I none of the closing paper work has ever been 4 pages on any house I have purchased. But, okay. As for 15 minutes, that is not my personal experience. I was not rushed at all. I had all the time I wanted to read and ask questions. I was provided with refreshments and help on anything I didn't understand. Here was the most pleasant home buying experience I have ever had.

I mentioned the "no lawn ornaments" clause in the covenant, and that I had seen some around as we were driving around TV. They said that enforcement was complaint driven and normally small unoffensive ornaments received a "letter" only if a complaint was filed.

I think "Christians" for a past few decades have felt persecuted and look for any excuse to add to that feeling, but I could be wrong.

So, because of a few "mega-churches" acting badly, you want to throw the baby out with the holy water?

No, I think giving tax-free status is the government supporting religion which is not supposed to be allowed.

You read the Constitution wrong...

Southern Baptists have changed since you were a kid. Now they believe themselves to be the most persecuted religion on the planet and, because of this, they believe their rights and wants Trump everyone else’s.

Frose, I like your style!! Right on!!

Well, they actually sort of had a schism, and those that were the most literalist stayed with the name SBC and the rest moved on. But, yes, they do tend to exhibit a lot of paranoia today.

As far as "their" rights. I respect that someone that believes there is a GOD who created everything, and that GOD is at war with a fallen angel, then they have to pick a side, GOD or Satan, ie, you are with GOD or against GOD. I disagree with them, but that is what makes life interesting, deciding what to believe and why.

In what way? I would be very interested in your "reading".

In Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Court established a three-pronged test for laws dealing with the religious establishment. To be constitutional a statute must have “a secular legislative purpose,” it must have principal effects that neither advance nor inhibit religion, and it must not foster “an excessive government entanglement with religion.

So, by making churches (and their employees) tax-free, the government is in fact making some churches possible that would not otherwise exist because they couldn't afford to "pay" the staff. And since the government makes the decision WHICH churches get that status they are establishing a government-sanctioned religion.

In Lynch v. Donnelly (1984), O’Connor noted that the establishment clause prohibits the government from making adherence to a religion relevant to a person’s standing in the political community. Her fundamental concern was whether government action conveyed a message to non-adherents that they are outsiders. As an atheist, I can assure you that by giving tax support to any church I am made to feel that I am in fact an "outsider".

So, I could go on and on and on. But, I am interested in your take on it.

"I am totally in favor of revoking all church's tax-free status."


Same here, particularly those who get 'p-word' involved. I just read that Pat Robertson is stepping down from something and then looked up his net worth. It is conservatively estimated that his personal net worth is $100+ MILLION and other similar notorious religious leaders, are also extremely wealthy. It's just hard for me to reconcile/understand that blatant hypocrisy. Something about a camel and the eye of a needle - comes to mind.

Allow me to look you directly in the eye.

If you put something in your yard that is not allowed by the deed restrictions in The Villages, Florida, ..................Someone can report you.

If that happens then a note will be sent you, if it is indeed a violation, and the note will say you are in violation and to remove whatever it is and you have thirty days. I don't know if they patiently remind you again or not, but after "they" reach a certain point then fines are placed on your property.

As Judge Judy (who I like very much, don't start Noodge) says It is a contract.

A legal contract that you signed when you closed on your property and if you sell it the next person is also under that contract.

MANY of us have had deed restrictions in our prior homes and we have found that this sort of thing keeps people from trashing up their property and keeps all of our property values up.

I like rules, that's why I moved here.

Once upon a time, a person's word was trustworthy. Now, even a written and signed contract is subject to "I didn't read it", or "I got rights", or "They can't make me".

Sad times when honor is optional.

"...it is a TOTV tradition to segway."

While not trying to be one of those kind of people who constantly corrects spelling/punctuation, but this made me laugh. While the word I think you're looking for is spelled 'segue,' the fact that the inventor of that device met his demise while riding one over a cliff - also actually fits well with a lot of TOTV threads. LOL

Thank you, I actually do appreciate the corrections. And yes, I was typing segue, I don't know if spelling autocorrects got me, or my hands had a mind of their own - LOL.

Exactly..