Why are my tax dollars being used to support churches?
Now that Status of Women (or what's left of it) is back in the news, the right-wing anti-woman harpies are back into their shrilling and shrieking in defense of the most recent cuts. The conservative screaming "Me-Me's" defend the dismemberment of SWC by demanding "Why should MY tax dollars go to support Status of Women? What's Status of Women done for ME??"
Naturally, anyone with their head screwed on knows that the programs and agencies sharing tax revenue don't always fill the expansive role of something like the Department of Transport, which serves anyone who drives or uses product that's been driven somewhere. Child and Family Services for one provides absolutely no benefit to me personally, but I don't bitch and whine about my tax dollars supporting it because it serves a purpose and in so doing, improves our society as a whole. As does Status of Women, through advocacy, research and the funding of programs that ensure womens' equality. But there's no use trying to explain the facts to idiots of this calibre.
So taking a page from their book (that'd be the Book of Stupidity, Chapter 7:Verse 5), as an atheist I want to know why MY tax dollars are funding churches. What's religion done for me lately? The tax-exempt status of Canadian churches costs millions, and they're only entitled to it because they're not part of state and public policy issues. The bible-thumpers are well aware of the fine line they're walking financially, and for awhile they had to get sneakier about it by doing things like this. But since the Conservatives gained power, the christo-fascists have become a lot mouthier with their unrelenting interference in policy issues like abortion and gay marriage. They've pushed theology into government and succeeded in blurring the church/state divide to the point that their qualification for tax-exempt status is questionable at best.
So get ready for it, bible beaters. You want to influence government policy-making? YOUR "New Government" wants to stop throwing away money, so maybe it's time to start pulling your weight. Never mind the corporations, tax the theocratic welfare bums.
Naturally, anyone with their head screwed on knows that the programs and agencies sharing tax revenue don't always fill the expansive role of something like the Department of Transport, which serves anyone who drives or uses product that's been driven somewhere. Child and Family Services for one provides absolutely no benefit to me personally, but I don't bitch and whine about my tax dollars supporting it because it serves a purpose and in so doing, improves our society as a whole. As does Status of Women, through advocacy, research and the funding of programs that ensure womens' equality. But there's no use trying to explain the facts to idiots of this calibre.
So taking a page from their book (that'd be the Book of Stupidity, Chapter 7:Verse 5), as an atheist I want to know why MY tax dollars are funding churches. What's religion done for me lately? The tax-exempt status of Canadian churches costs millions, and they're only entitled to it because they're not part of state and public policy issues. The bible-thumpers are well aware of the fine line they're walking financially, and for awhile they had to get sneakier about it by doing things like this. But since the Conservatives gained power, the christo-fascists have become a lot mouthier with their unrelenting interference in policy issues like abortion and gay marriage. They've pushed theology into government and succeeded in blurring the church/state divide to the point that their qualification for tax-exempt status is questionable at best.
So get ready for it, bible beaters. You want to influence government policy-making? YOUR "New Government" wants to stop throwing away money, so maybe it's time to start pulling your weight. Never mind the corporations, tax the theocratic welfare bums.
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