How would you solve the budget?

[ELVIS]

So where's the surplus the GOP wanted to reduce, Elvis?

I dunno, it's all smoke and mirrors...

It was never there...

[hideyoursheep]

..definitely not there NOW, is it?

[ELVIS]

They're out of control...

Paul/Nader 2012

[hideyoursheep]

Come back here elvis...

Do you think the extending the Bush tax cuts were a good idea, even though it has been PROVEN non-effective in reducing the deficit?

A pussy move by a bunch of goons on BOTH sides of the aisle who want to do what's popular and not what is NEEDED in order to save their own jobs, I say.

[hideyoursheep]

I dunno, it's all smoke and mirrors...

It was never there...

Apparently, they thought it WAS there.

I wonder why?

[ELVIS]

Come back here elvis...

Do you think the extending the Bush tax cuts were a good idea, even though it has been PROVEN non-effective in reducing the deficit?

It stimulated a little spending I suppose, but I certainly wasn't hard up for $600 at the time...

But it wasn't intended to reduce the defecit...

[ELVIS]

Apparently, they thought it WAS there.

I wonder why?

No they didn't. They wanted to spend money. That's what both sides want to do. That's why I'm independent...

[knuckleboner]

Sure it would violate the Constitutuon. I'm quite confident any sane court would rule that way. Establishing taxes on a church is interfering with the operation of the churches. While I'm glad kwame is one liberal who realizes the phrase "seperation of church and state" isn't a phrase directly from the Constitution (How long have I been arguing that one? It comes from Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists) it would theoretically violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Most churches are registered as non-profits. Are we going to tax the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the United Way, the American Cancer Society, and the Salvation Army also?

Besides, the theoretical taxing of churches would allow:

->Government subsidies to churches.
->Lobbyists on Capital hill for Churches.
->A say in Congress for churches on how your tax dollars are spent.
->Churches to donate to politicians and political parties.
->Churches and pastors to outright endorse political candidates and suggest to their members who they should vote for (already being done on both sides of the aisle but done very low key).

Those are just a few.

It's a slippery slope I don't think most people, particularly liberals, want to start sliding on for the relatively low revenue it would provide.

dude, you know you're talking about an extremely activist court, right? i mean, i'm not sure the 9th circuit's even activist enough to say that although there's nothing against it in the constitution, that because it could interfere with a church's ideal operations, that they're going to outlaw it. i'm not saying taxing churches is good policy. but i am saying it's not unconstitutional. it's a result of the non-profit tax laws.

[kwame k]

Exactly, it's a non-profit tax exemption!

The thing is, if you look at The True Church they use only a tiny fraction of their profits for charity. There is no Separation of Church and State when it comes to Holy Mother Rome.....they have an embassy here and diplomatic ties with the USA. So why can't they be taxed?

A simplistic summary of a non-profit is that after expenses they make NO PROFIT

How many churches truly fall into that category?

[ELVIS]

The true church ??

[kwame k]

What Christian church was before it?

[ELVIS]

The Catholic church is now like a government...far removed from Biblical teaching...

What in your mind makes it "the true church" ??

[kwame k]

It's a joking reference to the way they address themselves.....an inside joke, that if you weren't raised in The True Faith, you won't get it.

[ELVIS]

Well, that's deceiving...

[kwame k]

...and elitist just like how most organized religions think they are better than the others. Mine is the true faith and yours is shit. Causing divisions, wars and murder to prove their brand of religion is the right one and looking down on other people's faith.

I'm sure you can relate!