[gimpy117]

the idea of giving to the church instead of the government to help "social justice?" absurd.

The government pays for the roads, the cops, the fire department, national defense, schools, as well as its own "social justice programs". Or government gives oodles to the poor via aid every year. We help out in natural disasters etc.

The main problem about the church and ESPECIALLY the example of oprah trying to stand as an alternative to uncle sam helping the underprivileged in this nation is that not all of that money is spent in the US. Take oprah for example. Instead of building some school here in america...she goes to Africa and in a media frenzy builds this state of the art school in africa, while here in america schools in Detroit are literally falling apart. I remember some years ago a toilet fell through the floor in one.

Now imagine if oprah would have given that money to the DOE, or directly to schools in america?

This is just another one of these "libertarian magic dust" ideas that never work, under the impression that taxes are the devil and everything would work so much better if it was privatized and what not, thinking that responsible citizens will just freely give their money for the police etc. There was once something like that in america, fire depts were private. and if you couldn't afford the fee your house burned down.

Undersea also goes on to say that we all ought to have the government spend your money exactly the way yo want it. But we do. It's called the ballot box. If you think your money is being spent badly, elect somebody who will fight to get it spent that way. Democracy isn't some ale carte deal where you can pick and choose what parts you selfishly want for yourself.