[malakhi]

Y'know, when I make a donation to my synagogue, it is voluntary. Meanwhile, I am forced to pay taxes, a portion of which goes toward government-funded science research.

I'll concede that some religious leaders are venal. Will you concede that some scientists are as well? That a certain percentage of grant requests amount to little more than a "shake down", a welfare plan for scientists funded at taxpayer expense?

And that's not even getting into the shenanigans of scientific charlatans like the environmentalist crowd.

[Gunslingr3]

Y'know, when I make a donation to my synagogue, it is voluntary. Meanwhile, I am forced to pay taxes, a portion of which goes toward government-funded science research.

That 'force' part is why Churches were so embedded with European government for so long.

Will you concede that some scientists are as well? That a certain percentage of grant requests amount to little more than a "shake down", a welfare plan for scientists funded at taxpayer expense?

Certainly, I'm not interested in anyone being compelled against their will to fund scientist's whims.