Largest Paper in Canada Prints Hate Column Against Catholic Church

[Pendragon_6]

TORONTO, October 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) -

The Toronto Star, the largest circulation paper in Canada, has printed a column which is being regarded by some Catholics as a clear case of inciting hatred towards the Catholic Church. Celebrated Star columnist Joey Slinger's column entitled "With this Vatican, all's fair in faith and war" appears in the 'news' section of today's paper on page A2. The Star, often referred to as the Red Star by critics, has a long history of bias in its reporting of stories related to traditional morality and any institutions supporting that morality.

In the column, Slinger takes issue with the Pope and Bishops of the Catholic Church who are considering refusal of communion for those Catholics who obstinately persist in grave public sin, such as pro-abortion and pro-same-sex 'marriage' politicians. "So the Pope is thinking about excommunicating our Prime Minister, is he? In the religion game, that's called hardball," writes Slinger.

Slinger continues, "So if the Pope wants to play hardball, fine. We can play hardball too. How about he can excommunicate our Prime Minister and we can get rid of the tax exemption on Catholic Church property? What a windfall that would be. Millions. Millions upon millions. Mega-millions if we make it retroactive . . . They'd have to start selling their real estate. Failing that, we'd have to seize it and auction it off. It's happened before. It was a fairly popular medieval screw-you gesture."


In full
Lifesite (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05101107.html)

[Tumblehome]

Sounds like another idiot making another stupid editorial. Our newspapers are full of these, directed in all directions an all along the political and religious spectrums. This doesn't suprise me at all.

Now as for removing tax free status for churches - that I'm all for :)

[Teenager]

Joey Slinger take a swinger at your hoey goey balls and shut the heck up.

[aaron11]

Now as for removing tax free status for churches - that I'm all for :)

Typical liberalism, I would much prefer that we include everyone in the "tax free" status. Then again, you are Canadian. Meaning, you were born and raised on the tit of big brother...

We survived without it until 1913, but then again, Senator David Hill of New York lamented, "It may be impracticable that our distinctively American experiment of individual freedom should go on."


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[Tumblehome]

You want to eliminate taxation altogether? How would you fund your roads and schools and hospitals and libraries? And how on earth would you fund your military?

[DoctorDoom]

No one would begrudge taxes for constitutionally authorized government activities such as the military. However, thanks to liberalism, politicians, bureaucrats and oblivious sheeple, we have this travesty:

Accounting and Auditing Policy Committee (AAPC)
Acquisition Department
Acquisition and Assistance Management Services
Administration and Resource Management
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Administration on Aging
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Administrative Law Judges
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Administrative Offices
Administrator
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LSU Libraries Federal Agency Directory: Alphabetical Directory (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/alpha)

There are 100 listings. The full page has 1308 as of 4/8/05. That's why the proposed 2006 US federal budget is $2.57 trillion. Granted, most of them are "small"-budget agences, but 1308 small budgets add up to big expenses. Few of them can be justified constitutionally, but once government is given control of something, it never surrenders it.

What is scary is that this is DESPITE the US Constitution's edict:

Amendment X (1791)

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

It is appalling to think what it would be were our Constitution like that of Canada.

In a deliberate departure from the U.S. model, the Fathers of Confederation awarded to the federal Parliament the residual power, i.e., jurisdiction over all areas not specifically assigned to the provincial legislatures. (The 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reserves to the states or to the people all powers not specifically enumerated.) The federal government was also provided with unlimited taxing powers while the provinces were restricted to direct taxes within the province.Canadian Constitution (http://www.canadianembassy.org/government/constitution-en.asp)

The "thinking" that resulted in that ridiculous premise scarcely bears contemplation.

[DoctorDoom]

Re the RCC, while I have no great love for it, it has always been my position that Rome has every right to mandate that anyone calling himself a Catholic must adhere to all of the teachings of the Roman church. Anyone not willing to abide by that has no right to claim to be a Catholic and should leave the church. Ergo, Slinger can stuff his head back into his aft portal and resume his coma.

[Crusader]

"So the Pope is thinking about excommunicating our Prime Minister, is he? In the religion game, that's called hardball,"No, that's called following the rules.

http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/images/smilies/overkill.gif (http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=0&forumid=40#)
Typical liberalism, I would much prefer that we include everyone in the "tax free" status.Same here.:smirky:

[Bluemoon_Rising]

You want to eliminate taxation altogether? How would you fund your roads and schools and hospitals and libraries? And how on earth would you fund your military?

I suppose it wouldn't occur to you that abolishing income taxes is the only fair way to levy taxes. In Canada and in America, Christian organizations annually provide tens of millions to society in charitable and educational endeavors. Only leftist thugs and economic retards would propose destroying such contributions to society.

[aaron11]

Doc Doom and BlueMoon hit the nail right on the head...

[Tumblehome]

I suppose it wouldn't occur to you that abolishing income taxes is the only fair way to levy taxes.

Not really no. Why is that the only fair way? How would you recover expenses for roads and the military and hospitals? Would you set up lots of toll booths and jack up health care costs? Maybe up sales taxes to offset the lost income tax revenue?

In Canada and in America, Christian organizations annually provide tens of millions to society in charitable and educational endeavors.

If christian organizations profide charitable and educational endeavours, they don't need special church tax exempt status and should qualify along with secular charities for tax exemption. Seems simple enough to me.

Only leftist thugs and economic retards would propose destroying such contributions to society.

If removing tax exempt status from churches (for being churches) would stop christian organizations from giving aid, what does that tell you about the christian organizations? Seems pretty cold to me. I don't think it'd stop them at all, at least I hope not.

[DoctorDoom]

If removing tax exempt status from churches (for being churches) would stop christian organizations from giving aid, what does that tell you about the christian organizations?It tells me that they are not awash in cash and must choose what to do with whatever free money they have. They don't have George Soreass as their sugar daddy.

[Beowulf]

I suppose it wouldn't occur to you that abolishing income taxes is the only fair way to levy taxes. In Canada and in America, Christian organizations annually provide tens of millions to society in charitable and educational endeavors. Only leftist thugs and economic retards would propose destroying such contributions to society.

And Bluemoon nails it!:claps:

[Lestat]

Re the RCC, while I have no great love for it, it has always been my position that Rome has every right to mandate that anyone calling himself a Catholic must adhere to all of the teachings of the Roman church. Anyone not willing to abide by that has no right to claim to be a Catholic and should leave the church. Ergo, Slinger can stuff his head back into his aft portal and resume his coma.

My toughs exactly. :claps:

[Tumblehome]

It tells me that they are not awash in cash and must choose what to do with whatever free money they have. They don't have George Soreass as their sugar daddy.

The churches and the aid organizations are not always the same entities. Why should churches that give no aid be given tax free status? Why should churches that give aid be given tax free status regarding their non-charitable events?

The simple solution is to remove tax free status from churches for being churches and let them get tax free status as secular charities do - by being charities.

[aaron11]

The reasoning behind making churches tax-exempt and unburdened by IRS procedures stems from a First Amendment-based concern to prevent government involvement with religion.

By avoiding initial inquiries into churches’ validity as houses of worship, government avoids violating the churches’ free-exercise right to define and regulate themselves.

[Tumblehome]

That is no reason for them not to pay taxes on their property and sales, just like everybody else does. It isn't discrimination or intereference with their doctrine or teachings just to make them follow the law of the land.

We don't allow cults to do human sacrifice because it is in accordance with their religion. It is against our law. We shouldn't allow churches to get away with not paying taxes because of their religion. It too is against our law, and they shouldn't get this special treatment.

It would not be discrimination against them or even intereference in church affairs to tax them, since everybody else is also taxed. Giving them special tax free status because they are a religious institution is actually discrimination based on religion - especially if they turn a profit (like those televangelist types).

[aaron11]

That is no reason for them not to pay taxes on their property and sales, just like everybody else does. It isn't discrimination or intereference with their doctrine or teachings just to make them follow the law of the land.

We don't allow cults to do human sacrifice because it is in accordance with their religion. It is against our law. We shouldn't allow churches to get away with not paying taxes because of their religion. It too is against our law, and they shouldn't get this special treatment.

It would not be discrimination against them or even intereference in church affairs to tax them, since everybody else is also taxed. Giving them special tax free status because they are a religious institution is actually discrimination based on religion - especially if they turn a profit (like those televangelist types).

*shrugs*

Your freedom of religion or individualism is not my concern. Just keep your srewed up system and world view north of our border....

[aaron11]

BTW, The SC thought it was a good reason...

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=397&invol=664

[aaron11]

Not to mention that the tax exemptions are sort of a trade off if you will. Churches are not allowed to influence politics or they can lose their tax exemption status. You might want to be careful what you wish for.

[heikediguoren]

It tells me that they are not awash in cash and must choose what to do with whatever free money they have. They don't have George Soreass as their sugar daddy.

Doctor, aren't you Latveria's sugar daddy? As far as I can tell, all your citizens seem to receive extensive social services and protections courtesy of your immense fortune. How does the nation's taxation system work?

[Beowulf]

Not to mention that the tax exemptions are sort of a trade off if you will. Churches are not aloud to influence politics or they can lose their tax exemption status. You might want to be careful what you wish for.

And this makes for such a lovely double standard. Churches are not allowed to influence politics yet politics influence our churches daily by suppressing them.

[Beowulf]

Doctor, aren't you Latveria's sugar daddy? As far as I can tell, all your citizens seem to receive extensive social services and protections courtesy of your immense fortune. How does the nation's taxation system work?

You may blame two past presidents for making that possible. FDR in his "New Deal" created the welfare and social security systems. At the time, it was "for those who need it." He even said that in the future that it would have to be privatized to be effective for a growing US population.

Lyndon Johnson made things much worse by declaring war on poverty. The programs that FDR created were made easier to get and other sub-programs were made to supplement them such as food stamps and medicaid, all being paid for in tax increases on the working man/woman.

Look around you. It's become Lazyfare and generations of families have been on it with no ambition to get off of it. I once lived in an area where young woman kept having children to keep their benefits. I still see it today. Democrats have also enslaved minorities with welfare checks and perks that I have to bust my ass for.
In short, our tax system isn't what it should be.