Posted on 07/27/2004 8:40:23 AM PDT by prairiebreeze
Um, okay.
And so is worshipping the Creator of the entire Universe.
I seem to recall an incident in which the Mayor Of New York City attempted to have a Museum in Brooklyn not show a certain exhibit because it contained what the Mayor felt was inappropriate.
And I recall rather clearly that the Mayor was told that the since the museum in Brooklyn received funds from the government of New York City, it was unconsttutional for the government to impose "content restrictions" on what the museum displayed.
If giving money to a musuem means that the government cannot control what the museum displays, how is it then, exactly, that a church which receives an exemption from taxes is required by the government to exercise restriant on the "content" of sermons preached from its pulpit?
Who said anything about the law being consistent or making any sense? Certainly not I.
You shouldn't. I'm opposed to government subsidies for the arts.
No, I didn't.
I said that we encourage it as free speech (supported by the USSC)
No, we don't. Just because something is legal and constitutionally protected doesn't mean society or the government encourages it. As an example, Nazis have freedom of speech in this country, but that doesn't mean society or government encourages their brain-dead diatribes.
and we muzzle preachers (on politics)
Preachers can say anything they want on politics so long as they're not using a tax-payer subsidized platform for their political expression. Outside of their official capacities, they can say whatever they want. And, like I've said numerous times, a church is free to not claim tax-exempt status if it feels the rules are too onerous.
suppressing their free speech as Americans (because of the job they hold).
No. The reason behind the no-politics for tax-exempt organizations is simple: Since we, the taxpayers, are subsidizing these churches by giving them tax breaks, we should not be forced to pay for political campaigning we may not agree with. Put more simply, do you want your tax dollars to pay for a liberal church's support of John Kerry?
BEFORE the Sixteenth Amendment, pastors / ministers were not forced into the choice between free speech or tax-exempt status as they are now.
True, but irrelevent.
Seems to me, that since the churches welcome everyone, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Makes sense for the ministers in the area to encourage their members to attend meetings of this so called mainstream group that is infiltrating their churches. What better way to get a hold on its foundations, intentions and creepiness.
It's as criminal as observing the "travelling road show" that is the knock & drag get out the vote movement that trucks the same voters from poll to poll to give 100%+ voting in minority communities...just TRY to watch/record THAT and see what happens!
How about this, then?
Let's allow pastors, priests, rabbis, and any other preachers to declare their sermons and homilies "art".
IIRC, the Courts ruled, in cases involving what some of us considered to be blasphemously obscene art, that since the government subsidized art, it could not impose any "content restrictions" on the art it subsidizes without violating the Consitutional rights of the artists.
So, if the sermons and homilies are subsidized by the Government (in the form of IRS exemptions to the houses of worship where the sermons and homilies are delivered), then the Government could not impose and "content restrictions" on the artistic priests, pastors, ministers, rabbis, etc., without violating thier constitutional right to free speech.
Great idea. And they need to make sure it 'accidentally' gets out to the public that these 'mainstream' churches are being watched to make sure they don't step over the line 'separating church and state.' That way, these churches will be experiencing the same feeling of harrassment as the more conservative churches are feeling.
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