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State Tax Notes Announces ‘Marginal Impact’ – Bimonthly Column by Tax Experts at The American Enterprise Institute

State Tax Notes Announces ‘Marginal Impact’ – Bimonthly Column by Tax Experts at The American Enterprise Institute
FALLS CHURCH, Va., June 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — States’ reliance on retail sales taxes should be good news for those who value efficient taxation, but widespread taxing of business purchases impedes efficiency and hides the true burden of these taxes, according to the inaugural issue of “Marginal Impact,” a new bimonthly column for State Tax Notes by tax experts at the American Enterprise …

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The State Of America, 2009

    In spite of all that has transpired in this country, it is still great. Great, in that we have come to the aid of about every other country across the globe. Now, in this day, China comes to our aid with financial backing. But, at what price? Sure, they are helping us with thier money. But isn’t that like going to a loan shark? If you’re unable to pay the loan, you get your leg or arm broken. Or maybe two legs and two arms? Or, perhaps they’ll just take some land in payment? Sure, why not! We have plenty of land, don’t we? Do we really want to sell or give up our land to foreign interests? But, then again, we’ve already sold some of America to other foreigners, over the past years, haven’t we?

    The media keeps reporting that we are in a “recession”. A recession is defined as, “1. a going back or backward;receding;withdrawal. 4. in economics, a temporary falling off of business activity during a period, when such activity has been generally increasing, as during that after a depression.”   Also;  ” a ceding or giving back, as to a fomer owner.”  Now, either that means we have had a DEPRESSION, or, we are giving back the country to a former owner! Who was the former owner? Spain once owned a good part of the southwest , at one time. France owned another part of it. And England owned, or at least tried to own a part of this country.

     To the world bankers and industrialists, America is just another piece of property to be sold. They don’t care that thousands of people may be out of work. They will simply replace us with cheap, foreign labor! This may be an unpopular statement to make, especially to all the politicians who have had foreign servants working in their big, expensive mansions in Washington, D.C. and Maryland for many years. I know, I’ve seen some of them. And I’ve heard the things that go on within those “ivory towers”! 

     All that aside, we still have a great country; but we need to clean house, before we lose all that this country has stood for in the past. There are forces at work that want to bring this nation down to the third world level. Down to the poverty, down to the despair, the hopelessness and depavity that exists in many counties, even now. We should not , cannot let that happen. How do we stop it? Phone calls to your senator, or congressman MIGHT have some results,but it may not. Money certainly won’t. It will just go to some politicians pocket. One thing might just get some results;  PRAYER!  Yes, I said prayer!  Forget seperation of church and state!  Don’t seperate yourself from our creator! He is the only one that can change things, for the better. That’s not religion, it’s the plain, simple and straight TRUTH. Try praying to the one who established this country, so that we could ALL be free; free to worship the one true God. Okay, call it “religious garbage”, if you want  But those who believe will know what I’m saying is true.

     The state of this country is not good right now. Everyone knows it. It won’t get any better, like I said at first. But, if the entire nation fails to come together and get on their knees, and ask forgiveness for all their wrongdoings,many will go into captivity, within our own borders. Many will be slain, tortured, tormented. This sounds crazy, insane and every other thing you can come up with, but, nontheless, true. Many will live to see it with their own eyes and wish that they didn’t. I know what I sound like; please keep this in mind for the future days, it WILL happen unless this nation REPENTS.  Lord Jesus bless all who believe, and take it to heart!

 

Started out writing poetry, mostly. I have a book on poetry, being published, even now. I would like to write some articles, short stories maybe. I love motorcycling, kayaking, camping, music, etc.

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Fires at church, pastor’s house investigated for arson

Fires at church, pastor’s house investigated for arson
Fires at a church and at the home of its pastor in Ohio County, Ky., are being investigated as arsons by Kentucky State Police.

Read more on Evansville Courier & Press

20100425 – The Church concert at State Theatre – 1 – GEDC1937 – art, shirt, cd, autographed programs

Church and State
Image taken on 2010-04-26 20:47:28 by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL).

How to Identify the Wall of Separation Between God and State in the U.s. Constitution

“Original Intent” is a book by David Barton about Supreme Court rulings that have stripped the Constitution of the founders’ original meaning.  It was published in 2000 by WallBuilders of Alemedo, Texas.

<b>David Barton Argues Against<br>

Separation of Church and State</b>

The book emphasizes religious aspects of the Constitution, especially the doctrine of separation of church and state.  Mr. Barton attempts to show this was not part of the original intent of the founding fathers.  

The author discusses eight Supreme Court landmark religious liberty cases which followed the 1947 Everson case.  The latter introduced the “wall of separation” terminology.  In these he claims the Supreme Court rewrote the original intent of the founders. 

Later chapters demonstrate how the new subjective standard of judicial opinion is altering the Constitution and Constitutional law in fundamental ways. The law is in a state of flux because the Constitution has become whatever the justices say it is. This new era of positivistic law began in the 1930s and 1940s.

<b>Thesis Is Flawed</b>

The problem with the book is a flawed thesis. The founders did in fact intend to separate the new government from the authority of biblical law.  Surprisingly, David Barton actually applauds this.

David Barton states that “there is simply no historical foundation for the proposition that the Founders intended to build the ‘wall of separation’ that was constitutionalized in Everson…” (p.179).  The actual words, “wall of separation” do not appear, but the wall is nonetheless set in place by Article VI, Section 3.

This provision disestablishes Christianity as the “coin of the realm” so to speak.  When the Constitution says that “no religious test shall ever be required for any office…,” it makes it illegal to require an officeholder to swear to govern by the Bible.  It thus established the U.S. Constitution as a pluralistic and secular document.  This is clearly a “wall of separation,” divorcing the legal system from its religious foundation.

David Barton alludes to Article VI, but praises its effect. He asserts that, “…it was therefore not within the federal government’s authority to examine the religious beliefs of any candidate” (p.34). He adds with approval that “The Founders believed that the investigation of the religious views of a candidate should not be conducted by the federal government, but rather by the voters in each state.”

That is the heart of our problem. A declaration of religious neutrality by the Federal government. This would be like Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai and declaring that he wasn’t going to favor any particular religion, but would leave it to the tribes.

On the contrary, it is the primary duty of government to require that its officials are committed to Christ and the Christian religion.  It is cultural suicide to neglect this duty.  The law of God is the only source of justice, and God expects the officeholder to swear to uphold it.  David Barton fails to grasp this most basic biblical principle of civil government.

<b>Innocuous Civil Religion</b>

David Barton and the founders prefer a milquetoast civil religion, rather than undiluted Christianity.  To quote the author, “I agree fully to what is beautifully and appropriately said in Updegraph v. The Commonwealth… — Christianity, general Christianity, is, and always has been, a part of the common law: ‘not Christianity founded on any particular religious tenets’ …(p.70)”

“The Christianity practiced in America was described by John Jay as ‘enlightened,’ by John Quincy Adams as ‘civilized,’ and by John Adams as ‘rational.'” (p.127).  As long as Christianity remains a toothless, feel-good religion, devoid of doctrine, David Barton and the founding fathers are apparently happy with it.

And this leads to another root problem.  David Barton virtually always refers to civil government in terms of what it must not do respecting separation of church and state.  He ignores the responsibility government has to govern pro-actively in submission to Biblical law.  As noted above, his Christianity is toothless when it comes to obligations for the civil magistrate.

This rejection of God and Biblical law as the basis for the new government leads inevitably to disregard for the Constitution we see today.  When they rejected the absolute standard, the founders guaranteed that their posterity would end up adrift in a sea of subjectivity and oppression.

In the end, Mr. Barton calls for a return to the “original intent” of the founders to create a limited government based on Christian principles. But the flaw in his thesis makes this impossible.

Departure from the original intent of the Constitution is not our problem. Rather, our problem lies in the seeds of humanism and religious neutrality that were planted originally in the Constitution and are bearing their evil fruit today.

For more information about the anti-Christian features of the U.S. Constitution visit http://www.america-betrayed-1787.com/us-constitution.html Dennis Woods is webmaster and also a political pollster and fundraiser in Oregon, using the Dog Catcher Campaign Strategy: http://www.america-betrayed-1787/gary-north.html

Worship and Church Attendance

The church exists in the city because it has certain specific functions to perform. To maintain public worship, to persuade to definite convictions and inspire to noble conduct, to furnish religious education, and to promote social reform are its essential responsibilities. Worship is a natural attitude to the individual who is prompted by a desire to adjust himself to the universe and to obtain the peace of mind that follows upon the establishment of a right relationship.

To most people it is easier to get into the proper atmosphere and spirit of worship in a public assembly, and they therefore are accustomed to meet at stated intervals and bow side by side as if in kinship together before the Unseen God. Long-established habit and a superstitious fear of the consequences that may follow neglect keep some persons regular in church attendance when they have no sense of spiritual satisfaction in worship. Others go to church because of the social opportunities that are present in any public gathering.

In recent years church attendance has not kept pace with the increasing population of the city. A certain pride of intellect and a feeling of security in the growing power of man over nature has produced an indifference to religion and religious teachers. Multiplicity of other interests overshadows the ecclesiastical interests of the aristocracy; fatigue and hostility to an institution that they think caters to the rich keeps the proletariat at home.

In the city, as in the country, the religious instinct expresses itself socially through the institution of the church . Spiritual force cannot be confined within the limits of a single institution; religion is a dynamic that permeates the life of society; yet in this age of specialization, and especially in a country like the Nigeria, where religion is a voluntary affair, not to be entangled with the school or the State, religion has naturally exerted its influence most directly through the church. Charity and settlement workers are inspired by a religion that makes humanitarianism a part of its creed, and a large majority of them are church members, but as a rule they do not attempt to introduce any religious forms or exercises into their programmes. Most public-school teachers have their religious connections and recognize the important place of religion in moulding character, but religious teaching is not included in the curriculum because of the recognized principle of complete religious liberty and the separation of church and state.

The result has been that religion is not consciously felt as a vital force among many people who are not directly connected with an ecclesiastical institution. Those who are definitely connected with the church in Nigeria contribute voluntarily to its expenses, sometimes even at personal sacrifice. Most people who have little religious interest realize the value of the mere presence of a meeting-house in the community as a reminder of moral obligations and an insurance against disorder. Its spire seems to point the way to heaven, and to make a mute appeal to the best motives and the highest ideals. The decline of the church is, therefore, regarded as a sign of social degeneracy.

Read author’s recent article on Ejaculation.

He also writes for Nigeria Forums and

the Internet Business Blog..

Non Profit Organizations and Church Grants

Many non profit organizations do not consider the idea of using church grants as a viable way to fund their ministries. Some local parishes don’t accept monies from the government or other outside sources because they may be afraid there will be strings attached. At the same time, other churches may not be aware that this type of funding is available to them. There is a recent initiative designed to aid in expanding the role that churches and not for profit groups take in social problems that our nation faces.

Churches who apply for grants from the government should start whenever they decide to write a grant proposal, because, like anything dealing with the government, the application process tends to be drawn out and fraught with red tape. When some groups prepare to request church grants, it may take as long as six weeks to put together all the information they will need. Companies like Here-4 You Consulting have made it their mission to assist your parish or group in applying for grants that are available. They generally charge a fee that will equal a relatively small percentage of the monies your church or group might receive.

Many of the grants that your group applies for can’t be used to run the day to day operations of a church. These monies are not to be used to pay rentals on buildings, or utility bills. The free church grants that you may qualify for may be given to you only if you have a specific need. For example, if you are trying to start a new at-risk children’s ministry, the grants may be there to help you. The money can help you start up a program like this.

In the United States, the former president started a program for faith-based grants. These would offer federal funding to charitable and religious groups who need it. Some people view this as controversial, and possibly bridging the supposed gap between church and state, since churches are usually already tax-free.

Church grants can be quite helpful, as long as you handle them correctly. Some volunteers and church members may be a little too eager to spend new grant monies, especially if your group was cash-strapped before you received the grant. Make sure that your church members and employees understand that the grant money must be properly allocated, and only spent for the programs you specified when you wrote the grant proposal.

Here-4-You Consulting are part of NPFunds.com. They are specialists in acquiring church grants within the Christian community.
Ann Smithson is a writer for www.npfunds.com who has experience in the financial sector.

SPORTS: Nandua soccer team heads to Falls Church on Tuesday for state playoffs

SPORTS: Nandua soccer team heads to Falls Church on Tuesday for state playoffs
ONLEY — Nandua’s soccer team will be heading to Falls Church on Tuesday to take on George Mason High School in the first round of the state playoffs.

Read more on Eastern Shore News

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