When Faith Calls Us to Give: Or Baby Jesus Would have Paid Taxes!

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  ~ 1 John 3:16-8


If you were to ask me my political affiliation, I would tell you I am a registered independent who usually votes democrat. In the bible belt, those are fighting words. Democrat. The definition of democrat here in East TN/SW VA area is nig*er loving, baby killing, criminal coddling, country hating, flag burning, welfare giving, lazy atheist SOB who wants America to be invaded by illegal aliens while ripping the nation from the hands of Almighty God. And I'm not kidding.

To me, its about doing what we were called to do: take care of one another.

The funny thing about politics, is this evil little nig*er loving, baby killing, criminal coddling, country hating, flag burning, welfare giving, lazy atheist SOB is a democrat because of my faith.

My faith calls me to kindness. My faith calls me to generosity. My faith calls me to compassion.

Where you see a baby killing abortionist mother, I see a terrified young woman who doesn't want a child to go through the same life of poverty or abuse she did. Where you see a dirty lazy bum, I see a man who fought for our country but could never deal with the atrocities he witnessed. Where you see an aids infested homosexual, I see a young man kicked out of his house by a church going family who were disgusted with his sin.

Jesus said "when you care for the least of these, you care for me". The Divine is in that young woman. The light of heaven is in that war veteran. The angels of God surround that gay man who only wanted to be loved.

Those children of the Divine are the ones who we complain we are supporting with our taxes. We blame them. They should do their fair share. "Get a job!" we scream at them while we kick them as we walk by on the street.

This frustrates me to no end because while we put the blame and weight of the world on these hurting individuals, the church pays NO taxes to help them. 

A recent study shows that the amount of revenue we lose by allowing churches to claim tax exemption is $71 BILLION. The amount of property own by the church has been estimated at $500 BILLION, yet that property is tax free. There have been years (1986 for instance), when the church profited more than most of the top business in the world, but no taxes were paid. When all other non-church related non profits must file IRS tax forms tracking where every dime has gone, churches are exempt.

The outcry of "but the church does so much good" is outweighed by what we actually witness.

• The Pope wears Prada while children starve (see Washington Post "Pope Wears Prada, And Italy's Abuzz"). 
• The Crystal Cathedral was built at a cost of $18 million and sold to the Catholic Church for $57 million.
• There is as estimated 1200 mega churches in America with budgets of large corporations, all tax free.
• While millions of people are homeless, Pastor Joel Osteen's net worth exceeds $40 million dollars and he lives in a $12 million dollar mansion with his wife. When questioned about if he ever felt guilty about it it he claimed it was an insult to God to apologize for his wealth. 

Churches benefit for city and county services including police and fire protection but pay NOTHING for it. They build wealth off of the backs of taxpayers, and we fall for it and blame the less fortunate. For every dollar the church does not pay, WE DO. It is estimated that if the church paid their fair share of taxes, every family in America would pay at least $1000 less.

While people scream it is a violation of church and state to require taxes, I claim it is a violation to allow churches special privilege. In the Bible so often quoted by the churches, they were commanded to take care of the poor, orphaned, widows, and elderly, NOT the government. 

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  ~James 1:27 (NLT)

The world HAS corrupted the church. When mega buildings, mansions, and designer wear means more than the children of the Divine, it is corrupt. It is vile, disgusting, and dirty. 

The church has lost its way. If it were doing what it had been called to do, no government would even think of interfering. If compassion trumped profit, it would be an example to the world of what can be done when the heart is right. 

So when the government steps in like President Obama and the democrats have done, blame yourself. When the government has to encourage compassion for the "least of these" and teach the church the value of taking care of ALL of America instead of some, look in your hearts and ask why. 

 While you are beating down on the broken, the evangelists are getting rich. Do you really think Jesus would buy himself a mansion? An expensive car? Clothes that cost more than what most of us make in a week? No! He would spend that on those in need. But not all Christians agree with me apparently WWJD? Not this....