A Real Christian.

[TheStripey1]

Well, not deceitful, for one... It's wrong of you to come on to a board where everyone knows each other, with a name that's well known to all, and then not bother to tell anyone that you're not who/what they think you are.

If you're going to pretend to be someone you're not, at least get the posting style down pat, first.

Either that, or kindly change your name to avoid any further "confusion", if in fact it was an "accident".

now how would he/she know that? He/she just got here... and as I recall, this board is NEW... cuz all of your join dates are January '07...

he/she could have known you elsewhere...

is the "gem" you know here? well, obviously not, otherwise this "gem" wouldn't have been able to use it...

[TheStripey1]

Nah, you're not dense as far as 'stage four' is concerned. Unless you've read and are familiar with Deepak Chopras' book "How to Know God" you'd have no idea what it is I'm talking about. Get the book, it is an interesting read for sure.
It's kinda expensive- about thirty bucks- but I found it well worth the money.

Gem

Doesn't he also have a video? Because I believe I have seen it at my local BlockBuster. Maybe I'll rent it this weekend...

[Abbey Marie]

now how would he/she know that? He/she just got here... and as I recall, this board is NEW... cuz all of your join dates are January '07...

he/she could have known you elsewhere...

is the "gem" you know here? well, obviously not, otherwise this "gem" wouldn't have been able to use it...

First, you know nothing about the original Gem, or board history, so your comments don't make much sense. More importantly, this has already been discussed and resolved, as you can easily see by reading this thread. Why stir the pot?

[Mr. P]

very well said...

as an ex-republican, I never really looked at Government charity in that light before you wrote this... gonna have to ponder this for a bit.

Ponder this while you’re at it, there IS NO government Charity, it’s redistribution of wealth. No? Charity is voluntary, taxes are at the point of a gun.

[Sitarro]

no, the government is charitable because people aren't...

When the tax write offs were killed, so was charitable giving.

Politicians made it that way. There used to be a time where we were rewarded for our contributions to charity with tax write offs, but politicians stepped in and put an end to that. The whiners that bitched about the fat cats getting tax write offs for business lunches opened the door for politicians to act against them and who actually suffers? The business lunch guy probably doesn't, he can afford to buy lunch for himself but the restaurant and all of it's employees are hurt, and the tax revenue from the restaurant is less. Tax write offs for equipment needed for business gets the business to upgrade more often giving work for the suppliers.
When the government gets involved in anything, it is done more expensively and is much less effective.

What it really comes down to is leftist politicians using the poor through class envy to gain power to steal money from those that produce to buy votes from the least informed and therefore more gullible.

[Gem]

obviously not a lefty...

LOL!!!

[stephanie]

Slap each other on the butt...Whoo hoo

[Gunny]

Taught? why you're beginning to sound like a liberal, Ava...

Those people sitting around with their hands out waiting on Big Brother to come tell them to get out from in front of a Cat 5 hurricane NEED to be "re-taught." They've already been "taught" to be so dependent on the Nanny state that they've lost even their natural instinct for self-preservation.

[Gunny]

That's good, but how many other americans do? I'd wager that you and yours are in the minority, not the majority.

I don't know an exact number, but almost all people who are actual members of a church fork up the requisite 10%. At least that was my observation growing up in the Baptist church.

[Gem]

Doesn't he also have a video? Because I believe I have seen it at my local BlockBuster. Maybe I'll rent it this weekend...

Chopra might have a video but but I'm not sure. I'm not much of a TV or movie watcher so I don't have a VCR. Life is waaay too interesting and there's waaay to much to do and get into to be hanging around staring at an idiot box! Just my opinion, you understand!

Gem

[Gem]

Ponder this while you’re at it, there IS NO government Charity, it’s redistribution of wealth. No? Charity is voluntary, taxes are at the point of a gun.

Mr P, I don't ever recall being ordered to pay taxes at the point of a gun. I think what you said is a bit of an exaggeration. I was told that paying taxes was mandantory, true. But I was also told, in general, what the taxes I would be paying were helping pay for, and I knew that some of those taxes were going to go for things I didn't approve of either- like highly inflated prices for things like toilet seats and hammers for the Pentagon and the military. But I also knew that those taxes would be spent for things that I did approve of, and the positives out-weighed the negatives as far as I was concerned. Since what I would have left over after taxes allowed me to live reasonably well- in the 60's and 70's anyway- I was more than happy to pay those taxes. Were there things I would have loved to spend those tax dollars on instead? You bet! But I also felt good about doing my part to help my fellow man and my country by paying those taxes. I learned a long time ago that the world doesn't just revolve around "me". Everytime I listen to people crying about how "It's my money, I earned it and it belongs to me" all I hear is "Me, me, me, me, me!!!" In the crowd I run with we consider such points of view and attitudes selfish, self- justifying, self-centered and self- seeking childish behavior, Mr. P.
It isn't all about you, you know!

Gem

[Mr. P]

Mr P, I don't ever recall being ordered to pay taxes at the point of a gun. I think what you said is a bit of an exaggeration. I was told that paying taxes was mandantory, true. But I was also told, in general, what the taxes I would be paying were helping pay for, and I knew that some of those taxes were going to go for things I didn't approve of either- like highly inflated prices for things like toilet seats and hammers for the Pentagon and the military. But I also knew that those taxes would be spent for things that I did approve of, and the positives out-weighed the negatives as far as I was concerned. Since what I would have left over after taxes allowed me to live reasonably well- in the 60's and 70's anyway- I was more than happy to pay those taxes. Were there things I would have loved to spend those tax dollars on instead? You bet! But I also felt good about doing my part to help my fellow man and my country by paying those taxes. I learned a long time ago that the world doesn't just revolve around "me". Everytime I listen to people crying about how "It's my money, I earned it and it belongs to me" all I hear is "Me, me, me, me, me!!!" In the crowd I run with we consider such points of view and attitudes selfish, self- justifying, self-centered and self- seeking childish behavior, Mr. P.
It isn't all about you, you know!

Gem

Don't pay tax then and see who shows up at the door. Be sure to note if they have guns, I promise they will.

You keep right on helping folks, that's fine, just leave me out, I'll decide who and when to help.

And yes the money I make IS mine, I don't work for YOU nor anyone else, I work for me. Like it or not what's mine IS NOT YOURS.

[Gunny]

Don't pay tax then and see who shows up at the door. Be sure to note if they have guns, I promise they will.

You keep right on helping folks, that's fine, just leave me out, I'll decide who and when to help.

And yes the money I make IS mine, I don't work for YOU nor anyone else, I work for me. Like it or not what's mine IS NOT YOURS.

I think it absolutely SUCKS that I basically work one day a week for free. Had 8 hours overtime last week. I netted $17 of the difference between that and my gross, regular pay.

And I totally agree .... what's mine AIN'T yours. Get out there and bust your butt like I do and get your own.

[Gem]

Don't pay tax then and see who shows up at the door. Be sure to note if they have guns, I promise they will.

You keep right on helping folks, that's fine, just leave me out, I'll decide who and when to help.

And yes the money I make IS mine, I don't work for YOU nor anyone else, I work for me. Like it or not what's mine IS NOT YOURS.

I paid my taxes, Mr. P. That's why I was awarded disability when I was disabled. I busted my ass to earn the money to pay the taxes to be eligible for those benefits. [B]I earned it!!![/B Didja get that, Mr. P?

That's also why they (the feds) won't be showing up at my door- but they might, if I'm hearing you correctly, show up at yours! Then you're going to have to do the !!!

Enjoy!

Gem


Gem

[Missileman]

I don't know how you folks confused this Gem with the one from USMB. The old Gem was brilliant...this one's a couple facets short of a sparkle.