The title is not a rhetorical question. As the GOP seeks to expand religious (Christian) rights, at the expense of other citizens and religions, I believe it is time to call and treat religion what it really is; a business aimed at taking money from a willing audience and using it to profit the people at the top. A typical fundamentalist organization is not in the business of sharing the wealth through charity, but of providing income for the upper managers. This is strikingly similar to registered “charities” that have exceptionally high overhead costs with little of the contributions going towards the mission statement. The comparison between tithing for a morning filled with music, faith healing and a sermon is similar to spending time at the movies. Put another way for those who partake of communion, dinner and a show.
The following are tax free religious organizations, some followers of which regularly interfere with the civil rights of others.
1. The Roman Catholic Church
2. Islam
3. Judaism
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints
5. Episcopalians
6. Televangelism
7. Protestantism
8. The Church of Scientology
Numbers 8, 6, and 4 are the newest kids in the business and continue to expand. From my limited understanding, 8 seems more of a life values system rather than an actual religion. Those who remain active voluntarily pay for their level of participation, so I do not deem this to be either predatory or infringing on the civil rights of others. Number 6 fits my views of television soap opera type entertainment, or carnival con artistry rather than being religious. Look at their television styled studio sets, over the top and unreal acting of the performers, and the apparent wealth they flaunt (I wonder where Trump learned his techniques?). The lifestyles of fundamentalist people like Jimmy Swagart, Oral Roberts, Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, and their cohorts work in an estimated $2.3 billion dollar business, operating from gilded and crystal cathedrals (tRump Towers). Less than charitable, this group seems more motivated by riches in their constant grubbing for money. They frequently target the poor, the sick, or the elderly to “give more seed money to get greater blessings”. I do not know enough about LDS to say yea or nay. I do know they set aside a large portion of their income to assist others within their faith, and have heard that some of their beliefs skate towards racial superiority as to who is granted heavenly access, but I may be mistaken on that aspect.
Protestants are baptists and vice versa. I find myself in sympathetic support of the Baptist churches (predominantly black) which continue to fight so diligently for civil rights. On the other hand, their counterparts (also claiming to be Baptists but predominantly white) seem to be hypocritical when it comes to the right to life. “We believe”, every sperm is sacred, “life begins at conception”, but health care isn’t a right for those unwanted or sickly children born under our guidance, oh, and by the way, the death penalty is a good thing. Many if not all Televangelists fall into this category as well, but IMO their celebrity and advertised money seeking actions required a separate classification.
Islam is not represented by the terrorists that claim it as their justification for horrific acts. I have read the Quran and found it similar to both the New and Old Testaments. Like the twisting of biblical scripture used to justify the old Judaic wars and Christian Crusades, the Quran has been perverted by purported followers to justify their brand of crusade, misogyny, enslavement of others, and jihad. The Quran as written is more enlightened in regards to women’s rights than the Bible. Earthly power is unfortunately justified by co-opting and cherry picking portions of the written texts, or just editing out entire sections when they don’t coincide with patriarchal concepts.
A vow of poverty is the cornerstone of Catholicism. So how can an organization based on such a vow own more land than any other private person or company? What scriptural endorsement authorized the enslavement of natives around the world to run the expanding Catholic kingdoms of France, Spain, and Portugal? I doubt this was done to save souls, but instead to turn profits for the kings and the church. Again, mostly for profit enterprise, with a minor and hard to locate charitable side. Patriarchy and misogyny is part and parcel of the church. Women are lesser than men in the church and in the family. Abortion or contraception, oh hell no, have as many kids as you get. Never mind more women used to die in childbirth. I quit the church because of its position on abortion and any other form of contraception. I love Pope Frank, and hope he can bring the Church forward into the 21st Century.
So what do we do when a large portion of our economy seeks to undermine the rights of others while demanding we cater to their freedom of religion? Their right to practice what they believe ends where it interferes with a woman’s right to choose, a LGBT person wants to worship, work or shop, and where an employer denies basic healthcare based on their religious prejudices over the beliefs of their employees. Should churches be tax exempt when they are attempting to write and pass laws benefiting themselves and discriminating against others? When a “Pastor” lives in a million dollar mansion, has a fleet of luxury cars, and owns a private business jet, those are evidence of profit making and taking, as opposed to charitable non profit work; as such those proceeds should be taxed.
I do not have a problem with people believing what they choose to under any faith. If someone is agnostic or an atheist it is not my place to judge them. I do have a huge problem with Americans claiming to believe in one thing while doing the opposite and expecting their propaganda ministries to operate with impunity while ignoring our tax laws. Churches should pay payroll, business, local property, and other taxes to enjoy the same societal benefits that other businesses earn. A place where Noah’s Ark operates as a tourist attraction or an amusement park, like Lego Land, is not a tax exempt religious enterprise but a business using tax funded roads and ambulance, fire or police protection. A church with a school that does not pay taxes is not entitled to the use of tax funded vouchers to teach religious beliefs in place of science. Such “schools” should have to meet the educational standards of the state they operate in. I don’t buy for a minute that churches or religious schools are non profit centers, does anybody?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
By making laws that exempt religion from the rules and regulations that all other businesses are forced to adhere to, Congress has in fact given undue and illegal advantage to the business of religion. Contrary to what most people believe, carpentry, fishermen and prostitution are not the oldest professions, being a priest or religious leader is. The second part of the freedom doesn’t prohibit the free exercise of one’s beliefs, but it also doesn’t authorize any religion a free ride. Congress and the courts have gone beyond the guidance of the Constitution and established an uneven field that forces regular businesses, with all of their day today expenses and overhead, to compete against similar, but, low overhead and tax free enterprises.
In order for Americans to have freedom of religion, we first need freedom from the religions that are leeching off of the rest of society. It is time to close all religious loopholes, tax free status, and make those organizations pay for the benefits which every other American and business already pays for. Freedom of religion should not be a free ride for any church or religious school here in America. Freedom of religion is freedom from the burdens that religions place on the rest of society in their parasitism.