I just read in a New York paper online about another catholic priest having to apologize for endorsing a presidential candidate. Then we have Obama's boys preaching hatred and nonsense.  What exactly is it with religious leaders who think they know everything. They pretend to be political experts, they pretend to be CEO's, they pretend to be financial counselors, when really all they are is supposed to be a teacher of The Word. Unless they are a fraud, GOD called them to spread his word, not to build giant mega churches and businesses, not sway elections, not free people from thier hard earned money, but simply to teach and spread The Word and let The Word do all the rest.

I am tired about reading in church bulletins about all the "Help" church members can give to the elderly with financial matters and investments. What they are really doing is cutting the church in on part of the estate. Guilting little old ladies into taking money away from children and grandchildren, and giving "the first share" to the lord, or really to the greedy pastors.

I propose a new law in Wisconsin, "If a Church Leaders talks about Politics, Investments, Business Development or any other topic not directly related to The Word in the Bible, they should be deemed a business and taxed accordingly.

That my friends is the fix to the national economy. Remove the non-profit status from those who do not deserve it and you will generate hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax revenue without harming the average tax payer one bit.

I just read a story about an order of Monks north of Milwaukee running a $4.5 million dollar office supply business and it just brought things into focus. In the early days, churches and religious entities were declared non-profit tax exempt for some very good reasons. Most leaders lived on poverty wages, all work was done by volunteers and they used the minimal funds they raised to spread the word and do good works in the community.. But that has all changed for most churches and groups. In the Wausau area, Pastors and Preachers routinely make $50,000 to $80,000 per year  or more with spouses often also "employed" by the church, incomes well above the average church member or tax payer. They get great health benefits, travel the country and world in the name of "outreach" and write off personal cars, motorcycles and parts of homes as "work expenses". Paid staff positions have exploded in the last few years as these churches have started daycares, senior homes and other profit centers all under the non-profit status of the church. Private schools for the in-crowd are deteriorating the public school system, yet offer little more than a daily sunday school lesson. These new mega churches bring in millions a year from business ventures not paying taxes and using tax free buildings built and maintained with tax deductible donations.

One only needs to watch the news to see the greedy, power hungry leaders fall victim to all the vices that free money brings. Drugs, perverted sex, infidelity and fraud are running rampant in church leadership and the best way to get it under control is to make the money accountable and controllable. A church that is just a church can remain tax free, but once they venture into daycare, childhood learning centers, senior housing complexes, private colleges and retail (& gift card) sales, they should be taxed just like the rest of us.

Religion is a topic that's very tough for some to talk about and can also be dangerous. In some countries you don't dare openly discuss your faith unless it is the faith of the ruling party. There is religious persecution all over the world in many forms.

But here in the US we claim to be a nation founded under GOD, but exactly what GOD is that. Looking over the recent headlines. We had a 12year old girl die because her parents believed in prayer instead of doctors, we have 400 + kids removed from what appears to be a extremist church that marries off the girls as young at 8. Neither of these actions are the wish of my GOD. So how do these people get things so wrong.

The answer is that so many people are just natural born followers. They look for somebody to give them a few shots of motivation and excitement, and then they follow them to the end of the earth. These at one time were simply classified as cults, but today that is the structure of many mainstream traditional churches. These arrogant and self empowered pastors are hiding inside our traditional Catholic and Lutheran churches right here in our area. They preach membership growth instead of doctrine, they want members instead of believers, they throw away traditions because they seem too churchy and they abandon the beautiful historic looking churches and build worship centers, praise centers and spritual growth auditoriums. These days it's almost impossible to see a difference between the average motivational, self help, get rich quick seminar and the average Sunday praise service. Sing some current songs, clap your hands, hear how the Lord wants you to prosper and the best way for that to happen is give more to the "pastors' latest pet project.

Today it is acceptable to many that church leaders lie, or taint the truth to get that budget passed. Withholding facts from congregations is done to eliminate unproductive disagreements. It is acceptable to have anybody lead a bible study, reagrdless of his understanding of the bible, just so long as the church can count the number of participants. The message is all about join us and follow us, instead of follow the Lord's word.

So before we shake our heads and pass judgement against the young girl's parents, or the mothers in the FLDS, we should look at our own church. What do we allow to take place that veers off from our true beliefs and allows members to follow the preacher instead of The Teacher.  When did it become accpetable to force families out of churches because they disagree with the personal plan of a preacher. Why is the only conversation about maintaing one's faith is generally related to disasters or national elections. The answer is we've allowed our faith to be dumbed down to praise songs and bumper stickers. The more symbols on your car, the better christian you think you are. The more total times we participate in anything, the less time we have to spend trying to understand all that difficult terminology and translations of the Lord's Word.

Faith For Dummies, $19.85 - buy it now at your local praise center and feel good about yourself tomorrow.

Happy Birthday JESUS!

"May this Holy Time of year renew your spirits and deliver an abundance of peace, joy, health and prosperity to you and yours"

Lights please…

 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 ‘Lo, The Angel Of The Lord came upon them. The glory of the Lord shone round about them as they were so afraid and the the angel said onto them…

“Fear Not, For Behold I Bring You Tidings Of Great Joy!

Which Shall Be To All People!”

  For unto you was born this day, in the City of David, a

 “SAVIOR” tis “Christ The Lord!”

This shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and suddenly, there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying…

  “Glory To God In The Highest And On Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men”

…that’s what

CHRISTMAS

is all about…