----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 10:31 AM Subject: Re: Church and state (was RE: bush throwing away more tax dollars)
> Quoting Nick Arnett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > > > Behalf Of The Fool > > > > ... > > > > > The Bush administration wants to give religious organizations access to > > > federal housing money that could be used to erect or refurbish buildings > > > where religious activities are held, so long as the groups also provide > > > social services in those buildings. > > > > Wow -- if taxes end up being raised to support construction of enormous > > church structures erected mainly to show off the power of its leaders to the > > people, we certainly will have failed to learn from the past. Those who do > > not remember Santayana are doomed to repeat history... > > > > Let us not forget that he Catholic Church is the wealthiest landowner on this > planet. They own real-estate all over the planet and don't pay taxes. Anybody > who has seen "Godfather 3" has to agree on that one. :-) > > I am catholic. I have seen small parishes driven to the ground because of the > tribute they have to pay the archbishops and bishops to support expensive > lifestyles. I don't know every parish in the US, but I have known several bishops personally, and through family connections. It is true that the official residence of the bishop is often a big building in a very nice part of town. I'll be more than happy to grant you that, with the older diociese, there were numerous examples of ornate residence for the bishop. The bishops I know now live in a small apartment, comprising just a few rooms. The rest of the bishops residence is used for various functions of the diocese. Bishops do have human faults. But, becoming a priest in order to live a lavish life style is fairly foolish. A priest makes about 15k/year, for goodness sakes. On the level of the diocese, as well as on the parish level, the salary of the priests and bishops, and the cost of maintainging their lifestyle is a small fraction of the total cost....at least in the US. Dan M. > > Do not misunderstand me.. I respect the Church and all religious institutions. > But I also strongly believe that the Church has enough money to cancel the > national debt of many different countries. It also has enough money to feed a > small planet. I have to agree with Nick re: the fact that they don't need the > funding. > > Just my two cents... _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
