blood spilled on the floor? Or would you brutally tax them?

The violent part within me would do this: Murder every cardinal of the Vatican, including the Pope. Destroy every church and crucify its priest upside down. Then, build a momument of shame with the name of every priest who has worked in that church. 

What about you? Let the rage flow through your veins.

Economically, yes. By taxing 75% of their annual income of everything - trade, donations, real estate and so on. And a mandatory audit on their real estate properties how they have been acquired. If something has been acquired in an illegal matter - seizure to benefit the state.

[Mister Agenda]

Can we take the same stance with people in America?  If you cannot support yourself, you should not be allowed to stay.  Interesting concept.  You must be a Trump supporter.

I don't favor taxing churches that follow the rules of other 501©3 corporations, but your comparison and accusation seem bizarre. Perhaps there is something wrong with your analogy.

[Doubting Thomas]

Actually I think all churches should have to pay property taxes and sales tax.  They shouldn't get a free ride just because they're a religion.  Just think of how much tax revenue we could raise from all these multi-million dollar megachurches out there.  In return, preachers will be allowed to preach politics from the pulpit if they want (like many of them already do and get away with it).  But religion would still be kept out of government as per the First Amendment.

We could give a discount to the One True Faith.

As soon as they figure out which one that is.

[Catholic_Lady]

I agree. I think it is far worse when a supposed "man of God" does evil things than when just any ol'Joe does. They should be held to a higher standard above others, and when they break that trust, it's heinous. And of course, the individuals who committed such acts and those involved in covering up should be reprimadded.

What I'm saying is I just don't think priests in general should be put into a box and stereotyped as sex offenders when they don't do it any more than the average man, and when other vocations do it more yet don't have the same stareotype. It's unfair to all the millions and millions of perfectly decent men out there who are priests. And of course, I'll object to someone saying they fantasize about murdering every person who is a priest, even those who are completely innocent of any crime. As is what the OP did.

Every priest is a criminal for me. Preaching lies and fear. Many believe that what they do is right, but it is actually wrong. Not that I will kill them for that anyway.

Ah. I see.

---

I agree. I think it is far worse when a supposed "man of God" does evil things than when just any ol'Joe does. They should be held to a higher standard above others, and when they break that trust, it's heinous. And of course, the individuals who committed such acts and those involved in covering up should be reprimadded.

They shouldn't be reprimanded. They should be prosecuted and jailed.

Yes. That is what I meant.

[Cyberman]

Every priest is a criminal for me. Preaching lies and fear. Many believe that what they do is right, but it is actually wrong. Not that I will kill them for that anyway.

Ingersoll recognised this more than a century ago:

[Catholic_Lady]

What I'm saying is I just don't think priests in general should be put into a box and stereotyped as sex offenders when they don't do it any more than the average man, and when other vocations do it more yet don't have the same stareotype.

Well, I don't care for any stereotype, so yeah no argument. But it's entirely fair game to point out the hypocrisy of both the priest molesting the youngster as well as the bishop who sends him to Venezuela so he can diddle another child.

Agreed. It is fair game to point out the hypocrisy of both.

And if the Catholic church doesn't like that sort of shit sticking to it, perhaps they should not have tolerated it for so goddamned long.

Agreed, though I think when you say "Catholic Church" you are using too broad of a term. All Catholics make up "the Catholic Church", yet of course the vast majority of us played no part in the crimes or in covering up those crimes. But yes, the individuals involved in any way (those who are still alive obviously) should get their day in court.

[Shell B]

"Attack?" Hell, no. That would make me a hypocrite. Treat them like a business and persecute anyone within the religion who breaks the law? Absolutely, yes.

[Anomalocaris]

Oh, I've phantasized about this for years - My dream is to make a vial full of antimatter at the collider at CERN, then smuggle it into St. Peter's tomb, just for added symbolic power of science destroying the bedrock of faith (get it, peter, rock...), and then have the stupid church people scramble to find it before the containment battery runs out and obliterates the vatican in a subnuclear firestorm. If I feel like it, I might at the last minute fake having a divine revelation  as to the whereabouts of the bomb, and let them make me their new messiah? Not a bad plan, eh?

You've reading too much of Dan Brown's drivel.