Why do we subsidize the Catholic Church?

[Anonymous]

As a Christian, I am proud that my Church allows women priests, recognizes gay marriages, does not object to family planning, and opposes the death penalty. I fail to understand why the Federal and various state governments provide substantial benefits to the Catholic Church in the form of income and sales exemptions and exemptions from other laws as well as substantial grants. The Chatholic Church holds several beliefs that fundamentally contradict my Christian faith in addition to basic civil rights. I fail to see why I have to pay higher taxes because governments have granted favorable tax benefits to the Catholic Church.

[takoma]

OP, ITA. It's an insult to your religious freedom that the government gives those benefits to the Catholic Church.

[Anonymous]

All religious organziations get tax preferences, accepting gay marriage is not christian, you must be some lib cult bullshit

[Anonymous]

You're not a Christian, OP.

[Anonymous]

Silliest post ever.

Pot meet kettle.

[Anonymous]

OP you are right. But we have to treat all churches the same. So no subsidies for any of them.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they should get tax exemptions. But I don't think they should get funding for social services. They think no one would touch it because the church is too big to fire. But republicans want to cut social services anyway. So everyone wins.

I respect catholic charity, but it can't excuse everything.

[Anonymous]

I think Planned Parenthood is wrong. Yes they may do some good but I don't agree with them on abortion. Why do we subsidize them?

See how that works?

[Anonymous]

Why do we fund private schools that are made up of über wealthy families that could afford full rate if the schools paid taxes. Or organizations that only cater to a single race? Or why is the government forcing people to take contraceptives and forcing us to pay for it.

[Anonymous]

The Founders realized that the power to tax is the power to destroy. They decided that the freedom of religion is so fundamental, and the risk to freedom of religion from being able to tax religions out of existance was so high that they decided not to tax religion. Similarly they thought the roles of the states was so important that states aren't subject to federal taxes.

You might think that the Catholic church is wrong on a number of issues and want to tax them, but who is to say that tomorrow the majority doesn't like your religion and wants to tax it at a rate so high that the church can not support itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Planned Parenthood is wrong. Yes they may do some good but I don't agree with them on abortion. Why do we subsidize them?

See how that works?

Because only one of them will refuse to meet government requirements for providing services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do we fund private schools that are made up of über wealthy families that could afford full rate if the schools paid taxes. Or organizations that only cater to a single race? Or why is the government forcing people to take contraceptives and forcing us to pay for it.

Wow, really? The governemnt is FORCING people to take contraceptives? What cave do you live in?

The government wants to make sure woman have a choice and access to control their fertility if they choose to do so. That's all. It just has to be available as an option. When you pay for insurance you pay for medication YOU may not take. I don't take Viagra, but I'm paying for it? GET IT??? You are paying for smokers lung cancer treatment also.

Do you realize that birth control helps some woman with medical conditions, it's not only for prevention of pregnancy? There are woman that have extremely heavy bleeding, that makes them anemic, birth control helps that. It also helps woman with hormonal inbalance as well. Just to name a few more common reason birth control is taken that is not related to pregnancy prevention. Do deny women this coverage is nothing short of discrimination. If you don't want to pay for my birth control, I don't want to pay for you Viagra, heart medication, insulin because I don't take those meds for my health.

Please, Please educate yourself before you make such a ridiculous statement.

[Anonymous]

"To" deny.

[Anonymous]

Why do we subsidize lazy people? illegals, druga addicts, elderly?

[Anonymous]

I just read that various Catholic groups, including Conference of Catholic Bishops, has received over $700 Million from the USG during the Obama Administration, which an increase from the Bush Administration. Moreover, I understand that these groups as well as other religious organizations that receive Federal grants do not have to comply with Federal anti-discrimination laws even with respect to the use of their grant money. First, this is an absurd amount of money to be given to religious groups that contradict many of my Christian beliefs. Second, why are they exempted from complying with these laws. Lets defund the Catholic Church!!