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Every person is precious : Comments
By Elenie Poulos, published 11/8/2008We have a deep and abiding responsibility to ensure that our society is based on principles of social justice and equity.
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The income of churches should be taxable with a deduction for expenditure on charitable works, but not expenditure on promoting their faith, the same as secular charities.
Why is a minister of religion’s salary largely tax free when any contribution a minister makes to a person’s well being is at best marginal. How many of us with a deep personal problem would consult the clergy? Most of us would have enough sense to consult a health professional or a good friend whose wisdom we respected.
In the case of young children the clergy’s efforts are most likely deleterious to a child’s confidence and self respect? The clergy try to convince each young child that he or she was born in sin. Original sin is a ridiculous concept. How can a person be blamed by a just god for something which is attributed to his or her forefathers? Original sin is a concept dreamed up and kept in vogue by exploiters.
Many clergy make a negative contribution to the well being of citizens and pay no tax yet a health professional making a significant contribution to community health is taxed. I am not arguing that health professionals should not be taxed but rather that everyone should be taxed but receive a deduction for their charitable efforts.