"I thought your point was that atheists did not engage in philanthropy. Are you now trying to make a different point?"
I don't consider encouraging killing of people to be philanthropy.
"I would not call Buffett a monopolist. He is an investor.
Buffett's school of investing (value investing) regards monopolies and company's protected by the govt. as "good bets" because they have low risk and privileged status. They like co's which are well-established "cash cows." You can find this in some value investing publications. Nothing wrong with that, but I admire him much less than someone who innovates and creates long-term growth and new jobs through technology.
Armand Hammer was an "investor" also, besides being a world-class fellow traveller.
"I am sure Mr. Gates and Mr. Buffett could afford to find ways to pay far less than 50%."
Indeed. Foundations are one of the ways to do this. Available to the super-rich, but not to most of us commoners.
Churches don't pay taxes, but they don't usually operate for profit, either. It used to be universally accepted that churches were a social good and should therefore be encouraged. The Founding Fathers certainly thought so. Of course, there are those extremists on this thread who would like to dismiss religion as a worthless fantasy. Are you one of those?
I don't see how Warren Buffett's bad politics support your arguments. He has been a bad influence in many ways.
I never said atheists did not engage in philanthropy. However, there record there is pretty weak overall. A couple of super-rich guys do not outnumber the thousands of Christian philanthropists. (Besides, can you state conclusively what the personal beliefs of Buffett and Gates are? Do they advertise them? Are they in fact atheists? Agnostics? I don't really know. I wouldn't be surprised if they keep that secret, for business reasons.) In comparison, all the totalitarian socialist mass murderers in human history were militant atheists.
I am sure you must be mistaken. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation surely does not encourage the killing of people.
Buffett's school of investing (value investing) regards monopolies and company's protected by the govt. as "good bets" because they have low risk and privileged status.
I found this web page. It lists the known holdings of Berkshire Hathaway. I am afraid it does not seem to corroborate your assertion. I am sorry to have to keep challenging your statements, but I cannot concede a point based on incorrect assertions.
Indeed. Foundations are one of the ways to do this. Available to the super-rich, but not to most of us commoners.
Our charitable donations are as deductible as Bill Gates's. Or at least I hope they are; I would not want to be audited!
Churches don't pay taxes, but they don't usually operate for profit, either.
The Gates Foundation does not operate for profit.
It used to be universally accepted that churches were a social good and should therefore be encouraged. The Founding Fathers certainly thought so. Of course, there are those extremists on this thread who would like to dismiss religion as a worthless fantasy. Are you one of those? ,/I>
It appears you must have missed my last post, in which I referred to the wonderful philanthopy of Christians. I find that it is better ot be careful about these sorts of challenges, as they often lead to ill feeling.
I don't see how Warren Buffett's bad politics support your arguments. He has been a bad influence in many ways. ,/I>
This was not my argument. My argument was that he is philanthropic, and apparenty an atheist or agnostic.
I never said atheists did not engage in philanthropy. However, there record there is pretty weak overall. A couple of super-rich guys do not outnumber the thousands of Christian philanthropists. (Besides, can you state conclusively what the personal beliefs of Buffett and Gates are? Do they advertise them? Are they in fact atheists? Agnostics? I don't really know. I wouldn't be surprised if they keep that secret, for business reasons.) In comparison, all the totalitarian socialist mass murderers in human history were militant atheists.
Neither Gates nor Buffett advertize their beliefs, but they are usually numbered based on limited public statements as atheists or agnostics, as you will find if you do a little research. And, as I am sure you will recall, Hitler was not a militant atheist, or indeed an atheist of any kind.