Since Christianity has sought to reshape our laws, I think it is no longer a religion. It should be classified as PAC or political organization and taxed accordingly.

It seems to me that if they want government money to further their causes, they need to be registered as political groups and give up their tax shelters

I believe in separation of church and state.

still, it seems to me that religion was the first to come up with laws, and governments followed suit.

so many of our laws now are based on faith.

no?

The founders came here to to escape religious prosecution. That and many were crooks and criminals. Religion has often been used in perverse ways as an excuse for strange behavior. I think some common sense when giving out government money would do the trick, but common sense in politics is a far stretch.

Religious organizations have always worked liked any other group. If your beliefs differ from those of the majority, trouble will arise. Regardless, they shouldn't special tax breaks.

I have often wondered why churches get tax breaks. It`s true that most of our laws are based on religious beliefs. Maybe one day they won`t get the tax break anymore, who knows.

Which laws are based on faith? I'd like to know which laws you're talking about?

Christianity didn't create the first laws here, in this country. The Native Americans had laws long before they were forced out of their pagan practices and into the yolk of Christian servitude!

I don't get tax breaks, so why should they. Any religion is in effect, an organisation and should be trested as such. Why the government shouuld help to fund them I have no idea. Some of my tax money is being donated to churches and I am not even religious.

churches are not the only organizations that get tax breaks.
all non-profit organizations do.

the tax breaks are not based on religious reasons, but on the non-profit status.

now I know, many churches are NOT non-profit, with all the fund raising and the questionable salaries, but I won't go there

and as far as law creation, it is true that many of the laws that are enforced to day were introduced by religious law thousands of years ago.

now, I disagree with a lot of religion stuff today, but not all of it is bad

government is not perfect either

"Laws", or rules universally acknowleged to apply to a group as a whole for the protection of all, with consequences sanctioned by the group for their infringement, pre-date any known religion. Any group must accept certain rules, written or unwritten, in order to maintain order and a degree of cohesion necessary for protection as part of a group.

And membership within any group, requires compliance with the laws or rules that define it as such. For that matter, even amongst herd or pack animals, there are rules, or for that matter, laws, each member must abide by or face the consequences. Since safety is found in numbers, especially in a dangerous environment, it compells members of the group, or flock, to comply or risk expulsion, and the danger of being a lone individual subject to predation.

Therefore, I don't see laws or rules stemming from religion, or faith; the desire for order vs. chaos is inborn. We want rules to guide us; some folks have a harder time living within these guidelines. I believe religions were created...evolved... as a context in which to contruct a framework, and a plausible "storyline" for the laws and rules a group is subject to, and to help with their promulgation and enforcement.

Our current system of laws, are influenced heavily, if not based entirely upon Hammurabi's Code, and what was termed in England, "Natural Law".

Furthermore, "Christianity" as such, is not a religion. The term refers to an overall ideology spanning numerous religions, from Catholic to Lutheran to Episcopalian, and is used to differentiate from the "non-christian" religions...i.e. those who believe in a deity or deities. But, do not believe a dude named Jesus Christ appeared a couple thousand years ago with the goal of being publicly crucified in a mission to save everyone's soul.

Religion, in all its forms, merely capitalizes upon the need of the individual to have a set of guiding rules, and laws, and the need to the group for those rules to be followed...and vice versa. Need rules? We got 'em! And a cool story based on local mythology that neatly (although implausibly, that's why we call it 'faith') explains Why This Must Be So.

If these rules and laws were self-serving, in that they strengthened the power of the rule and lawmaking authority, so much the better...and thus evolved religion. Peace and harmony were easier to maintain, and as such, it's referred to as "morphine for the masses".

That is, until competition from other, regional groups resulted in squabbles over the inevitable "my imaginary friend is more powerful than your imaginary friend"...and we all know where that's led.

whoa!!!

that is very well written!
thank you for taking the time to share.