The Jewmanist

By pushing the parishioners to get bigger loans and get into bigger houses? Hanna Rosin at The Atlantic, has a very interesting piece on the how pastors are one of the many negative influences on people to place them in homes that are well beyond their means. Not to say there weren’t other causes, but churches have a lot of power and sway in their communities.

LIKE THE AMBITIONS of many immigrants who attend services there, Casa del Padre’s success can be measured by upgrades in real estate. The mostly Latino church, in Charlottesville, Virginia, has moved from the pastor’s basement, where it was founded in 2001, to a rented warehouse across the street from a small mercado five years later, to a middle-class suburban street last year, where the pastor now rents space from a lovely old Baptist church that can’t otherwise fill its pews. Every Sunday, the parishioners drive slowly into the parking lot, never parking on the sidewalk or grass—“because Americanos don’t do that,” one told me—and file quietly into church. Some drive newly leased SUVs, others old work trucks with paint buckets still in the bed. The pastor, Fernando Garay, arrives last and parks in front, his dark-blue Mercedes Benz always freshly washed, the hubcaps polished enough to reflect his wingtips.

Don’t mind the poorly-written source, but apparently Alan Greenspan is a “devout” atheist and the Christians find this very important:

Wethink it is relevant and important to understand that Alan Greenspan isa devout Atheist. More importantly his belief system can be directlyconnected to the financial meltdown. Many people are not aware thatAlan Greenspan was a disciple of Ayn Rand and a member of her groupknown as the “Collective“. After earning his Masters in `1950,Greenspan became a 20-year associate of famed philosopher Ayn Rand,author of books “The Virtue of Selfishness,”"Atlas Shrugged”. Greenspanwrote for Rand’s newsletters and authored a chapter for a Rand book.

Other than the obvious lack of spell/grammar check, which is going crazy with dotted red lines, there are other fallacies. Mainly logical ones.

Why is it we can try an label politicians as “socialists” in attemptto ruin careers yet we defend and tip-toe around “Atheists” like theyare Bambis .

People getting laid off in the religion industry don’t qualify for unemployment benefits, at least not in Virginia.

RICHMOND, Va., May 18 (UPI) — Some people recently laid-off from religious institutions in Virginia said they were shocked to find the state does not offer them unemployment benefits.

Carol Bronson, who was laid off from her secretarial job at Temple Emanuel synagogue in Virginia Beach, said she was told her unemployment claim was denied because the tax exemptions for religious organizations under Virginia law include an exemption from paying unemployment taxes, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Monday.

“I had no idea that there would not be any benefits for me after leaving my job,” she said.

I know an easy fix. In the words of the great Frank Zappa, “Tax the fuck out of the churches!” Then, these unfortunate people getting laid-off will have the same benefits anyone would have.

Another great TED vid:

Barry Schwartz makes a passionate call for “practical wisdom” as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world.

Celebrate your moral heroes!