https://apnews.com/article/israel-christians-taxes-church-palestinians-ac106bb1d49dd3d0d96613af53d4fcf7
While Israeli officials dismiss the disagreement as a routine financial matter, the churches say the move upsets a centuries-old status quo and reflects mounting intolerance.
First they came for the Palestinians, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Palestinian.
Then they taxed the churches and I said “Right on. They should have been doing that all along.”
Then they used the tax revenues to fuck the Palestinians more and I said “god fucking dammit!”
United States gives enough to Israel they don’t need to fund their own war.
Israel also has universal health care and a great social safety net for its citizens, lol
Then they came for the aid workers, and I did not speak out - because I was not an aid worker.
Obviously, there's a more disturbing background at play here, but churches shouldn't be untaxed in the first instance. The dude literally said to render unto Caesar, etc. etc.
Tax all churches. They can apply for their government's equivalent of a 503 (c) status if they qualify.
The dude never existed but had he existed he wouldn't have said that and has he said that he wouldn't have meant it the way you think he did.
The Roman state religion worshipped the emperor. His face was on the currency. Monotheistic people are obviously going to take issue with this. About 2/3rds of the population there thought it was fine, just using money not worshipping a human, 1/3rd thought it was totally not fine and you couldn't use the currency. However, everyone agreed that in the temple you had to change the coins.
Ok so Paul's followers were running his fund raising stuff and this controversy was still lingering when the author of Mark came on the scene, despite the temple being burned down. Mark needed the fundraising to continue and needed people to think Paul was the best shit ever. So he made Jesus weight in on the issue and weight in in such a way that would apply to the modern times with no temple around.
No analogy is perfect but imagine if Ted Cruz claimed to have found a secret document that George Washington wrote saying that the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to abortion. That was roughly what was going on.
Even if there were a historical Jesus and he historically took this side on this issue that doesn't mean he was taking a side on a related issue that hadnt happened yet.
churches in the middle east aren’t like churches in the US. They do not make a lot of money most of the time.
At least Israel did one thing right. Hopefully this extends to all other places of worship.
Yes all places of worship should be taxed, but starting with only the minority organization is quite literally just a form of religious supremecy. Shocking from Israel I know.