(April 16, 2016 at 4:37 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Of course, there's an option to taxing churches. Allow them to keep their tax-exempt status, in return for which no churches or church members may access publicly-funded utilities or services. This means that no one may drive to church on a road built with tax monies, may connect to an electrical grid built with tax money, or may send their children to publically-funded schools. Further, no church or church member may call on the services of the police or the fire brigade, or utilize publically financed medical services. They may not ride a train (surface or underground) or a bus operated or subsidized by any level of government. They may not take part in government insurance or pension schemes, and may not seek help from government authorities in times of disaster.
I cannot enter my local cinema without buying a ticket, so I fail to see why accepting a delusional fairy tale should allow religionists to make me buy their ticket for them (this bit is a metaphor - it isn't really about cinema tickets).
Boru
We going to apply this to all illegal aliens too, or do they get to keep a free ride. Christians do pay taxes from their jobs, the money the church receives has already been taxed. The church is not subsidized, we receive no money from the government to operate the church. Many farmers are subsidized to not grow crops, should they not be allowed to use utilities that are pay for by our taxes. As I said before, tax the church and you will regret it when the government raises your taxes to pay for all we do for this country, the amount of money the church puts into the communities around this country would cost the American public an amount they wouldn't be pleased with. Maher is nothing more than a public nuisance with a grudge against the church bordering on bigotry (in my opinion he is a bigot).
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.