Americans don't want to fund the church

Carl Turner2 said:🙂

Well, let’s take a moment to assess exactly what level we've reached, shall we?

I mean, look at the reality of things—you walk into a hospital in most major cities that was originally founded by the church, or you attend a school that was established under its aegis...

But I find myself wondering: how many of those hospitals were built by the church and then later handed over to the state, versus how many were actually constructed using taxpayer money?

Man, this argument of yours is honestly on the same level as saying:
Walmart employs the most Americans.
Like, seriously, how many Americans would even have jobs
if Walmart didn't exist?🤣

Ryan Harris5 said:It isn't really about the faith or the Bible; it’s about the money coming straight out of people's pockets. Religion serves an important sociological purpose and deserves its place, but honestly, while half of Americans can barely afford groceries, the Church is busy building massive cathedrals out of onyx. Isn't that just pure greed? If you ask me, it’s a sin.

😂

Could you please elaborate on this logic? Is it not akin to someone arguing two centuries ago that slavery was a vital sociological institution simply because it had always existed and people were accustomed to it? Surely there must be a more substantive reason than mere habit.

urbanscout95 said:😂

Could you please elaborate on this logic? Is it not akin to someone arguing two centuries ago that slavery was a vital sociological institution simply because it had always existed and people were accustomed to it? Surely there must be a more substantive reason than mere habit.

We’ve supposedly evolved, yet here we are being lectured on how feudalism is some essential sociological cornerstone...

Look, I’m done subsidizing the MTA and Amtrak. I don't even touch them, yet somehow every year I’m out several thousand dollars because of it. Honestly, I’d much rather put that cash toward a better car or a decent bike... I have zero interest in funding shipbuilding either. I don't sail. And those endless road projects in the middle of nowhere? Why should I pay for roads I’ll never drive on? As for schools—since I don't have kids, I might consider paying once my first one is born, assuming I even have kids given how things are going. I’d gladly drop a massive amount of money once everything is settled. I wouldn't even pay for daycare right now if I could help it.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't even need the cops—I follow the law, and I'm more than capable of defending myself if things actually get ugly. When it comes to culture, I don't go to the theater, but I love reading and watching documentaries, so I’d rather spend that money on faster internet and cheap e-books.
Healthcare, though? Yeah, I'll pay for that. Damn it, you never know. But I'm not giving a single cent to those NGOs either. What do I have to do with them? I'll think about Social Security, maybe. But since it's until age 67, who knows how long I'll even be around... It doesn't make sense to set money aside for a few years of retirement. I'd rather spend that cash while I'm still in my prime.
But hey, I'm young and I like to go out. So, if they want to give me more places with hot girls in bikinis like Martha's Vineyard, then fine. Take that Amtrak money and redirect it toward building more party hubs instead. Like, say, on Martha's Vineyard. I'd much rather see some real Russian women there, instead of that crazy old man playing Russian criminals.
I'll flesh out this whole list by Christmas and send it over to Santa Claus. If anyone else feels the same way, maybe we can start a petition. Or better yet, a referendum.

Honestly, we should just stop paying taxes altogether,
because everything we've dealt with in politics so far has been a total joke.
Get lost! ☕

Man, imagine if we could just have Zrče
plus all those sweet perks from the old socialist days
along with how energetic kids are today.
All without any greedy politicians lining their pockets.
I'm such a sweetheart, 🙂

Charles Lopez3 said:Honestly, we should just stop paying taxes altogether,
because everything we've dealt with in politics so far has been a total joke.
Get lost! ☕

Man, imagine if we could just have Zrče
plus all those sweet perks from the old socialist days
along with how energetic kids are today.
All without any greedy politicians lining their pockets.
I'm such a sweetheart, 🙂

What exactly do you mean by the "benefits" of socialism?

Carl Turner2 said:What exactly do you mean by the "benefits" of socialism?

Man, I mean all of them,
everything that’s been ripped away
and stolen from us since the early 90s.

And honestly,
you clearly have no clue😁

Where on earth did I call for socialism? All I’m saying is I want to pay for what I actually use. That's pure capitalism right there. Exactly what the OP had in mind in the first place.

Charles Lopez3 said:Man, I mean all of them,
everything that’s been ripped away
and stolen from us since the early 90s.

And honestly,
you clearly have no clue😁

that's exactly why we voted back in '90

Joshua Clark7 said:Where on earth did I call for socialism? All I’m saying is I want to pay for what I actually use. That's pure capitalism right there. Exactly what the OP had in mind in the first place.

She only ever suggested,
a way better alternative entirely.

If you're really not feeling it,
just go ahead and add
own square of land to your list

right under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Then you can finally be a landowner,🤣

Larry Walker24 said:that's exactly why we voted back in '90

Back in the 90s, we all went out and voted against it, plain and simple.
I’m still thinking about that whole mess involving the Mexican memorandum, the San, and the JNA.

Larry Walker24 said:that's exactly why we voted back in '90

Most Americans only voted for this version of America in 1990 because they mistakenly tied their ethnicity to capitalism and a seat at the Western table. It's a textbook sociological phenomenon...

Charles Lopez3 said:Man, I mean all of them,
everything that’s been ripped away
and stolen from us since the early 90s.

And honestly,
you clearly have no clue😁

I can't recall a single instance myself, though I certainly know folks who used to head into the office just to kill time—living by that old philosophy of "just lying around while the paycheck rolls in."

But the real issue here is the church; I personally contributed to a housing fund, much like hundreds of others did, yet only five people actually ended up receiving an apartment....

Then you have those occupying properties, for example, that were originally seized from Jewish families.... and now they simply refuse to vacate what was stolen from them.

Or take how the local government in Savannah turned a synagogue into a movie theater....

Regardless, the reality remains that when you look at it as a percentage of a paycheck, far less money goes toward the church than goes toward those various non-profits and their endless "cultural" posturing....

Charles Lopez3 said:She only ever suggested,
a way better alternative entirely.

If you're really not feeling it,
just go ahead and add
own square of land to your list

right under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Then you can finally be a landowner,🤣

Every single poll claims the average American actually voted to keep the socialist system alive back in 1990—they just wanted independence plus some shopping malls so we wouldn't have to trek all the way to Austria or Italy just to grab some decent clothes or groceries. I have no clue where all this nonsense came from. That wasn't even on the ballot.

Joshua Clark7 said:Every single poll claims the average American actually voted to keep the socialist system alive back in 1990—they just wanted independence plus some shopping malls so we wouldn't have to trek all the way to Austria or Italy just to grab some decent clothes or groceries. I have no clue where all this nonsense came from. That wasn't even on the ballot.

Whether they actually went out and voted or not, well, look at us now. We're living with the results. ☕

It’s like having total tunnel vision.
All you can see is how far we’ve actually made it,
but you lose sight of the people who helped us get here. 😁

Good grief, I swear.
Next time there’s a thunderstorm rolling in, I’m out.

Those who believe should contribute to the Church. Those who don't? Well, they can pay their share to the Red Cross instead. Let’s just settle this nonsense once and for all, briefly and simply...

Online polls are pretty much useless.

The people most active on the web tend to yield results that look nothing like the general public.

On top of that, comparing them to other nonprofits is a non-starter. They don't operate on the same financial model and they aren't drawing from government coffers in the same way. Honestly, claiming otherwise is just defensive demagoguery. If that weren't true, we wouldn't see "essential" organizations like the ACLU facing shutdown threats due to budget gaps. Most grassroots nonprofits survive on a case-by-case basis through one-off donations or specific project grants. They lack that steady stream of revenue flowing directly from the federal budget via those rigid international treaties that—in some ways—actually limit national sovereignty.

It’s all well and good that believers fund their own church. My point is, there are plenty of Americans—and people from other backgrounds too—who aren't even members of the church, let alone active participants.

Sam Wright21 said:It’s all well and good that believers fund their own church. My point is, there are plenty of Americans—and people from other backgrounds too—who aren't even members of the church, let alone active participants.

In my view, the best approach would be to structure things so that those tax dollars can be redirected easily. We should offer humanitarian charities as an option for people who don't want their money going to any religious group whatsoever.

On the other hand, I find it strange how we reached this point where it's considered normal for religious groups to be funded through state tax mechanisms rather than just direct contributions from members—like tithes—or specific donations from individuals and corporations, much like how most non-profits operate in the States.🤔