Mel Gibson must be scratching his head, wondering how Charlie Sheen can be nude and screaming the “N” word and get away with it all. Mel’s head cleared up enough for him to contribute 9.6 million tax free dollars to his own Holy Family catholic church in Malibu. The tiny church on Mel’s property has a congregation of only 100 people and it’s already worth 60 million. Is he stashing money so Oksana can’t get her hands on it? This brings to mind the need for religious organizations to be TAXED and have financial transparency just like everyone else. Scientologists and Hasidics have bought up half of Hollywood and pay no property taxes! Now is the time to change this archaic law. Meg Whitman, are you listening?
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The only religious institutions that should be tax free are those that operate as truly non-profit. And, can anyone name any?
I am sure the tax forms of Mel’s show as non-profit. My view is that all these foundations such as these and the famous J Lo’s and Whitney Houston’s and many others are simply scams to enable them to hire family members and pay a large salary and avoid paying taxes..black Jesse Jackson had a famous one that was investigated by one news outlet and found to be a total scam.
Strom, their status may be non-profit, but they are not really. I am saying that the religious institution should have no identifiable assets – no savings accounts, certainly no stocks bonds or real estate for profit, no staff earning a full salary from the institution, etc.
All religions are corrupt because they are run by humans. Put money and power in the hands of any human and corruption will follow. The only people that have any real values are the ones with nothing to lose. If you were broken down on the road the person most likely to help you is some poor person who can barely make ends meet, the rich guy would just buzz by you in his mercedes and not give a hoot. Taxing religions will make them more honest.
Don’t ask Meg anything, she’ll be out of the news tomorrow.
Mel Gibson is despicable. If he’s such a good Catholic why did he get divorced, or cheat on his wife, or have babies out of wedlock? He’s full of shit. It’s obviously just a way to avoid taxes.
Palermo you are dead on! This is one of the things I find hardest about “bible thumpers” as I call them, they seem to more often than not be the worst offenders of moral decency. You don’t HAVE to be “Christian” to be a good person, but I sure wish the ones who pound their chests the loudest would BE who they claim to be.
Seems like there is always some preacher or famous “Christian” hiding in the bushes, screwing around with drugs or spare women. The public gets pretty sick of it.
I also believe and always HAVE that “churches” should NOT be given these tax breaks. The Catholic church is the richest of all, while the Pope drinks from his gold chalice in his silk robes and hats and schlepps pedophiles from church to church to save them from being discovered. ALL “organized religions” are dangerous and money sucking vultures if you ask me.
If you want to worship your God, find a lovely hill with a tree, or go to the beach that “He” made and worship “Him”…you DON’T need a fancy building worth millions and a preacher inside that you pay riches, full of gold rings, driving fancy cars…find a great tree, worship…and spread your donations where they will REALLY help somebody who NEEDS it!
“Meg Whitman, are you listening?” If you’re not being facetious, then I need to pick my jaw up off the floor, as if a woman who just wasted $150MM of her own money on a failed attempt to buy her way into office has the sound judgment and capability to do what you suggest.
Catholic churches are the worst of all….Catholic church in the Book of the Revelation is the ‘whore that rides the beast’. Large mega-churches are full of corruption, such as pastors making mega bucks and firing who they want to and hiring family members. I saw this first-hand. So, as a result, I give very little ‘tithe’ to the Southern Baptist church and the bulk to homeless missions, kids selling Sunday papers on the corner, food banks, etc. The only thing I keep real is my belief in the Christ of the Cross who saves. The world is pretty much done for anyway, via corrupt gov’t and worthless printed money with little value.
Is Mel’s faux Catholic sect actually a form of Scientology? It would make perfect sense, wouldn’t it? Scientology needs to go DOWN HARD–they should have lost that Federal lawsuit against the IRS but our own Government would have been outspent and couldn’t continue the prosecution. This is insane in the membrane. Just like good ‘ole reliable Mel to bring on the wild speculation from me.
Indy, how is it that in one post you can make me think you are crazier than a bag of squirrels and a brilliant Christian at the same time???
I THINK YOU ARE AN OLD GOSSIP COLUMNIST WHO IS IN OVER HER HEAD ON THIS ONE. JUST SHUT UP
INDY IS AN IDIOT IF YOU CHECK US NEWS & WORLD REPORT CATHOLIC CHARITIES GIVE THE MOST MONEY WORLDWIDE AND 98% OF IT THAT IS COLLECTED. THE HIGHEST OF ANYONE. THE UNITED WAY ONLY GIVE 20% OF THE MONEY THEY EARN. THEY POCKET THE REST. DON’T FOR ONE MINUTE THAT A NUT LIKE MEL GIBSON IS AN APPOINTED SPOKESMAN FOR ANY CHURCH. STOP SLAMMING THE WORK OF GOOD PEOPLE TO GET AT MEL.
Sebastian: I think you have very good perception.
Jeanne Dixon, and the Catholic church has condemned many to die because of its opposition to birth control. It has also killed millions of people – in the inquisition and the witch hunts – collaborated with the Nazis, interfered in the politics of nations, and been responsible for the rape and molestation of thousands of children and adolescents. It has interfered with the organic development of human thought again and again throughout history, and has horded great riches while taking money from the poor over-burdened (because they were forced to have large families) faithful.
There are many great and devout Catholics, but the church itself is a corrupt institution. The child-sex scandals are the biggest example of this in recent memory, and the tolerance of Gibson is a small example.
Jeanne Dixon: So, are you saying that the Catholic Church is NOT the richest church? They sure do build some large fancy buildings and the Vatican is huge, rich, and filled with a richly outfitted “King-type person” in the Pope who governs over a very large amount of the poor and uneducated and blindingly religious people on this planet. They have the fear of the afterlife pressed into them from birth and give give give money when they themselves have none. It disgusts me. And Mel’s “little church” is NOT a part of the Catholic Church, just because Mel was raised or still considers himself Catholic. I can build a white shed on my land and name it ‘The White House” but that doesn’t make it so. Just like the racists on this site can call themselves human beings…and well…you get the picture…
Sebastian: Here here!
Reta, from what I understand, Mel’s church is a complete Catholic church, which means that the altar has been sanctified and that there is a tabernacle (holding the host for communion).
My argument is that, considering what Mel has done 1) he should be excommunicated 2) his church should be de-sanctified – which would mean the removal of the tabernacle and the “un-blessing” of the altar.
The only issue here is that Mel got sucked in by a Russian extortionist. You have to acknowledge the fact that Russia is one of the most corrupt countries on the face of the planet and Oksana is just an agent for Russian 0rganized crime. Religious discussion should not occur on a gossip blog.
Pippa-London, you do not honestly believe that Oksana is responsible for ALL Mel’s problems?
I think his holocaust-denying father, among others, has to shoulder some blame.
Charity begins at HOME. You cheap asses who didn’t give out candy on Halloween should rot. You are the WORST evil on earth!
****Stomping off in my Lady GaGa costume******
Couldn’t agree more…tax the churches!!!
Organized religion is a way to control the masses, and that’s it. The rest of it is human nature doing its thing — all the behaviour that comes with running a monopoly (which it was for 1500 years, and still is for the most part). No oversight and no repercussions until recently. The catholic church is the wealthiest organization int he world in total, but they’ve set up accounting so that each parish is separate and why abuse victims can’t sue the entire church. There isn’t one.
@aeduko, yes! I think that if a religious institution runs like a corporation — including using all the [unethical] tricks to shrug off responsibility and burden — then it should be taxed like a corporation.
ABSOLUTELY! I also agree with what you said Sebastian about taking Mel’s “church” privileges back from him. Cheating on your wife, having a baby with another woman while still legally “married”, divorce, beating a woman, being an alcoholic freak, among many other lovely personality traits, NO “church” should be claiming this asshole. (OOOOOOO there’s that WORD again)! The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Reta, I agree. The post post modern world is morphing into some variation on medieval Europe, with the wealthy able to do anything they want, even believe they can buy their way into heaven (just listen to the “spiritual” jibberish Oprah spouts half the time). Meanwhile the peasant — which these days means anyone without a trust fund — wallows in the filth and is grateful for any scraps thrown to them.
I think this is when Indy would write “the day of reckoning is coming soon”. And I would have to agree…or hope.
I’ve been waiting for that lightning bolt to my forehead all my life…nothing…yet…
I’m with Janet on this one. Clearly Meg’s possession of a vagina makes her the superior candidate.
he still hopes people see him as some sort of
a God.
I agree go to any city in this country and you will see that some of the best real estate is eaten up by churches. I wonder if there is a study that shows if we actually taxed churches how much more money would our gov’t would have.
Awwww. Condolences to the ebay racketeer Meg. Maybe your “bid” ($141+ Million) for Governor should have been higher?
CONGRATULATIONS CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN 🙂
Just can’t understand why Meg didn’t place a bid for any of the governorships up for auction—South Carolina, for instance—when it became clear that she as going to have her ass handed to her in California?
New California Governor Brown is the oldest at 72 ever to be elected to the office, AND the youngest since the 1850’s, having been also elected Governor at age 36.
He was famous in Sacramento for refusing to move into the enormous new Governor’s Mansion—built at the behest of the Reagans—on the American River, choosing to live, instead, in his one bedroom apartment, from which he regularly bicycled to the Statehouse.
He may be one of the last politicians in existence with actual PRINCIPLES.
Let’s HOPE so!!
If you want to help your church more power to you and if this gives you joy and puts a smile on your face…Good for you!
THAT ACT IS VERY KIND AND WARM AND NICE AND THOUGHTFUL OF YOU…What a very giving person you are.