Comments on: Religiosity

By: djstan

djstan — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:21:49 +0000

why are so many people arguing about the bible? it’s just a book, don’t believe everything you read.

By: jim sadler

jim sadler — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:54:14 +0000

Actually the entire Bible demands poverty of the faithful. Even the Blessed are the poor in spirit has been deliberately, poorly translated to make the Bible more palatable to modern folks. It would be better translated as Better are the poor to the Spirit.
One great example is the Old Testament King Nehemiah. When he learned that some merchants were doing well he demanded that all of them return their profits four times plus half again meaning that if a merchant had earned $100 dollars he was demanded to return four hundred and fifty dollars. Nehemiah’s reasoning was that some men worked as soldiers to protect the people for very little pay and public officials also worked for very little pay. Therefore who were merchants to dare earn more than these soldiers and public workers? The Bible not only forbids loaning money for interest it also looks down upon what is called increase or gaining an advantage by either work or trade.
Even in fairly modern times religious leaders have fought tooth and nail to make the charging of interest a crime as serious as murder. I believe it was Calvin who remarked that those who dared charge interest should be tied to a post and sliced.

By: CapitalismIsTheft

CapitalismIsTheft — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:48:17 +0000

Doglover: Actually, the rich should pay more in taxes because they are the ones who most benefit from the way the system is designed. Yes, I believe in leveling the playing field, but that is not the purpose of taxes, that is the purpose of laws. Taxes are a way to fund the government to provide services and products that otherwise would not be provided (unless you’re a libertarian and believe only those who can afford military, police, fire protection, etc. should get them). Since the rich benefit the most from the system that is in place, meaning they get the most rewards in the form of finances, and since they have a much bigger say in what laws are passed (and enforced), and since they have much more influence due to their wealth and their ability to spend it, they should pay higher taxes. Al Gore has a good idea with his consumption tax that is also keyed to carbon, and other greenhouse gas, output.

By: Helion

Helion — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:59:04 +0000

I feel that any people who allow the term “liberal” be a nasty term is crazy.

I am a pastor, and believe that the Bible is the truth and God’s word, but I do not try to force anyone to accept my point of view. I think that there are a lot of things that are “bad” and a “sin”, but, in my life, I am the only one who is forced to do what is right.

I always believed that Bush and Cheney should be impeached and that if they are not, then they should be judged for crimes against humanity.

I believe that the rich are not that because they are any more intelligent or hard-working than the poor, but because they have had all the breaks. I am all in favor in leveling the playing field and make those who have enjoyed the breaks without work pay for it.

I believe that I have a right to my opinion and that you do, too. My opinion is good for me as well as my belly-button. My opinion and my belly-button cannot be forced on any other person; my belly-button won’t serve anyone but me and my opinion is just like it.

Oh, my gosh, I am a liberal! yeah, and proud of it.

By: LiberalAtheistHippie

LiberalAtheistHippie — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:35:51 +0000

The Bible is FICTION — Deal with it. Be a humanist and help people because you want to, because it is the right thing to do not because you will be granted a place in heaven, or god will look favorably upon you — help people because you are able to. Which god do you persecute people for?

By: Doglover

Doglover — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:01:22 +0000

Steve:

The rich shouldnâ€™t pay more taxes because they can. They should pay more to level the playing field, without decreasing incentive. The rich have many unfair advantages and have prospered from a system that many work in. But not all are rewarded fairly. The concentration of power and wealth is bad for democracy. As the peopleâ€™s representative, the government can make a positive difference. Donâ€™t be so scared of liberals and our government, you have much more to fear from scruple-less large corporations.

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:54:52 +0000

Scanning comments, see the rich should pay more because they can. Wow. Who could argue with such well thought out logic? This is why liberals are downright scary.

By: oldfatguy

oldfatguy — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:30:56 +0000

Senator Kerry’s wife, a billionaire, made her taxes available during the 2004 election. She paid at a rate of eight and a half percent. My tax rate is nearly four times that amount on a much smaller income. The problems with the tax rates are the amount of tax write-offs the rich have. They pay the money to get their people elected and are paid back with huge tax breaks for their clients. Why not just flat tax everything at twenty-five percent with no write-offs, deductions, depreciations or any other restocking, replanting, or retooling breaks. Make the company pay a twenty-five percent tax for the boss driving a luxury car to work just as the lowest employee in the company. It isn’t just the taxes that business doesn’t pay, but all the luxury, “doing business” deductions that make the whole system so deplorable and vile.

By: DogLover

DogLover — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:30:00 +0000

Tim,

You obviously are a person who believes in doing the right thing and I commend you. However, believe it or not, there are many intelligent right wingers. I would not agree that most do things the way you have outlined. But please keep making comments. It’s good to hear someone trying to get inside the head of those who don’t agree with him.

By: tim

tim — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:23:43 +0000

I like the Right Winger’s method of logic on this subject, note how they make the case for anything, it goes like this:

*
Where is it written that we should ever do the right thing? I didn’t see it, no such memo, and I will ignore it if you point it out or will act like I don’t fully understand it, so therefore, logically of course, we should all be doing the wrong thing. I want to destroy, possibly.
*

All you have to do is replace the ‘right thing’ and ‘wrong thing’ with whatever you desire and whatever you dislike, and there you have it: the bogus frame and distortion.