Gawd Should Stop Livin' On the Dadgum Dole, RRRRRGH!

[knapplc]

Gawd Should Stop Livin' Off the Dadgum Dole

 

 

The God I pray to ain't short on cash, mister.

- Bono

[cm husker]

 

 

 

That video doesn't show that same house. The houses are different. And from what I watched of the video, it's not tax exempt.

 

Private residences, even when owned by pastors, are not tax exempt.

 

 

Also, the average religious leader in this country makes between $30k and $70k a year.

 

The focus on the media/entertainment mega church pastor outliers seems disingenuous.

Obviously, any taxation on churches and pastors would be progressive.

Huh?

 

Progressive tax, like everyone else currently pays, or in theory, is supposed to pay.

 

 

Taxes on religious leaders' incomes is subject to the exact same tax rate as any other person (which, in this country is "progressive" ... though it's really not due to all of the tax breaks we give wealthy people like Bernie Sanders).

[cornographic]

 

 

 

 

That video doesn't show that same house. The houses are different. And from what I watched of the video, it's not tax exempt.

 

Private residences, even when owned by pastors, are not tax exempt.

 

 

Also, the average religious leader in this country makes between $30k and $70k a year.

 

The focus on the media/entertainment mega church pastor outliers seems disingenuous.

Obviously, any taxation on churches and pastors would be progressive.

Huh?

 

Progressive tax, like everyone else currently pays, or in theory, is supposed to pay.

 

 

Taxes on religious leaders' incomes is subject to the exact same tax rate as any other person (which, in this country is "progressive" ... though it's really not due to all of the tax breaks we give wealthy people like Bernie Sanders).

 

LOL, still stuck on the Bernie thing, eh? Which reminds me, and you don't have to reveal details, but if you are paying $4000/month back on your 1/4 mil student and $8000/month on whatever else that was you mentioned, you must be making more than the Bern, aren't ya, Skippy? That's a ridiculous student loan ya got there, hope the education was worth it.

[cm husker]

Yes, I am making more. About 30% more. Yet I pay 300% more in federal taxes. I'm also in my 30s and have a net worth that's much lower than Bernie's (which is around $500k).

Does that strike you as the correct approach to taxing our citizens?

 

I'm happy to pay taxes, but I'm not happy to subsidize the behavior of wealthier people (e.g., their decision to save for retirement through a tax exempt plan or buy a house, particularly a housing equity loan so they can buy regular goods and services).

 

Our current system of taxation is fundamentally unfair, and Bernie's solution is to expand it.

[cornographic]

Yes, I am making more. About 30% more. Yet I pay 300% more in federal taxes. I'm also in my 30s and have a net worth that's much lower than Bernie's (which is around $500k).

Does that strike you as the correct approach to taxing our citizens?

 

I'm happy to pay taxes, but I'm not happy to subsidize the behavior of wealthier people (e.g., their decision to save for retirement through a tax exempt plan or buy a house, particularly a housing equity loan so they can buy regular goods and services).

 

Our current system of taxation is fundamentally unfair, and Bernie's solution is to expand it.

$8000/month in taxes for you, wow, I don't know what you're doing, but that's a huge amount, at least in my book. But I really think you should get Bernie on the phone and settle it once and for all.

[Moesker]

I think the problem is the system, not the churches. I think religion is bogus but there is no question that it is a great way of getting a group of people galvanized to help a worthy cause. I don't think that those churches who truly are striving to make an effort to do good in the world be taxed simply because there are other churches who are scamming the system. Instead, I think we need to make all of these groups more accountable as to what they are doing and how they are spending money. It isn't just religious groups that are abusing this system but charities across the board.

[cornographic]

I think the problem is the system, not the churches. I think religion is bogus but there is no question that it is a great way of getting a group of people galvanized to help a worthy cause. I don't think that those churches who truly are striving to make an effort to do good in the world be taxed simply because there are other churches who are scamming the system. Instead, I think we need to make all of these groups more accountable as to what they are doing and how they are spending money. It isn't just religious groups that are abusing this system but charities across the board.

Not talking so much about the small town church and what not who are barely getting by, but, in particular, massive revenue generating insitutions like the Catholic Church, the mega evangelical churches and colleges, etc.

[cm husker]

 

Yes, I am making more. About 30% more. Yet I pay 300% more in federal taxes. I'm also in my 30s and have a net worth that's much lower than Bernie's (which is around $500k).

Does that strike you as the correct approach to taxing our citizens?

 

I'm happy to pay taxes, but I'm not happy to subsidize the behavior of wealthier people (e.g., their decision to save for retirement through a tax exempt plan or buy a house, particularly a housing equity loan so they can buy regular goods and services).

 

Our current system of taxation is fundamentally unfair, and Bernie's solution is to expand it.

$8000/month in taxes for you, wow, I don't know what you're doing, but that's a huge amount, at least in my book. But I really think you should get Bernie on the phone and settle it once and for all.

 

 

 

I overstated it; tax is about $7,200 a month for about $86,000 in federal taxes or an effective rate of about 27%. That doesn't include another $25,000 in state taxes and more in payroll taxes.

 

It would be really good if supporters of tax raises understood how much is already paid and how taxes really work for many earners in the country.

 

Like I said; I'll pay my taxes, but we need to stop giving special treatment to wealthier taxpayers whose income is the same as poorer/younger taxpayers.

[cm husker]

 

I think the problem is the system, not the churches. I think religion is bogus but there is no question that it is a great way of getting a group of people galvanized to help a worthy cause. I don't think that those churches who truly are striving to make an effort to do good in the world be taxed simply because there are other churches who are scamming the system. Instead, I think we need to make all of these groups more accountable as to what they are doing and how they are spending money. It isn't just religious groups that are abusing this system but charities across the board.

Not talking so much about the small town church and what not who are barely getting by, but, in particular, massive revenue generating insitutions like the Catholic Church, the mega evangelical churches and colleges, etc.

 

 

 

So, instead of setting up some consistent rules to govern everyone, you want to pick and choose on a church by church based how you and other feel they should be taxed.

 

Do you really not see the problem with this?

[cornographic]

 

 

Yes, I am making more. About 30% more. Yet I pay 300% more in federal taxes. I'm also in my 30s and have a net worth that's much lower than Bernie's (which is around $500k).

Does that strike you as the correct approach to taxing our citizens?

 

I'm happy to pay taxes, but I'm not happy to subsidize the behavior of wealthier people (e.g., their decision to save for retirement through a tax exempt plan or buy a house, particularly a housing equity loan so they can buy regular goods and services).

 

Our current system of taxation is fundamentally unfair, and Bernie's solution is to expand it.

$8000/month in taxes for you, wow, I don't know what you're doing, but that's a huge amount, at least in my book. But I really think you should get Bernie on the phone and settle it once and for all.

 

 

 

I overstated it; tax is about $7,200 a month for about $86,000 in federal taxes or an effective rate of about 27%. That doesn't include another $25,000 in state taxes and more in payroll taxes.

 

It would be really good if supporters of tax raises understood how much is already paid and how taxes really work for many earners in the country.

 

Like I said; I'll pay my taxes, but we need to stop giving special treatment to wealthier taxpayers whose income is the same as poorer/younger taxpayers.

 

Well, if you are making less than Bernie, that amt of tax seems way off. Upper marginal bracket-->$400k-- is only like 39%, right?

[cm husker]

I'm not making less than Bernie.

 

I'm making ~30% more.

 

But I pay more than 300% more in federal taxes.

 

Again, does that seem rational to you?

 

And I'm not the only one who is asked to subsidize the behavior of wealthier people by carrying a much larger burden of the taxes left over after said wealthier people get their breaks. It happens across the income stratosphere, and most disturbingly among the lower portion of the middle class.

[cornographic]

 

 

I think the problem is the system, not the churches. I think religion is bogus but there is no question that it is a great way of getting a group of people galvanized to help a worthy cause. I don't think that those churches who truly are striving to make an effort to do good in the world be taxed simply because there are other churches who are scamming the system. Instead, I think we need to make all of these groups more accountable as to what they are doing and how they are spending money. It isn't just religious groups that are abusing this system but charities across the board.

Not talking so much about the small town church and what not who are barely getting by, but, in particular, massive revenue generating insitutions like the Catholic Church, the mega evangelical churches and colleges, etc.

 

 

 

So, instead of setting up some consistent rules to govern everyone, you want to pick and choose on a church by church based how you and other feel they should be taxed.

 

Do you really not see the problem with this?

 

Sorry, gtg for the day amigo........buh bye...

[VectorVictor]

I think that tax exempt status should be removed from churches, if it's removed from all 501©(3) organizations.

 

And I definitely think that donations to college athletic programs should not be deductible, while we are at it.

 

 

But that OP makes me wondering about the stability of the OP. I feel like it came directly out of the 21st century digital version of the little red book.

 

If it did, is it any worse than the GOP using Mein Kamph as their playbook?

[TGHusker]

Corn has gone over the top loco on this one My only comment is this thought: Maybe the church (universal church not a particular denomination) should be paid for all of its social services it has provided the community at large without strings attached for the past say 20 centuries. Schools, universities, hospitals, food pantries, soup kitchens, drug intervention programs, moral education, family crisis services, funeral and grieving care, disaster relief, counseling, a place for voting, community centers, mercy ministries of all kinds, helping the poor around the world, not to mention the socialization/culturalization role the church has in society etc and etc. I don't know of too many atheist or agnostic organizations starting these kinds of community outreaches.

Yes corn and anyone else (including believers) can go the cheap route and call out charlatans & prosperity gospel teachers wt mega homes etc - but that isn't the church. Sometimes people bring up the huge cathedrals as an unneeded expenditure (and I for one am a more practical guy - lets spend the money on helping people and not a building- make the building as functional as possible) however, in centuries past these building were built to teach about the glory of God - to reflect his awesomeness. Most had built into stories from history and the Bible as a means of teaching. Architecture, like many other disciplines were to be conducted as a means of showing God's greatness. I think in the modern times we've gone more practical but that is how it was back then.

 

Corn later says in a post that he isn't talking about the small local church but the large mega churches. However, one needs to look to 'economies of scale' in that discussion. While I think the small church provides the much needed 'fellowship' that we all need (Huskerboard provides a kind of fellowship also) the large church due to their size are able to pull together resources to help with huge disaster relief programs, drug programs, schools etc - the things I mentioned above. Just because it is mega, doesn't mean it is bad (I don't attend a mega church by the way but I have plenty in Tulsa that I'm familiar with). One mega church in Tulsa for example has a large community, outreach center in North Tulsa - poor part of town. Mostly African Americans live in that area. This center provides free dental, medical clinics, food and clothing pantries, (I've taught a job skills class there before), car care clinic, etc, etc. So again painting wt a broad brush never accomplishes anything good. I'll stand wt anyone against the Charlatans but I'll defend the church when broad strokes like this are made. Name any large institution that is free of charlatans - I bet Corn's socialistic loving gov't has one or two - you think??

 

Let's go wt John Lennon's song Imagine. Imagine the world wtout religion - immediately the agonistics and atheists jump on the 'war' issue. But imagine it without true religion - Biblical religion of caring for your fellow man. Go back 2000 years and Imagine the world without all of the services to mankind that the church has provided as a force of good.

 

BTW - The Invoice for "Services Rendered" would be much higher than any 'tax liability'.

[Moesker]

Corn has gone over the top loco on this one My only comment is this thought: Maybe the church (universal church not a particular denomination) should be paid for all of its social services it has provided the community at large without strings attached for the past say 20 centuries. Schools, universities, hospitals, food pantries, soup kitchens, drug intervention programs, moral education, family crisis services, funeral and grieving care, disaster relief, counseling, a place for voting, community centers, mercy ministries of all kinds, helping the poor around the world, not to mention the socialization/culturalization role the church has in society etc and etc. I don't know of too many atheist or agnostic organizations starting these kinds of community outreaches.

Yes corn and anyone else (including believers) can go the cheap route and call out charlatans & prosperity gospel teachers wt mega homes etc - but that isn't the church. Sometimes people bring up the huge cathedrals as an unneeded expenditure (and I for one am a more practical guy - lets spend the money on helping people and not a building- make the building as functional as possible) however, in centuries past these building were built to teach about the glory of God - to reflect his awesomeness. Most had built into stories from history and the Bible as a means of teaching. Architecture, like many other disciplines were to be conducted as a means of showing God's greatness. I think in the modern times we've gone more practical but that is how it was back then.

 

Corn later says in a post that he isn't talking about the small local church but the large mega churches. However, one needs to look to 'economies of scale' in that discussion. While I think the small church provides the much needed 'fellowship' that we all need (Huskerboard provides a kind of fellowship also) the large church due to their size are able to pull together resources to help with huge disaster relief programs, drug programs, schools etc - the things I mentioned above. Just because it is mega, doesn't mean it is bad (I don't attend a mega church by the way but I have plenty in Tulsa that I'm familiar with). One mega church in Tulsa for example has a large community, outreach center in North Tulsa - poor part of town. Mostly African Americans live in that area. This center provides free dental, medical clinics, food and clothing pantries, (I've taught a job skills class there before), car care clinic, etc, etc. So again painting wt a broad brush never accomplishes anything good. I'll stand wt anyone against the Charlatans but I'll defend the church when broad strokes like this are made. Name any large institution that is free of charlatans - I bet Corn's socialistic loving gov't has one or two - you think??

 

Let's go wt John Lennon's song Imagine. Imagine the world wtout religion - immediately the agonistics and atheists jump on the 'war' issue. But imagine it without true religion - Biblical religion of caring for your fellow man. Go back 2000 years and Imagine the world without all of the services to mankind that the church has provided as a force of good.

 

BTW - The Invoice for "Services Rendered" would be much higher than any 'tax liability'.

Your hatred for those who don't share your outlook is noted but there are many charitable/aid organizations that provide help around the world that are not faith-based. Imagine trying to help your fellow man because its the right thing to do rather than for getting a gold star from your deity.