I read the newspaper every day, and spend much of the day listening to NPR, which tends to rehash the news all day long. This is quite sufficent to tell me that some large number (no, no count) of the poor in this country are in trouble because they either can't get work, or work enough hours, because of lack of affordable child care. If they leave their kids alone to go to work, they can be arrested and jailed. And it happens, when the kids get into trouble and draw attention to themselves.
Most,if not all churches do charitable work, but these efforts cover a lot of ground. Frequently they're combined with missionary activities overseas. What I'm saying is that the sum total of these efforts is not enough to provide meaningfully for every unwanted child born--or potentially born--in this country alone.
I'm not pro-abortion by any means. I am, however, firmly pro-choice. Until this society can move itself to make the necessary commitment of love and money to provide for every needy child, it must not interfere with the mother's right to act in her own interest. That means, to me, a safe place for kids, 24 by 7 if necessary, to allow for people working late shifts.
Not sure where communists come into this particular discussion. They tended to move against any and all religion, in order to maintain their own hold on power. Separation of church and state is one of the most brilliant notions ever enacted into law. The erosion of that separation under the Bush administration is one of the more serious problems in the country today.
Getting back to an earlier conversation we've had, I do believe that there are individuals in this country getting into the "church" business every day, to take advantage of the tax exemption and collect money which they then abuse for their own gain. Removing the tax exemption might discourage some of that--but believe me, it isn't going to happen. What might be more practical, is to not grant any such exemption to any religious organization less than, say, 100 years old. That would tend to eliminate the entrepreneurial temptations, and give the organizations an opportunity to show that they were providing some service and value to their practitioners. And that they actually offered something which would hold a congregation for that length of time. Again, no research, but I somehow don't think that the early Christian church was aided in it's growth by any subsidies from the Roman treasury. Even Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar. . ."
no subject
Most,if not all churches do charitable work, but these efforts cover a lot of ground. Frequently they're combined with missionary activities overseas. What I'm saying is that the sum total of these efforts is not enough to provide meaningfully for every unwanted child born--or potentially born--in this country alone.
I'm not pro-abortion by any means. I am, however, firmly pro-choice. Until this society can move itself to make the necessary commitment of love and money to provide for every needy child, it must not interfere with the mother's right to act in her own interest. That means, to me, a safe place for kids, 24 by 7 if necessary, to allow for people working late shifts.
Not sure where communists come into this particular discussion. They tended to move against any and all religion, in order to maintain their own hold on power. Separation of church and state is one of the most brilliant notions ever enacted into law. The erosion of that separation under the Bush administration is one of the more serious problems in the country today.
Getting back to an earlier conversation we've had, I do believe that there are individuals in this country getting into the "church" business every day, to take advantage of the tax exemption and collect money which they then abuse for their own gain. Removing the tax exemption might discourage some of that--but believe me, it isn't going to happen. What might be more practical, is to not grant any such exemption to any religious organization less than, say, 100 years old. That would tend to eliminate the entrepreneurial temptations, and give the organizations an opportunity to show that they were providing some service and value to their practitioners. And that they actually offered something which would hold a congregation for that length of time. Again, no research, but I somehow don't think that the early Christian church was aided in it's growth by any subsidies from the Roman treasury. Even Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar. . ."