Churches should NOT be tax exempt

In the United States, churches exploit tax exemption.  All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia make churches exempt to paying property tax.  This subsidation is clearly unconstitutional, costs the taxpayers and the government billions each year, and it is fundamentally unjust.

The first statement of the Bill of Rights reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of relgion, or prohibiting the free exercise therof.

Exempting religious organizations from paying taxes clearly violates what the framers of the constitution intended to prohibit, "respecting an establishment of religion."  No matter what your belief may be, it has been documented throughout history that religion causes a lot of problems in the world.  In my opinion, James Madison said it best when he said,"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries."  Another violation of the constitution caused by this is "Freedom of Speech."  Pastors are in a sense 'muzzled' by this tax exemption.  In order to still be considered charities and not lose the exemption, pastors are not allowed to endorse or denounce political candidates from the pulpit. None of this sits well with the First Amendment..

For every tax dollar not paid by a religious organization, you and I pay on our behalf.  In 1986, an estimate showed religious income in that year of approximately $100 billion, or about five times the income of the five largest corporations in the United States.  All of that money was tax free. The tax code doesn't make distinctions between fraudulant faiths and authentic religions.  In 2010, the state of Oklahoma awarded tax exempt status to Satanist group "The Church of the IV Majesties." According to former White House senior policy analyst Jeff Schweitzer, PhD, churches in the U.S. own between $300-$500 billion in untaxed property.  New York City alone loses $627 million in property tax revenue each year. Exempting churches from taxation is a clear violation of the Bill of Rights and costs us billions.

As stated in an article from taxthechurches.org, "Should the taxes of non-religous citizens be higher to subsidize every church, synagogue, and mosque in town? Should working women pay taxes to subsidize clergy and other employees' paychecks, when such positions are overwhelmingly- and legally- restricted to men?"  It's not right for churches to enjoy these tax breaks when they can and should pay taxes. Even though churches do not pay property taxes, they often receive more benefits than business who do pay their fair share.  This includes but isn't limited to police and fire protection. And often times, church water bills are even absorbed by towns (taxpayers).  This obviously isn't right and should be changed.

Blog #8 Edna Pontellier

In the eyes of suffragists, Edna Pontellier may be seen as a breakthrough from common practices.  Others may see her as a trouble maker. One thing is for sure though, she is very controversial.

Edna's sexual desires seem to be the root of most of her trouble.  She is unhappy with Leonce and tries to find happiness in Robert.  Robert in return eventually leaves and Edna's mood shifts to sorrow.  At the beginning of the novel, Edna is in a semi-conscious sort of state.  She soon starts to let her feelings get the best of her and lashes out against society.

An example of her "rebellion" is when she didn't stay to entertain guests as was her custom.  That didn't fancy  Leonce in any sort of way.  This novel, given the time it's in, really shows a difference in culture.  Edna's kissing of Arobin is another example of her lashing out against the Creole ways.

Her actions seem to hurt everyone around her and especially herself.  That is why in the end, she ends up killing herself.  Edna's story shows that sometimes it's better to just go with the flow.