GOVERNMENT ATTACKS ON CHURCHES - HERE WE GO AGAIN PART 2

It just proves how inefficient and bureaucratic our government is. 

 

Since Senator Grassley chose not to follow past procedures by making a referral to the IRS, I wonder how Senator Grassley thinks he is more qualified in accounting and the tax code than IRS investigators.

 

I think if this is allowed to continue, the precedent set could be devastating.  The door would be wide open to persecute any church any where by arbitrarily demanding to investigate their finances.  Since organized religion (and I don’t use the term in the usual negative sense) is the biggest threat to liberalism and total government control of the masses, then the easiest way to eliminate that threat is through attacking the finances.  Old tactic.

 

In closing, I have a suggestion.  Since Senator Grassley is SO concerned about how DONORS’ and TAXPAYERS’ is spent, I propose a disclosure of SENATOR GRASSLEY’S finances.  How many houses does Senator Grassley own, what kind of cars does he drive (oh, I forgot, he doesn’t drive, someone does that for him), and oh let’s not forget his private (taxpayer funded) jet too.  Just to set things in perspective, let’s review just a few of the Congressional perks according to the National Taxpayers Union website:  high six-figure salaries that annual increases in the cost of living rarely touch due to their own pay increases – that THEY vote on; pension benefits that are two to three times that of similarly paid executives in the private sector; health and life insurance, that, ¾ and 1/3 the cost of is paid for by, yep you guessed it, YOU AND I; vehicles, not limited to, but including limousines; travel to distant places (other than their home districts), many of which are just plain “junkets”, which are paid for by YOU AND I of course; what’s called the “franking privilege” which give Congressional members millions in TAX dollars for creating a favorable public image; and exemptions from tax, pension, and other laws from which individuals do not enjoy such exemptions, and who creates these exemptions? Yep, the lawmakers themselves.

 

One last thing:  from OpenSecrets.org, here is a copy of Senator Grassley’s fundraising finances:

2003-2008 Source of Funds 

Individual contributions	$3,600,015	(52.2%)
PAC contributions	$2,798,735	(40.6%)
Candidate self-financing	$0
Other	$498,006	(7.2%)

2003-2008 PAC Contribution Breakdown

   Business                                              $2,574,65    (91.7%)

   Labor                                                  $70,000      (2.5%)

   Ideological/Single Issue                      $162,479      (5.8%)

See something here?  For one, candidate self-financing – a flat $0.00. Political Action Committees (PAC) though?  40.6% of his total contributions.  And where does most of the PAC money come from?  Business, coming in at 91.7%.  Now, wonder what a comparison between this and Senator Grassley’s voting record would turn up?  Thinking this is just on the Republican side of the aisle?  Not so, major PAC money contributions have been a way of life in Washington for many years now, the parties notwithstanding.

 

I just think that instead of spending MINE AND YOUR hard-earned tax money on “investigating” ministries that have a proven outreach track record, I think we need to turn around and take a long hard look at all the perks and benefits extended to members of Congress that is worth millions of dollars of OUR money, in addition to their salaries.  If Senator Grassley is so worried about a few ministers having the finer things in life,  then Congress needsobey Matthew 7:5: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”  If we eliminated these luxury perks and exemptions enjoyed by Congress due to their mere existence, I think we would see a big change for the better in not only our tax laws but government overall. Congressmen would be more like, well, people whowork for a living.

 

Tags: Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Bishop Eddie Long, Benny Hinn, Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Religion, IRS, Senator Charles Grassley