Reality Chick

  In 1875, United States president Ulysses Grant delivered a petition to Congress containing 35, 000 signatures and a speech calling for religious institutions to no longer be considered tax-exempt that stated, among other things “I would also call your attention to the importance of correcting an evil that, if permitted to continue, will probably lead to great trouble in our land….it is the accumulation of vast amounts of untaxed church property" . 


  President Grant was concerned that the Church would become too powerful, but also that everyday citizens would come to hate an institution that didn't pay the same taxes as any other corporation, which Grant correctly viewed them as. Needless to say, the Congress did not pass the measure and religious institutions are one of the view business ventures where one is nearly guaranteed a handsome profit. Churches today own vast properties, precious metal wealth, and art collections that are the envy of the most prestigious galleries. 


  According to the IRS, Churches are not supposed to engage in inordinate amounts of political lobbying, tell people who to vote for, or otherwise interfere with political campaigns. Failing to obey the rules can result in the Church having its tax-exempt status suspended or revoked. As we witnessed in yesterday's article, the Catholic Church most certainly has had an effect on the bias of many members of the GOP. Churches were also at the forefront of campaigns for senatorial and congressional candidates this past midterm election. The Mormon Church has taken the lead on funding laws restricting gay marriage in the western states, the Catholic Diocese in the east. Throw in the Baptists of the south who hate everyone (but especially those evil gays and Jews) and we have a load of violations that wouldn't fit into Noah's Ark. Yet, the IRS continues to allow these organizations to directly curse candidates, attempt to violate civil rights laws, and be the preeminent Conservative political force without taxing them. This practice of giving tax-exempt status to the largest and most well-funded hate groups must end, and this should be the next to go.


   The Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona is already well-known to U. S. Secret Service, becoming so after Pastor Steven L. Anderson's sermons calling Barack Obama the devil, telling his parishoners falsehoods about Mr. Obama's beliefs, and calling for the death (of natural causes, we don't want that bastard becoming a martyr) of the President. Now, most nations consider advocating the death of an elected official to be an act of domestic terrorism, but the IRS considers it just fine, because Pastor Anderson made the rants after the election and not during it. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is not only legal to pray for someone's death and encourage others to do so, but the government will pay you to do it if you reside in the United States of America. 


  Members of Mr. Anderson's church have also made headlines for carrying rifles in close proximity to buildings in which Mr. Obama was located and the Southern Poverty Law Center has just designated the church as an organized hate group. Some hate groups like the Family Research Council, known for being incorporated by George Rekers and anti-gay and anti-choice lobbying, have protested the SPLC's designation. However, Steven Anderson wears the label proudly, stating that every real Baptist should wish for the death of homosexuals. While there is no word on whether Steven Anderson also promotes Biblical rules against eating shellfish or whether he keeps slaves or rapes captives, but he's certainly more than delighted to call himself a bigot and has essentially challenged the government to remove his Tax-Exempt status. 


  So, why not call Steven Anderson on his bluff? Remove his exemption and that of any other treasonous, inciteful cult. Don't go First Amendment on me- it states that there should be no restriction on religious practice, not that taxpayers are required to fund it. Otherwise, since there is freedom of the press, anyone who works within the U.S. of A. would be required to pay for full tax-exemption of NBC, ABC, CBS, and every other network and affiliate that writes, films, records, analyzes, and broadcasts with any business in the U.S. 


  Other nations have removed or reduced tax exemptions provided to religious institutions, and nearly every nation outside of the Arab World has given penalties to churches that promote hatred and murder. In any country, promoting the death of a serving president would result in everything from sanctions to execution. I'm not a death-penalty proponent, even in the instance of treasonous societal rejects, but something has to be done about giving tax breaks to people who want other human beings killed. At the very least, tax them like any other business. 


  It absolutely incenses that 65% of you have to pay for this dude's suit.