[Terry L Smith]

All well and good that “churches shouldn’t be forced to perform gay marriages”.

HOWEVER! A lot of churches have that little nasty IRS document labeling that church to be in accordance with 503-C tax status. The IRS started shutting churches down a few years ago, if you remember, for podium speakers outcrying the ills of the government, during their sermons.

My question is this: “If you believe enough that Providence is the head of your church, why are you petitioning for governmental legitimacy through application for IRS 503-C approved status?”
Wouldn’t you think that if Providence so ordained you to obey the call, and do the work, that you would ‘be covered’, 503-C or not?”

[ifinnegan]

Sounds like you 1) don’t like church tax exempt status and 2) believe rights come from government.

[Hulka]

“The IRS started shutting churches down a few years ago, if you remember, for podium speakers outcrying the ills of the government, during their sermons.”

Indeed they did. . .when the speakers spoke against liberal policies.

Oddly, the IRS never goes after those activist Black churches that rally for DEMONcRATS.

[heye2monn]

It is shame that it has all come down to this. We are debating whether or not churches should be allowed to conduct certain marriage ceremonies or not.

Even if the IRS exempts gay marriages, what about gay janitors, history teachers, or part-time workers? The IRS will have authority over the sexual policies of every square inch of a conservative church or Christian school.

[butterdezillion]

So Mother Theresa’s monetary offerings to God should go, via the government, to Planned Parenthood to butcher babies? Like God is tithing to demons?

[cva66snipe]

The exemption you speak of was placed there by the second most corrupt POTUS when he was U.S. The Speaker of The House from hailing from Texas. This was done to protect his corrupt political hide from a candidate which he feared had church backing. This he is the one who wrote and got 503 c {3} passed to silence churches.

Church non taxation was the unofficial law from founding of nation up until 1894 when it became law that they were officially exempt without speech restriction. LBJ placed churches under the IRS and even if they do pay taxes they would still be under IRS scrutiny.