‘Someone’s Gotta Tell the Freakin’ Truth’: Jerry Falwell’s Aides Break Their Silence

[homersapien 11,357]

More than two dozen current and former Liberty University officials describe a culture of fear and self-dealing at the largest Christian college in the world.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/09/jerry-falwell-liberty-university-loans-227914

[jj3jordan 2,043]

Time for some Christian bashing from Homer.  News flash Homer, we are all sinners.  We also have an awesome savior who will help us over the finish line.  These guys will all be judged, as will you. Let's let God sort that out.

[TexasTiger 12,827]

3 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

Time for some Christian bashing from Homer.  News flash Homer, we are all sinners.  We also have an awesome savior who will help us over the finish line.  These guys will all be judged, as will you. Let's let God sort that out.

Can the sinners at least give up their tax exempt status on earth?

[SaltyTiger 7,774]

8 hours ago, homersapien said:

More than two dozen current and former Liberty University officials describe a culture of fear and self-dealing

Sounds like our beloved Auburn University,  Facilities Management Division. More than two dozen whining and b*tching with us though.

 

[TitanTiger 20,472]

13 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Can the sinners at least give up their tax exempt status on earth?

Despite Falwell's abuses which can be addressed in a more targeted way, the solution to the problem is not to give the government power to tax religious institutions.  Taxation is a coercive power.  You tax things you want to see less of.  You tax things to move people in a desired direction or to produce a desired behavior.  You remove taxes on things you wish to have more of or to move people in a desired direction or behavior.  That is not a power we need to give government over religion.  

If you believe in the separation of church and state, this is part of that separation - not just preventing high schools from having public prayers over the loudspeakers at football games or having the IRS prevent political endorsements from the pulpit on Sunday mornings.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

16 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

Time for some Christian bashing from Homer.  News flash Homer, we are all sinners.  We also have an awesome savior who will help us over the finish line.  These guys will all be judged, as will you. Let's let God sort that out.

Non sequitur.

It's not Christian bashing to point out that someone is alleged to be behaving unethically and/or illegally and abusing their power simply because the person happens to profess to be a Christian.  

[TexasTiger 12,827]

6 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Despite Falwell's abuses which can be addressed in a more targeted way, the solution to the problem is not to give the government power to tax religious institutions.  Taxation is a coercive power.  You tax things you want to see less of.  You tax things to move people in a desired direction or to produce a desired behavior.  You remove taxes on things you wish to have more of or to move people in a desired direction or behavior.  That is not a power we need to give government over religion.  

If you believe in the separation of church and state, this is part of that separation - not just preventing high schools from having public prayers over the loudspeakers at football games or having the IRS prevent political endorsements from the pulpit on Sunday mornings.

When should the exemption not apply?

[TitanTiger 20,472]

6 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

When should the exemption not apply?

I'm not sure exactly, but taxing regular church property shouldn't be up for consideration.  I think a lot of folks see a handful of abuses and overreact though.  Most churches are simply going about their business and taxing them like a regular business would cripple them.  Many would shut down.  Others would be severely hampered in their ability to do work in their communities.  For every jackleg like Joel Osteen or Creflo Dollar, there are thousands of regular churches doing good work in their communities and properly stewarding their resources.

Now, buying a shopping center or a fitness facility wouldn't fall under that to me so a lot of the crap Falwell is pulling here should be.  That's why I say that any efforts in this need to be targeted, not just some wholesale removal of tax exemptions.  Not to mention, churches fall under the same non-profit status as a whole host of other organizations and charities.  Any changes to this would affect far more than churches and would hurt more than you'd help.  It's like seeing a roach in the kitchen and breaking out a flame thrower to kill it.

[TexasTiger 12,827]

30 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

I'm not sure exactly, but taxing regular church property shouldn't be up for consideration.  I think a lot of folks see a handful of abuses and overreact though.  Most churches are simply going about their business and taxing them like a regular business would cripple them.  Many would shut down.  Others would be severely hampered in their ability to do work in their communities.  For every jackleg like Joel Osteen or Creflo Dollar, there are thousands of regular churches doing good work in their communities and properly stewarding their resources.

Now, buying a shopping center or a fitness facility wouldn't fall under that to me so a lot of the crap Falwell is pulling here should be.  That's why I say that any efforts in this need to be targeted, not just some wholesale removal of tax exemptions.  Not to mention, churches fall under the same non-profit status as a whole host of other organizations and charities.  Any changes to this would affect far more than churches and would hurt more than you'd help.  It's like seeing a roach in the kitchen and breaking out a flame thrower to kill it.

You’re reading something into my comments I didn’t say.

[homersapien 11,357]

17 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

Time for some Christian bashing from Homer.  News flash Homer, we are all sinners.  We also have an awesome savior who will help us over the finish line.  These guys will all be judged, as will you. Let's let God sort that out.

I don't consider Jerry Falwell a Christian.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Just now, TexasTiger said:

You’re reading something into my comments I didn’t say.

Ok.  It was kinda vague and didn't really have any qualifiers so it could be interpreted as wishing to remove tax exempt status from religious organizations.  And there is a movement afoot by some to do that very thing.  So I thought that's where you were going with it.  If not, we're good.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Just now, homersapien said:

I don't consider Jerry Falwell a Christian.

It's at least within the realm of reasonable doubt.  He gives a lot of ammo to the idea that his real gods are himself and his political commitments.

[TexasTiger 12,827]

9 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Ok.  It was kinda vague and didn't really have any qualifiers so it could be interpreted as wishing to remove tax exempt status from religious organizations.  And there is a movement afoot by some to do that very thing.  So I thought that's where you were going with it.  If not, we're good.

Just wanna crack down on abuses.

[AU64 10,122]

8 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

Just wanna crack down on abuses.

Like gun control....we have a few abusers so let's punish everyone and hope we get the abusers.

[TexasTiger 12,827]

1 minute ago, AU64 said:

Like gun control....we have a few abusers so let's punish everyone and hope we get the abusers.

“Punish everyone?” Read better, think better.

[AU64 10,122]

1 minute ago, TexasTiger said:

“Punish everyone?” Read better, think better.

Might suggest that of you if you read a few of the posts above.

[TexasTiger 12,827]

37 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Might suggest that of you if you read a few of the posts above.

It’s not at all what I’ve said. Having a system that addresses those abusing the system is not a novel concept.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

44 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Like gun control....we have a few abusers so let's punish everyone and hope we get the abusers.

I'm pretty sure TT clarified that he specifically is NOT seeking to punish everyone, just crack down on abuses.  Did you not read the whole thread before posting?

[DKW 86 7,419]

Giancarlo Granda...and follow the money...Only one thing wrong with the OP, it doesnt quite go the last mile. 

Cohen has stated several times he has one or more of the pics.

[DKW 86 7,419]

5 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

It’s not at all what I’ve said. Having a system that addresses those abusing the system is not a novel concept.

But actually effectively using that system is three more different things...

[jj3jordan 2,043]

7 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

Non sequitur.

It's not Christian bashing to point out that someone is alleged to be behaving unethically and/or illegally and abusing their power simply because the person happens to profess to be a Christian.  

So criticism is not Christian bashing just because the recipient of the criticism is a Christian? Is that correct?

So why is criticism of Obama or Omar or Tlaib not just accepted as legitimate criticism? Isn't it because the recipient is black?

Thank you TT for relieving all of us from the charges of racism due to our criticism of leftists who happen to be black.  I feel so much better now that I am officially not a racist.

[TexasTiger 12,827]

1 hour ago, jj3jordan said:

So criticism is not Christian bashing just because the recipient of the criticism is a Christian? Is that correct?

So why is criticism of Obama or Omar or Tlaib not just accepted as legitimate criticism? Isn't it because the recipient is black?

Thank you TT for relieving all of us from the charges of racism due to our criticism of leftists who happen to be black.  I feel so much better now that I am officially not a racist.

Obama wore a tan suit and by gosh, him and his supporters need to FINALLY own up to that! It’s a fact!

[TitanTiger 20,472]

2 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

So criticism is not Christian bashing just because the recipient of the criticism is a Christian? Is that correct?

So why is criticism of Obama or Omar or Tlaib not just accepted as legitimate criticism? Isn't it because the recipient is black?

Thank you TT for relieving all of us from the charges of racism due to our criticism of leftists who happen to be black.  I feel so much better now that I am officially not a racist.

When have I ever said or even implied that all criticism of Obama, Omar, Talib it any other liberal “of color” is racism?

Are you capable of simply dealing with an argument on its own terms without always comparing it to some straw man thing about how the libs are treated?

[SaltyTiger 7,774]

2 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Obama wore a tan suit and by gosh, him and his supporters need to FINALLY own up to that! It’s a fact!

Tan suit really got to you didn't it Brother Tex.

BTW, I am a bit skeptical concerning some tax exempt organizations. Especially when riding the coattails of religion.  

[TexasTiger 12,827]

13 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Tan suit really got to you didn't it Brother Tex.

BTW, I am a bit skeptical concerning some tax exempt organizations. Especially when riding the coattails of religion.  

Tan suits are a high crime or misdemeanor— I can’t remember which.