When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, 'tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.
-- Benjamin Franklin, letter to Richard Price, October 9, 1780,
Do you understand the quote? He's saying that if a religion needs public funds to keep operating (as EVERY church in the US gets 100% tax breaks I think this qualifies) then that religion is a bad one.
It also makes an excellent point about god's non-existence. Can you find that subtle clue? 10 points to the person smart enough to figgure that one out.
2006-09-16 13:02:12 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Oh and for the morons out there who think Ben Franklin was a christian, ROTFLMAO!!!
You poor, ill-educated pus-for-brains.
Here is a quote that smashes that inane notion;
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
So you see that he wasn't a christian at all.
See how education and reality trumps your fantasies and mythology every time?
2006-09-16 13:56:37 · update #1
How did you get God's non existence out of that?! I guess whatever you can find not to believe, huh. Okay.
2006-09-16 13:25:31 · answer #1 · answered by Sleek 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hmmm, that's interesting, but your aside about tax breaks equalling funding is incorrect. Churches claim their tax status as a not-for-profit company with the state, that's true, but so do a lot of other organizations. And most churches honestly are not for profit, at least not for financial gain. It's when you get a bad preacher in there out to make a buck that the line is crossed.
Besides, I'm not really impressed with ole Ben's religious philosophies. On the one hand he'll write about God and sign all sorts of declarations claiming God is sovereign, then turns around and says there is no God. A wishy-washy person like that cannot be used as a basis for anything.
Had some pretty good inventions tho.
2006-09-16 20:10:47 · answer #2 · answered by arewethereyet 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, HE WAS A CHRISTIAN!!!!
Also : you're basing your whole belief system & risking an afterlife in hell based on a guy whom you've never met, who wore tights, a wig, & flew a metal kite during a thunderstorm. Think about that. Why take someone elses word for it? Do your own research & figure out what's good for you.
Remember, as humans, we all make mistakes. But to pin the errors that HUMANS make on God (who did not teach anyone about tax breaks and never accepted ONE CENT from anyone for anything He did while He was on earth in the form of Jesus) ... that's pinning the blame on the only ONE who is blameless. Don't take the crooked acts of man & say that's what God said to do!!
Read the Bible. God never taught people to make a profit off of His teachings. He said give to the poor, to be kind, fair, loving,
& understanding towards everyone. (He said nothing about raking in a profit while doing it.) And the "Preachers" who go around doing telethons and abusing religion for financial gain are NOT ture Christians & will go to hell for making a mockery of the Most High God.
2006-09-16 20:17:34 · answer #3 · answered by tatjana 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't patronize, I believe most of us understand the quote. Benjamin Franklin was an enterprising fellow and had lot of interesting things to say. But, he is not the measure of whether a religion is good or bad.
Why is it that people find some little witticism by a famed author, poet, or even an actor and they sit back in awe and say...."whoa, that is so profound."
I would think a quote from Jesus would be at least as interesting to you, as a student of history.
2006-09-16 20:19:47 · answer #4 · answered by chris 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. You seem to be confusing tax breaks with being tax-exempt. They're not the same thing.
2. Not all churches accept public funds.
3. Even if a church does accept public funds, it does not disprove God's existence. At most, it can put a church in danger of being subject to civil control of doctrine.
2006-09-16 20:10:08 · answer #5 · answered by jewel_flower 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We need to learn the difference between a church supporting itself and tax breaks. Churches do not get support from the government - the churches who use the tax break for their own good will answer on Judgment.
2006-09-16 20:07:08 · answer #6 · answered by Gladiator 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Church should stop using God's money to build buildings!
But i don't care about what Benjamin Franklin said.
2006-09-16 20:15:20 · answer #7 · answered by jesus_freak557 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not every one is attracted to what is right and good. The assumption in the quote is that people are basically good. So they would support anything that is good. If that was true is that why the highest grossing industry in the US is porn? Does that mean the God loves porn then?
2006-09-16 20:11:34 · answer #8 · answered by dhamca 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sure, money is the root of all evil! God does exist and religion is just that, religion------------
2006-09-16 20:04:54 · answer #9 · answered by yeppers 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
money is not evil it is how you use it
2006-09-16 20:06:30 · answer #10 · answered by Z ten 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋