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.

It can be hard to get used to how much Garay talks about money in church, one loyal parishioner, Billy Gonzales, told me one recent Sunday on the steps out front. Back in Mexico, Gonzales’s pastor talked only about “Jesus and heaven and being good.” But Garay talks about jobs and houses and making good money, which eventually came to make sense to Gonzales: money is “really important,” and besides, “we love the money in Jesus Christ’s name! Jesus loved money too!” That Sunday, Garay was preaching a variation on his usual theme, about how prosperity and abundance unerringly find true believers. “It doesn’t matter what country you’re from, what degree you have, or what money you have in the bank,” Garay said. “You don’t have to say, ‘God, bless my business. Bless my bank account.’ The blessings will come! The blessings are looking for you! God will take care of you. God will not let you be without a house!”

Yes, of course, god will take care of you! Especially after you’ve been foreclosed on, are in debt due to all those medical bills, and living in with relatives in a one-bedroom apartment.

Read the rest of The Atlantic’s “Did Christianity Cause the Crash?”

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 .

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Would we have put a known “Communist” in the position of Fed Chair, of course not. Yet the Atheist who destroyed our economy and believes”money is the barometer of societies virtue” gets a free pass.

Destroyed our economy? Did someone fall asleep for eight years?

Isn’t it ironic. The Trustee of “In God We Trust” was an Atheist.

“In God We Trust” was ultimately added for production and delivery to currency in  the 1960′s. It was never intended by our forefathers & mothers, so no its not “ironic” in the slightest.

Had our elected leaders, simply asked Mr. Greenspan, years ago, if hebelieved the United States was a nation under God , perhaps we maynot be in the financial catastrophe we find ourselves in today.

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Atheism is a man made construct, like communism orsocialism and without a concern in the world we put them in charge ofour financial system. Nobody seems to care.

How can atheism be man-made? We are all born atheists, we die atheists. You choose to believe in whatever you wish to. Theism is not the “default” position. And why should anyone care?

We strongly believe in a separation of Church and State, our troopsare dying in Iraq to defend that prinicipal but we still are a country “One Nation Under God” and now our Government, like neverbefore, needs to defend that principal and defend it with pride andresolve. The words need to mean something.

Separation of Church and State implies leaving God out of politics.

Ugh, I can no longer even respond to these ignorant remarks. This is disgustingly mean. And the reason atheists fight for equality, tolerance, acceptance, and respect.

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.

Read the whole story.

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!