Sisyphus Shrugged - so, let's review the bidding: scientology, invented as a religion by an unsuccessful SF author to evade lawsuits, is a religion.

06:39 pm May 18th, 2004




			Sisyphus Shrugged - so, let's review the bidding: scientology, invented as a religion by an unsuccessful SF author to evade lawsuits, is a religion. Lasciate ogni speranza and put your feet up.

jmhm


	so, let's review the bidding: scientology, invented as a religion by an unsuccessful SF author to evade lawsuits, is a religion.
	Unitarian Universalism, which many of our founding fathers adhered to, is not a religion. I guess Tom Cruise's lawyers don't sing Kumbaya. Gotta love Texas. Unitarian Universalists have for decades presided over births, marriages and memorials. The church operates in every state, with more than 5,000 members in Texas alone. But according to the office of Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a Denison Unitarian church isn't really a religious organization -- at least for tax purposes. Its reasoning: the organization "does not have one system of belief." Never before -- not in this state or any other -- has a government agency denied Unitarians tax-exempt status because of the group's religious philosophy, church officials say. Strayhorn's ruling clearly infringes upon religious liberties, said Dan Althoff, board president for the Denison congregation that was rejected for tax exemption by the comptroller's office. "I was surprised -- surprised and shocked -- because the Unitarian church in the United States has a very long history," said Althoff, who notes that father-and-son presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were both Unitarians. edit: I was racing out the door when I posted this, and I didn't remember where I'd seen it: in fact, dabroots brought it to my attention.

ahhhs. -- hmmm?


	Comments

	From: canonfire	Date: May 18th, 2004 03:41 pm (UTC)		(linkie thing)

alas, John Adams was a devout Presbyterian, if memory serves.

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	From: pnh	Date: May 18th, 2004 04:56 pm (UTC)		(linkie thing)

Memory doesn't serve. Adams professed a preference for Unitarian services throughout most of his life. He is buried in a crypt beneath the United First Parish Church (Unitarian), Quincy, MA.

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	From: vaquera	Date: May 18th, 2004 05:42 pm (UTC)		(linkie thing)

This is the most comprehensive source I've found on the religious preferences of the founders:

http://members.tripod.com/~candst/tnppage/qtable.htm

It lists John Adams as having identified both as a Unitarian and a Congregationalist. Samuel is identified only as a Congregationalist. Another signatory to the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush, is also listed as a Unitarian.

As for Texas, nothing this ridiculous state does surprises me anymore. Carole Keeton McLellan Rylander Strayhorn Burton Burton Taylor is ridiculous. Her son is ridiculous.

Good riddance, Texas. Arizona, here I come!

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	From: canonfire	Date: May 18th, 2004 06:48 pm (UTC)		(linkie thing)

I stand corrected. Thank you.

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From: (Anonymous)	Date: May 18th, 2004 04:40 pm (UTC)		(linkie thing)

Actually I am surprised somebody hasn't engineered a cluster of engineered religion. Just to counter Bush right wing group.

I mean, it's only a textual game to create alternative biblical interpretation right? (ie. make your own religion)

That's why I personally really want somebody to trap Bush into some religious conversation and see his head explodes and convert to other religion. That would be so amusing.

(ps. sorry. but my evil Jesuit education just kicked in. :D)

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From: (Anonymous)	Date: May 19th, 2004 11:09 am (UTC)		(linkie thing)

Texas is a unique place. It's not surprising that GWB, Tom Delay, et al, are from Texas. It is surprising that LBJ, Ann Richards and Molly Ivins were/are.

This morning's AP reports Gov. Rick Perry overruled the parole board and executed a mentally ill (paranoid schizophrenic) prisoner.

The parole board voted 5-1 that Patterson be spared.

The parole board's recommendation was very rare.

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From: (Anonymous)	Date: May 20th, 2004 09:01 am (UTC)		(linkie thing)

Seems like a good start to me; i.e., NONE of the religious organizations, neither the spiritually religious like the Unitarians or the Catholic Church, or the commercially religious like the Scientologists, should be tax exempt! I am sick and tired of paying extra taxes to support any of these organizations; if it's good enough for de facto religious outfits like Fox, Disney, the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of "America's teams", it should be good enough for the god-addicts.

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