Should we SUE Christianity...?

Question

There is a criminal fraud and extortion racket... Christianity... that has been in business for about 1,700 years. As a consequence of their ongoing criminal activities, they are doing immense harm to the citizens of the USA, and to humanity in general.

I propose a class-action civil law suit, to be filed in Federal Court, which would seek to strip Christianity of its tax exempt status, and further, would seek to order the Justice Department to seek criminal penalties for fraud, extortion, conspiracy, and crimes against humanity under the existing 'Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act' (RICO) statutes.

Far worse than the Mafia, this criminal enterprise is directly responsible for tens of millions of deaths, torture, terrorism, and crimes against humanity in general... INCLUDING the deliberate and wanton destruction of all 'heretical' (non-biblical) knowledge... over 1,000 years worth of the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of humanity... during a rampage of death and destruction that lasted for about 300 years following their brutal takeover.

As a direct result of this atrocity, humanity was plunged into a 1,200 year period of Christian-enforced ignorance, deprivation, disease, death and cruelty that we know as the 'Dark Ages'... setting back the march of civilization by about 1,500 years. Humanity only recovered from this monstrous aberration when it was AWAKENED by the recovery (from the Arabs of Spain) of a SMALL part of the ancient knowledge that had been destroyed by the Christians.

Since Christianity lost the political power to simply torture and kill anybody who dared to espouse 'non-biblical' ideas, as a consequence of the secular humanist ideals that arose during the 'Enlightenment', and the 'Age of Reason', they have been reduced to using sophisticated mind-manipulation techniques, developed and perfected over the past 1,700 years, to produce whole generations of Americans who are, at once, gullible, irrational, willfully ignorant, self-deceived, self-deluded, intellectually dishonest, hypocritical and droolingly stupid. This, in itself, is a crime. Further, they seek to undermine science itself... because science poses the dire and immediate THREAT of exposing the lies upon which their false doctrines, false promises and false history is constructed.

Christianity is SELLING the ILLUSION of 'salvation', and the PROMISE of 'eternal life', at the side of a MYTHICAL entity. This constitutes FRAUD. Also, there is the 'protection racket' aspect of the scheme... first, they convince the stupid and the gullible that their mythical entity who will let them live forever will ALSO... without question... without hope... plunge them into an eternity of torture and torment, if they do not comply with their 'program'... which includes a 10% 'tithe' (protection fee) that the entity demands. This constitutes EXTORTION.

Looking at this another way, it is also the world's longest running and most successful Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scam. The product they are selling is the ILLUSION of 'salvation', and the PROMISE of 'eternal life'... and the 'pay plan' doesn't kick in until after you're dead, and there's nobody there with whom you can register your complaint about having been scammed... which doesn't really matter, anyway... because you're DEAD... and you CAN'T complain... because you don't even KNOW you're dead... you're just DEAD.

Meanwhile the VICTIMS (having been deceived into believing that it is their God-given duty) are out there busily recruiting MORE victims. What a racket! Proselytizing (spreading the 'good news')... the 'Divine Commission'... is a key element of the Christian MLM MARKETING PLAN.

The other day, I saw a 'Telethon' on the TBN network... where Christians are being asked to INVEST by sending in donations... with the PROMISE that 'the Lord' will 'bless them' with a return-on-investment' that far exceeds any gains that they could realize in the stock market... and the phones are ringing off the hook. The PURPOSE of the telethon is to raise the money for new radio stations... so that they can continue to 'spread the word'. How is this NOT criminal?

So... here's the reasoning behind the idea of a law suit... publicity... an audacious direct action that will attract the attention of the whole world. And the EVIDENCE of the case will be examined by EVERYONE... even the vast flocks of SHEEPLE who the religious establishment goes to extreme lengths to shield from exposure to secular ideas. It provides an OPPORTUNITY to present the ACTUAL history of Christianity, rather than the pseudo-history which is promulgated by the Christian establishment.... the timeline that shows how science has forced Christian apologists to change their INTERPRETATION of the bible, over time (God-of-the-Gaps)... the ATROCITIES of Christianity, of which the Christian 'flock' is kept ignorant. And on and on... it presents an opportunity to get the MESSAGE of REASON in front of the very people who are being KEPT from exposure from reason... and to expose the METHODS of Christianity... mind manipulation... fear... bait-and-switch... protection racket... etc.

Even if it got thrown out of court (which it probably WOULD), it would STILL succeed in it's objective... to awaken millions of people to the fact that they have been lied-to, used, coerced, manipluated and unconscionably taken advantage of for their whole lives.

Answer 1

duckphup, wow!!! I bow to this question and to your logic

Answer 2

Great idea - BUT - There was already a lawsuit regarding Bush's "faith-based initiatives". It got thrown out of court.

So who exactly would we sue? Which religion? Which preacher/minister/priest?

I read that Seattle has begun to limit tax-exempt status on churches. It limits them to a set amount of land surrounding the church itself. Any income-producing property the church owned was taxable. At least that's a start.

Until the "religious" person becomes aware that religion is a scam, there's probably not a whole lot we can do. People get scammed every day in many different ways. This just happens to be one of the biggest.

If the religious person wanted to sue his/her own church for the money they had given over the years, that could work (for a very short time until the money ran out). The Catholic church has not even been hurt by all the money they have paid out, and those lawsuits will never reach the Vatican, who actually controls the money.

Maybe we could sue because we are paying more taxes to support the churches. They pay nothing for police and fire department protection, either.

Aso there should be some way to stop churches from supporting and paying lobbyists in Washington. The churches transfer money to a "front" organization who then pays the lobbyists. It should not be allowed since churches must not be invoved in politics to keep their tax-exempt status. Closing that loophole would help keep religion out of government.

Yours is truly a great idea. We could have the mother-of-all class-action suits!

Tax the church:
http://www.gainesvillehumanists.org/chrchtax.htm

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071006085437AAlYwgx&r=w#DrddMDL7DEH9MaxtFxVh

http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/ted_haggard_tax_cheat

Answer 3

You are absolutely correct; however suing Christianity might be very costly. If we were to just concentrate on the Vatican for example, they have enough money to wear down any other group in the world as far as having the ability to pay lawyers to defend their scam. Perhaps another alternative might be to create a new church based on something akin to 'Spinoza's God.' FSM would not be taken seriously by most of the opposition. There is no reason why superstitious beliefs should deserve tax exempt status while more realistic and ethical are forced to make up the difference for these immoral organizations. It's a sham.

Answer 4

Maybe we could sue science for giving bombs to infants. Government has been funding science to work on technology instead of people issues, where the real problem is. Let's try to be positive and go on from here, unless you have an alternative. Maybe we could sue mankind or ignorance first and get down to the nitty gritty. I think if we spent time on solutions instead of the blame game or put the game on TV and radio and make some money. Opps, sorry, they already thought of that.

Answer 5

Making grandiose promises they never deliver on is the hallmark of all religions. Anyone listed as plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit will also be on a list the defendants use to make the plaintiff's life miserable. I suggest you forget it.

If the Democrats ever get back into power they should make a priority of jerking tax exempt status for religious righties who get involved in politics and tax church profits that don't go into legitimate charitable work. This could be done, unlike a lawsuit which would be thrown out of any court on day 1.

Answer 6

Oh, yes in deedy; I'm ready for some big time, classy class-action.
But may I suggest we start small, by getting some prosecutor to go after the Jehovah Witnesses for perjury, and jury tampering. Then the Christian Scientists for using false credentials, and practicing medicine without a license.; and next the Baptists for mutilation, or assault and battery on male genitalia.

Answer 7

That made me smile - thank you.

This idea reminds me of a little 2001 Aussie movie with Billy Connolly called *The Man who Sued God which was apparently “based on an actual case”.

“... to awaken millions of people to the fact that they have been lied-to, used, coerced, manipulated and unconscionably taken advantage of for their whole lives.”
But unknowingly?
No; I’m sure that in their secret part of their minds all theists know that it’s a scam; the invisible man in the sky is fakery but they’re too frightened to call it and put their ‘after-life’ on the line.
Pascal’s “but what if?” Wager has done its work.
Apparently once infected by the god-virus it’s pretty hard to shake; it takes strength of mind and courage to laugh in the face of ‘god’ and dare ‘him’ to do his worst.
.

Answer 8

What could we win? Can you put a monetary value on the crimes committed in the name of religion?

Besides, I don't think a lawsuit, won or lost, is going to have a wake-up-and-smell-what-you're-s.h.o.v.e.l.i.n.g effect on those who have true faith. All the proselytizing I've endured hasn't made me a Christian.

I'm with you, but I think what you're proposing would be a waste of time, and of taxpayer money. Sorry, just mho.

Answer 9

Duckphup, my hero. My only question is... how can you sue a thing? What would you sue? Every Christian in the world? The Vatican? Well the problem with the Vatican is that then only the Catholics pay. So who exactly are you going to sue? You can't sue over 2 billion people.

Answer 10

You have an unique idea there. All of your points are true. Wouldn't you have to go after the Pope or the Vatican itself to even attempt this case? Not to mention a great team of lawyers willing to do this.
Good luck with this.

Answer 11

I hate these kind of questions. It's like a mathematical puzzle where someone proves 1=0, then your job is to figure out where the faulty logic is. Some people have refused to give you the benefit of the doubt and just stopped at you can't sue an abstract noun. There is validity to this as Clinton argued the meaning of the word "is." Ignoring your use of the word "Christianity" in a technical way and substitute for it the word "Mafia" which you seem to wanting to equate it to anyway, let's look at the merit of your case. I don't think your case is one where you are not interested in the waste of time or the money if you should win. For you, if I'm reading you right is, "the principle of the thing." So we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief and proclaim, "Yes Virginia, there is NO Santa Claus!" Or maybe it could be amended for a santa clause. No Easter bunnies, no angels, no divine providence because at the core of your argument you are lumping a lot of things together and saying none of it exists-thereby advancing your point that Christianity has defrauded society again and again by their phony claims and has continued to perpetrate this fraud and will continue this fraud unless they are stopped. This case if you should win would be a cautionary tale to other imposter or fraudulent religions. I kind of agree with the guy below on his point about churches getting involved in politics and pulling their tax-exempt status. I don't think(this is an aside, but I would like to comment on this point) preachers should influence people on how to vote. I agree that it is annoying when you have a block of people who don't think for themselves and then vote as a block because they have been lead to believe that voting differently is a serious almost, inexcusable sin. Something about that gripes me seriously. I am thankful we are able to religiously follow the dictates of our own conscience in this country. Sure, I'd feel more secure at night knowing everyone thinks pretty much the same way as I do. But if I chose to think differently I also have that option I suppose to a degree. That's a beautiful thing about America. I believe in traditional values, but what about all of us together at the same time. This is a melting pot of cultures and ideas. I suppose christianity has its absolute principles, but I don't know if politics is one of them. Worth discussing and thinking about definitely. That's why I think people at church need to think for themselves. We can act as a unit, but as a political unit, I think that's getting into dicey waters. Jesus said render unto Ceasar that which is Caesars and unto God, what is God's. His disciples no doubt thought he was building an earthly kingdom, but Jesus himself said right before His crucifixion, my kingdom is not of this world. Jesus didn't get into politics and tell his followers to do this and that, and they were occupied by Rome! He taught them values to live by to be a part of his heavenly kingdom, not teach them how to develop a schematic to enforce non-believers by law what he would want them to do by free will.