Anti-God Squad and Religious Bigotry

There has been a war raging for a long time and it will prove to be the dumbest war ever fought. I’m talking about the war on religion, specifically Christianity.

 

A report from Pew Research finds that the most targeted religious group is Christianity. Muslims rank second and Jews come in third. 

 

Of course, China is the most egregious country and has the highest level of restrictions on religion. The United States certainly has our share of religious bigotry as well. Christians are particularly a target by government entities as well as society.

 

The research shows that between 2007-2014, people who are “absolutely certain” God exists fell to 63% from 71%.  No reason to think that number isn’t continuing to fall.

 

Time magazine pointed out some specific cases. A New Jersey teacher was suspended for giving a student a Bible and sharing a well-known scripture. In Washington, a coach was placed on leave for daring to pray on the football field. An Atlanta fire chief was fired over a book he wrote for a men’s Bible study group. A marine was court-martialed for posting a Bible verse above her desk. Christian fellowship groups have been kicked off campus for their membership policy. Many charities including adoption agencies, Catholic hospitals and crisis pregnancy centers are huge targets of attack.

 

The worst examples are those of children being humiliated and sanctioned for trying to share their ideas of faith with classmates. A high school student received zero on a paper about Jesus. Other topics considered acceptable were “spiritualism, magic throughout history” and “reincarnation”. Another student was suspended for a week for handing out invitations for a Bible study group meeting. State statute permitted students to distribute advocacy material. I guess so long as it is not Christian, it is acceptable.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was permitted to rebuild bars and restaurants after national disasters, but don’t dare touch the church.

Prayer has been halted in schools because everybody doesn’t want to pray. And some might be offended at hearing the Holy Scripture or the name of Jesus.

We need to be reminded that “separation of church and state” IS Not in the Constitution. It was a letter to the Danbury Baptists assuring them that the federal government would not interfere with their religious liberty.  This phrase has been used to express the opposite of its intent.

There are many historical facts that counter the argument that religion was to have no place in society. Our founders intended the opposite and reading of history makes it clear. 

There is an anti-God Squad on the march looking for every opportunity to silence our right to display our faith. Someone walking by might be offended by a cross or a nativity scene or hearing prayerful words being spoken. There is no Constitutional right to prohibit being offended. 

The same group who might be offended by seeing a cross have no problem with the display if it’s immersed in urine. Remember the “Piss Christ” exhibit from years ago funded with taxpayer grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. That was more than offensive when we had to pay for it.

We are all offended by something every day. If I am offended by something, which happens often, I tune it out. I do not expect the government to stop it on my behalf.

There are some who have the attitude, “If I don’t like it, nobody does it. If I do like it, everybody does it.”

It amazes me that some folks continue to create moral sewers for our little ones to swim in, but they fear their little ears will burn off if they hear Bible stories or anything faith based.

The First Amendment to the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…….” Pretty clear to me and simple enough to understand.

We are asked to be tolerant of some of the most immoral, disgusting behaviors in the name of Tolerance. Shouldn’t it go both ways?

 

 

 

You think you get up each day and go to work to provide for your family. Not yet. This year you will be working for the government until April 16th. Tax Freedom Day, the day you have paid your “fair share”, has crept up through the years. In 1900, the average family paid 5.9% in taxes and Tax Freedom Day was January 22.

 

The average family today pays more in taxes than it spends on food, clothing and housing combined. 

 

Any conversation discussing “tax cuts” is usually followed by “for the rich.” Proponents never specify who is “rich.” Well, lets look at who feeds the tax monster.

 

In 2017 the top 1% of taxpayers paid 38.47% of all federal income tax according to the IRS. The top 5% of income earners in America paid 59.14% of all taxes. The top 10% paid 70.8% and the top 25% paid 86.10% of all taxes collected. This “fair share” has been rising for years.   

 

The original income tax enacted back in 1913 was only a pittance compared to our tax system of today.  Only half of 1% of the population was affected by the tax. The top rate was only 7%.  Lawmakers lulled the masses by having the tax only apply to the super wealthy.  We know the rest of the story.  As soon as that camel’s nose was under the tent, the monster wanted more.

 

Compare our situation to the plight of the medieval serfs.  They only had to give the lord of the manor one third of their output. According to the Tax Foundation, taxes now consume 38% of the average family’s budget.  How can the middle class get by?

 

The original tax code was only 14 pages long and the tax return was only 2 pages.  Now this monster has ballooned to 17,000 pages and the return has mushroomed to 569 pages.  Bracket creep has affected almost everyone.  An annual income that is considered wealthy by today’s standard will eventually affect the middle class as inflation causes incomes to rise.  This has worked for many years.  Attack the “rich” and make them pick up the tab, but remember, you are probably “the rich.” You have probably been duped into thinking that is someone else, not you.

 

The top 50% of income earners paid 97% of all taxes. The bottom 50% paid 3%. Half of the population is paying almost nothing. By the way, $41,740 income per year puts you in that top 50%.  Does that qualify as rich?

 

High taxes equate to power and big government. Every tax represents a transfer of power from the people to the government. Some believe that the money will be spent better by the government than by the people who earned it. How else will we pay for pork barrel waste? (One of my favorites is the nearly $1 million dollars that the federal government paid for a brown snake eradication program. These snakes are native to northern Australia, Indonesia and islands in Melanesia. Can you think of any better way to spend American taxpayers’ money?)

 

In the North Carolina General Assembly, many of us believe its your money and you know best how to spend it. We advocated returning over-collected funds back to those who earned it. The Governor and his colleagues pitched a “hissy fit”. Of course, it resulted in a veto and no tax refund for those to whom it belonged.

 

They cannot imagine giving money back to families. Rivers will dry up, mountains will crumble and God will swoop up his children and take us home before liberal Democrats will ever agree to returning money to taxpayers. Taxing and spending prudently is not in their political DNA.

 

Wanting someone else’s money is NEED, wanting to keep more of your own money is GREED and there is always an official willing to handle the transfer. In any other situation, it is a crime to take from someone that he does not give freely. When Uncle Sam does it, it’s considered “fairness.”

 

Americans have become complacent.  Life is good for most of us.  Most of us love our country and do give freely to make the world a better place and to help those who are less fortunate.

 

This old tax monster is just getting stronger with age.  No chance that it will ever just die off.  As the monster gains strength, the people become weaker. Your mother told you, monsters are never friends. We need to be on the battle lines slaying this evil monster.

 

 

 

 

You think you get up each day and go to work to provide for your family. Not yet. This year you will be working for the government until April 16th. Tax Freedom Day, the day you have paid your “fair share”, has crept up through the years. In 1900, the average family paid 5.9% in taxes and Tax Freedom Day was January 22.

 

The average family today pays more in taxes than it spends on food, clothing and housing combined. 

 

Any conversation discussing “tax cuts” is usually followed by “for the rich.” Proponents never specify who is “rich.” Well, lets look at who feeds the tax monster.

 

In 2017 the top 1% of taxpayers paid 38.47% of all federal income tax according to the IRS. The top 5% of income earners in America paid 59.14% of all taxes. The top 10% paid 70.8% and the top 25% paid 86.10% of all taxes collected. This “fair share” has been rising for years.   

 

The original income tax enacted back in 1913 was only a pittance compared to our tax system of today.  Only half of 1% of the population was affected by the tax. The top rate was only 7%.  Lawmakers lulled the masses by having the tax only apply to the super wealthy.  We know the rest of the story.  As soon as that camel’s nose was under the tent, the monster wanted more.

 

Compare our situation to the plight of the medieval serfs.  They only had to give the lord of the manor one third of their output. According to the Tax Foundation, taxes now consume 38% of the average family’s budget.  How can the middle class get by?

 

The original tax code was only 14 pages long and the tax return was only 2 pages.  Now this monster has ballooned to 17,000 pages and the return has mushroomed to 569 pages.  Bracket creep has affected almost everyone.  An annual income that is considered wealthy by today’s standard will eventually affect the middle class as inflation causes incomes to rise.  This has worked for many years.  Attack the “rich” and make them pick up the tab, but remember, you are probably “the rich.” You have probably been duped into thinking that is someone else, not you.

 

The top 50% of income earners paid 97% of all taxes. The bottom 50% paid 3%. Half of the population is paying almost nothing. By the way, $41,740 income per year puts you in that top 50%.  Does that qualify as rich?

 

High taxes equate to power and big government. Every tax represents a transfer of power from the people to the government. Some believe that the money will be spent better by the government than by the people who earned it. How else will we pay for pork barrel waste? (One of my favorites is the nearly $1 million dollars that the federal government paid for a brown snake eradication program. These snakes are native to northern Australia, Indonesia and islands in Melanesia. Can you think of any better way to spend American taxpayers’ money?)

 

In the North Carolina General Assembly, many of us believe its your money and you know best how to spend it. We advocated returning over-collected funds back to those who earned it. The Governor and his colleagues pitched a “hissy fit”. Of course, it resulted in a veto and no tax refund for those to whom it belonged.

 

They cannot imagine giving money back to families. Rivers will dry up, mountains will crumble and God will swoop up his children and take us home before liberal Democrats will ever agree to returning money to taxpayers. Taxing and spending prudently is not in their political DNA.

 

Wanting someone else’s money is NEED, wanting to keep more of your own money is GREED and there is always an official willing to handle the transfer. In any other situation, it is a crime to take from someone that he does not give freely. When Uncle Sam does it, it’s considered “fairness.”

 

Americans have become complacent.  Life is good for most of us.  Most of us love our country and do give freely to make the world a better place and to help those who are less fortunate.

 

This old tax monster is just getting stronger with age.  No chance that it will ever just die off.  As the monster gains strength, the people become weaker. Your mother told you, monsters are never friends. We need to be on the battle lines slaying this evil monster.