Dear Dan,

«It’s a mean and ruthless world in which the wealthy are not forced by the state to share in that wealth by the now common method of taxation.»

This world is mean and ruthless anyway to those who were mean and ruthless in their past. The key to stop experiencing meanness and torture is to stop doing it to others. Forcing others to give only fuels up the cycle of violence.

Sharing one's wealth with the [deserving] poor is a virtue. When one's wealth is taken away by force rather than willingly through choice, that virtue is being denied and counts not as charity. What matters is not the money passing hands, what matters is the good-will and compassion, and these are stifled by compulsory taxation (though I would support non-compulsory taxation).

«You appear to have a skewed view of individual rights.»

No, I do not believe in rights. I believe in non-violence.

What the state does is robbing away one's natural freedom and choices, then returns back bits and pieces of it in the form of "rights". Think of a robber forcibly taking $100 notes then returning you a few copper coins in change for taking the bus home.

«And why is that Rabbi appealing to his congregation for honesty in the census?»

Perhaps because they were lazy, perhaps because many in the congregation were overtly atheist and only came to synagogue for social reasons (we are speaking of 30 years ago when atheism was not that popular and openly admitted), perhaps even so they persuade their non-Jewish partners and friends to do them a little favour and also mark down "Jewish" in the census.

«My view is in order to achieve a fair share of taxation from the State to return it to his community through charity.»

Yet money taken by force or in stealth, is not going to bless anyone.

Someone spoke to the former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe through a gun, seems the assassin didn't like the religious company he kept.

Paul1405,

<<Someone spoke to the former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe through a gun, seems the assassin didn't like the religious company he kept.>>

That's the religion/worldview of pragmatism speaking. If it works for me, I'll use it. Mass shootings in the USA are proof of how this 'religion' devastates a nation.

It killed 6 million Jews and others by the Nazis in Germany during World War 2. If I do what's right for me, it means I can do anything, no matter what it does to you. It's a recipe for individual and national disaster.

OzSpen wrote “I speak with Jesus in prayer and I'm not going to tell you its content. He speaks with me through the Scriptures and sometimes through inner promptings.”

Dear OzSpen,

I really am not asking about the contents of your prayers. I am interested in what Jesus answers. If one has a relation the other party speaks to you. Generally, people who think that God or Jesus speaks to them are candidates for a mental institution.

It seems reasonable to assume that you do not reveal the contacts of your dialog with Jesus because the personal relation with Jesus is nonsense. If he ever existed he has died a long time ago.

Getting info from Scripture is not a personal relationship. Neither is getting inner promptings. I read various authors. Although I find much to think about from what I read I do not think that I have a relation with the authors. However, Jesus is not even an author of scripture. The 80% of the Scriptures that Christians call the Old Testament does not mention Jesus. The New Testament records the words of Jesus as other people have recalled them at a later time.

I get inner promptings also. They may be random thoughts, need for food, toilet or sleep or reminders that I should do something. I don’t think these inner promptings come from anything outside of me.

There is much nonsense in Christianity – a God in three parts, virgin birth, life after death, belief in a messiah which is a Jewish superstition and the Christian belief that Jesus is that messiah (He couldn’t get the job done so the added superstition is that he is coming back again to finish up).

You have accepted a superstition that many other people also accept. Enjoy it.

Hi David,

Just as one can be "good" without a belief in a god, but if Christian faith, and a belief in a god inspires some folk to do good works in the community, such as charitable/humanitarian work, and for the same reason are good within themselves and towards others, does it matter if God exists or not. Is it not the end result that counts?

Dear Paul,

An excellent observation!

«Is it not the end result that counts?»

The end result is not just being a good person, the end result is the realisation of one's own identity with God, thus also being ever blissful and free from all limitations and pain. Yet being a good person is an extremely important milestone on that road. I dare say that anyone who succeeded in becoming a good person has covered the most difficult part of the road.

Believing in God often (but not always) helps in becoming a better person, but this is not a required milestone. An atheist who is a good person can also realise their identity with God - they would likely not use this word, 'God', to describe themselves because that would not be part of their terminology, but then who cares?