By Alan Cooperman and Thomas B. EdsallUpdated: 7:28 a.m. ET April 10, 2006In an era when conservative Christians enjoy access and influence throughout the federal government, the organization that fueled their rise has fallen on hard times.The once-mighty Christian Coalition, founded 17 years ago by the Rev. Pat Robertson as the political fundraising and lobbying engine of the Christian right, is more than $2 million in debt, beset by creditors’ lawsuits and struggling to hold on to some of its state chapters.
Confession: I don’t feel at all bad about the hard times of professional liars who don’t pay their debts — or their taxes.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12243323/
Way to go Dave! You’re right, those bastards don’t deserve anthing but what they had coming to them for all the horrible, horrible things they have done to our country! U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!
Note: Things are really staring to turn in our favor now, hope this keeps up.
Personally, any church over say a couple hundred members, should be taxed and monitored for donations. These religious creeps that make millions disgust me.
Churches should pay all applicable taxes that any other Not for Profit organization pay. Period. The end.
I’m also in favor of regular IRS audits as well as background checks to look for hidden pedophiles.
but maybe thats just me.
-Blueflame
That would be a great start but with our current government it won’t happen anytime soon.
And the money hasn’t reduced, it’s just switched hands, Family Research Council is doing about $10M/year, so I don’t know how ‘good’ this news is.
And since I was looking @ Form-990s, I peeked @ AA’s & FFRF’s. AA is leaner than FFRF, and I have a boatload more respect for Ellen & the whole of AA.
ah the poor persecuted christian coalition is in debt good those fugers deserve it to bad im not a creditor i would love to get a piece of them
sorry that shouldve been the Galaath coalition Ask R.A.
Where did all that money go?
Gee, I wonder if the life-styles of the CC leaders and founders will suffer now that the organization is under water. Ha, they’ll regroup and come back as some new and improved religious leadership and the cycle will continue.
By the way, they STILL meet regularly with our leaders according to the article I read today about this. They don’t need money to have clout in the white house.
They don’t pay taxes so the bankruptcy laws should not apply. That means their creditors can liquidate them. Hmmmmm?
I’m hoping this is the beginning of a swing back in the other direction for our country.
It seems like more people are getting disgusted with the Iraq War and scandals among the White House folks.
Maybe people will wake up and see that some of our religious and political “leaders” shouldn’t be leading anymore.
Aww, the poor Coalition. Forgive me while I shed a tear for them:
“These are not tears! We are vomiting from our eyes!” – Kang
And about time, too.
phreedm, I’m not sure if you’re setting something up, but I’ll bite. I feel bad for the people who they had to lay off. That’s a tough experience for anybody. What I don’t feel bad about is that a religious organization that was shaping policy in perhaps some ways that Jesus wouldn’t be proud of is losing their ability to do so. My thought is that they were trying to enforce their brand on christianity on others. In a country that embraces plurality (at least in theory), enforcing a particular vision of morality doesn’t work for me. I do subscribe to laws that are ubiquitous: don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t lie in court, but it’s a stretch to say if I don’t subscribe to a southern baptist view of morality then I embrace anarchy. I’m just throwing it out there before you perhaps suggest I will marry a chair and a goat. I know the slippery slope of this discussion and we’ve gone through this quite a few times, so I think we can table this aspect of the discussion.
You know, this is a good question. I think we should define conservative first. I do enjoy listening to fiscal conservatives. I think that Tomwrite might fit into that category in my mind and I do enjoy his writings. I don’t agree all the time, but that’s okay. I don’t have much time for moral conservatives. I think they can live how they want to, but not be allowed to enforce a myopic viewpoint on others. How do you define conservative?
In conclusion, I don’t think so many people enjoy seeing others suffer. We all have a different view of what’s the right way to go forward. I might ask you the same question about welfare mothers. Do you enjoy seeing them suffer when their benefits get cut? (this is rhetorical, I don’t want to discuss that issue, but simply use it to illustrate the point. I don’t know what your stance is on making welfare mothers cry.) It’s a loaded question that doesn’t encourage good discussion, simply emotional response. It’s akin to using the old loaded question “so when did you stop beating your wife?”
A better way to ask the question might be: “I can’t understand why you think this is a good thing. People are getting laid off and I think they are doing this x,y and z good thing. Can you explain your thoughts on the issue?”
See? doesn’t that work better?
Say somehing bad about the collection attorneys picking the flesh off the bones of the corpse that was Ralph Reed’s launching pad to political failure!!
Is it the fallen nature of man that allows him to enjoy seeing others suffer?
Are compassion (towards all) and atheism compatible? More on this later…
Maybe it’s the only way to avoid the one truth in the article…
The agenda is moving forward…We all know it’s much easier to raise money when there is a cause to rally people around. If one looks at the makeup of Washington today and compares it to Washington of 20 years ago, there is no doubt that it is much more conservative. So what is there to fight for if you’re a conservative?
Compassion and atheism…found some interesting writings.
http://www.origins.org/articles/vitz_psychologyofatheism.html
Of course maybe someone can explain why so many (both believers and non-believers) enjoy seeing others suffer…any takers?
Sure, I’ll go for the brass ring.
Evolution.
It’s an extension of the primal urge to hunt. Civilization has suppressed such urges. Same source as stress. Fight-or-flight syndrome, badly channeled.
Leastways, it’s far more logical than original sin.
Schadenfreude, is what the Germans call it.
Side-effect of natural selection.
We’ll evolve beyond it someday.
TV sitcoms aren’t helping in this regard, I think.
udonman:
That’s Galaath, & they’re aliens, so that would be the hive/not-hive mind coalition?
I don’t think they have a word for coalition on Galaath, come to think of it.
spanders:
LMAO!
Sounds like a combo of O’Reilly & Lewis Carroll, on some really BAD psychotropics.
I can’t stop laughing at that. Glad I wasn’t drinking anything at the time: it’d be everywhere.
Digital-Eyes,
You’d also think that Jerry Falwell would know that gluttony is also a sin. Did you ever see his chins? Like another mouth on his face.
phreedm,
Do atheists have compassion towards all? Sure I do. If I didn’t, I’d support the Christian Coalition. It is my compassion for the world that cannot allow such a hideous organization ultimate power.
Doesn’t Pat Robertson know that greed is a sin. I don’t understand why x-tians feel the need to make huge profits if their god forbids it.
De-commission
There once was a Chris’tian Co’lition,
‘Pure thought’ and ‘God’s working’ their mission.
Now their drowning in debt,
And although not quite yet,
They’ll shortly be out of commission.
“Is it the fallen nature of man that allows him to enjoy seeing others suffer?”
Nah, whole cultures have adopted this response. See, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude
I especially like the Thai: In Thai, the phrase ?????????, som nam na, can be interpreted as “you got what you deserved,” “serves you right” or “I’m laughing at your bad luck.”
Mean and nasty people engender strong feelings.
IF the powers behind the CC (Pat Robertson: front & center) had simply bothered to shut the thing down like any other business that has gone out of business – instead of stiffing the creditors, this would never have happened.
Gutting them like a trout because they chose to take the sloppy way out sounds about right to me.
Darn shame that Marion “Pat” Robertson is so distant from the failed entity – I’d just love to take part in a debtor’s exam of that guy. But, he isn’t “legally” responsible for the debts.
I don’t think that taking some glee in the failure of CC proves the “fallen from grace” nature of man. In fact, them’s pretty thin facts to base proof of original sin upon.
Tell us, exectly what grade level have you mastered, P?
reluctant sorry i just threw that out there really quick didnt even check spelling your well isnt galaath just a metaphor for the christian right
phreetard
and just how are these people ’suffering’? i hardly call their situation ’suffering’. if you want to see suffering, why not go to a third world country and visit some starving children. that’s suffering. although, being an idiotic xtian, you’d probably say something mother teresa-ish like ’suffering is beautiful’. i can’t believe you’d even have the grapes to call their situation ’suffering’. you get dumber day by day.
phreedm,
Please. That sorry excuse for an “organization” deserves nothing. They are hateful towards so many innocent people and should be disbanded. I have absolutely NO respect towards those who want unjust death. The fact that they rule our country and even have our plege of allegiance corrupted makes me harbor these feelings of rage. I may be very angry, but at least I am not trying to ruin people’s lives like them. I would rather die then become one of those brainwashed bigots. I was brainwashed very shortly in my early youth but my need for the truth prevailed over the church. I feel horrified at the fact that there’re hateful faith (along with pretty much every other faith) is still plaguing the world and my very home. I am willing to die a very painful death if doing that would greatly help remove those bastards and there’re influence from my country, the United States of America.
Note: I only want to get rid of the bigots, not the faithful who keep to themselves and don’t spread hate.
Hey Reluctant, I’m glad you got a chuckle out of that. I have to get back to you on other matters as well. Man, I have been bustin’ my hump for a while. Things will open up a bit and I’ll have more time hopefully soon.
spanders I got the chair to say yes but the goat said nay
spanders:
Yeah, pretty funny.
udonman:
Man, pass some of what you’re on my way, dude.
well actually it wasnt your story it I just thought that would be funnier than saying it was a perfect day to go fishing rather than sleep (if interested cought and released 14 crappie most over 2lbs gottta love these under fished farmponds)
udonman:
Sorry, man. It was just a story.
ah what im on is lack o sleeep and way to much mountain dew so feel free to join me
oh bye the way the reason i couldnt sleep as soon as I got to sleep I dreamed of an alter and people chanting NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO
thanks to you my mind has gone out to lunch and may not be back for a while
udonman,
You released 14 crappie? Are you daft man? That sounds like supper to me. My family only eats organic meat or wild game (+ fruits and veges of course). And that includes 1 dog and 3 cats! Feel free to send your delicious catch my way!