This is something that I've been thinking about for a while and to be honest I can't really come to a position that I like on it and other input would be helpful. On the one hand, I've read a lot of arguments that show that ending or at least limiting religious tax exemption would bring more money into the country as well as being more equitable...not to mention that a lot of churches are already breaking the rules for tax exemption in the first place. The problem, conversely, is that I believe in religious liberty, and I fear that the power to tax a religion can be used to destroy or marginalize an unpopular religion. Say making the areas that the religious meeting areas are in higher tax brackets or putting specialty local taxes in based on things they need or use for certain practices. My problem is also that there are churches that have CEOs, there are people that claim to be a church to hide money or use their religious group to create a ponzi scheme (there was actually a case of this back in the 90's I believe)

Many of us who've been here awhile probably remember this bitch getting raked over the coals a few years ago. I think public awareness has faded though. A headline reminded me.

Continues..

Did anybody view it last night ?

Was the Exodus natural or supernatural, fact or fiction?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbJ6qVsu_MU

I have always had a problem with the notion that God would have hardened Pharaoh’s soft heart and pave the way for him to kill/murder the first born of Egypt. For God to do so would have been evil indeed.

Do you think that science has explained the purported miracles as natural phenomena?

From what I can see, the Jews who wrote the story did not take it literally.

http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/doubtingexodus.htm

Should Christians recognize the O T stories as natural or supernatural, fact or fiction?

Regards
DL

Were the Jews Slaves in Egypt as the bible says?

In attacking Jesus Christ , Atheism might render itself a disservice. 

Do you lead an attack on a non existent being? 

Atheism to the logistician seems unreasonable. 

At night we see many stars in the sky. But when the sun rises, they disappear. Can we claim, therefore, that during the day there are no stars in the sky? If we fail to see God, perhaps it is because we pass through the night of ignorance in this matter. it is premature to claim He does not exist. 

Richard Wurmbrand

I wonder what it means, to a Christian, to "believe."

That term is sometimes used to suppose something might be true -- as with a question such as "Did the Raiders win?" and the reply "I believe so," in which one thinks they might know the answer but are uncertain.

But I think that's not how Christians would like to express their connection to God. Their common use of the term "believe" implies they judge the truth of God to be absolute. After all, Jesus didn't say that salvation could be found by hypothesizing his divinity, but by Believing in it -- capital B. 

I believe gravity, the force causing things to fall toward the Earth, to be beyond doubt and my actions validate the veracity of my belief -- i.e., I am careful not to walk off the edges of cliffs because I know the consequences will demonstrate, to my detriment, the truth of my belief  (at least on Earth!).

Christians, however, are never wiling to put their "belief" to the test. They don't pray for God to cushion their fall, and then step off the cliff -- because when it comes to falling, their belief in gravity is more certain than their imagination of prayer. They cover this inconsistency with the concept of faith, a one-size-fits-all shield against contradicition that, in fact, only further exposes their false concept of belief.

Hi,

It's common to find atheists disagree with theism (Abrahammic religions.) I wonder what atheists think about Buddhism. Buddhism is not theism, nor atheism (it doesn't fit the definition of atheism on this website.) Care to share your thoughts?

First of all, I want to say that I'm not in the position to defend theism/theists. Just want to know whether atheists in this forum have got their questions (regarding live, the universe, or any other puzzling inquiries) answered by becoming atheist, or at least you have got a quite satisfying answer.