Posted on 05/25/2009 11:18:08 AM PDT by wagglebee
AUGUSTA, Maine, May 25, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A homosexualist group is seeking to strip the Catholic Diocese of Portland of its tax-exempt status, after the diocese announced it would gather support for a voter's referendum on the new same-sex "marriage" law.
The California-based Empowering Spirits Foundation filed the challenge Wednesday claiming that the Church's signature-gathering violates IRS rules forbidding partisan political activity by non-profit organizations.
"By their individuals going on television, stating what they were doing, they're engaging in lobbying activities which is prohibited by the IRS for tax exempt purposes," objected Tyler Davis, a spokesperson for the Empowering Sprits Foundation, according to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
Soon after Maine Gov. John Baldacci approved the state's same-sex "marriage" legislation May 6, the Portland diocese condemned the law and announced that it would support a voter's referendum to overturn it.
"Same-sex marriage is a dangerous sociological experiment that I believe will have negative consequences for society as a whole," said Bishop Richard Malone.
"Children will be taught in schools that same-sex marriage and traditional marriage are simply different expressions of the same thing, and that the logical and consistent understanding that marriage and reproduction are intrinsically linked is no longer valid," he continued. "These are profound changes that will reverberate throughout society with tragic consequences."
Diocesan spokesman Marc Mutty had said that the diocese "will play a lead role in organizing this petition drive to bring the issue before voters."
Concerning the homosexual-rights group's recent allegation, Mutty called it a "bogus attempt to sidetrack the campaign," and said the signature-gathering did not violate IRS rules.
True marriage supporters will need to collect 55,087 voters' signatures in order to bring the same-sex "marriage" question to the ballot, where Maine voters would have a chance to overturn the law. Proponents have 90 days after the congressional session's end in mid-June to gather support.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Maine Legalizes Homosexual "Marriage"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09050605.html
I noticed this from the link you posted; (rally around the rainbow flag):
“All are invited to a Communion Service at Annual Conference on Saturday, June 6, at the lunch break, on
the lawn south of Hilton. Look for the rainbow flag.”
Nice, isn’t it? Just makes you want to attend. (extreme sarcasm)
I would think the petition-gathering would qualify as “educational outreach.” Next up (if not already filed) will be the LDS for it’s support of CA Prop 8.
The “’Gay’ Movement” will be setting itself back two decades if it doesn’t shape up. The sympathy they managed to garner, especially from the young, because homosexuals at one time had been prohibited from visiting each other in the hospital, or from legal property rights and benefits because of their homosexuality, will be lost if they keep pushing absurdity to its illogical conclusion.
These movements create an industry that likes to sustain itself .. they just don’t know when to quit.
What’s so bad is that the Church would move those bastids around to other parishes where they could do more harm rather than defrock them. Maine is just another Homo state like Vermont and Mass.
Cities can already do that. I am speaking of federal tax exempt status.
Maybe not a bad idea!
Maybe this gathering needs some protesters?
Bibles could be handed out, and the attendees could be asked to actually read them.
Allowing the government to tax churches gives the government a sledgehammer.
How so?
Its the feds that put all the restrictions on speech for churches, if they did not pay fed taxes they could say what they should be saying but are intimidated into not saying.
Simple, just raise property taxes on the churches to the point where they’d have to close. Get government officials with a vendetta against the Church, and it’s a done deal.
Those are state taxes and local taxes. It is the federal government that shuts them up.
I’m sure the liberal “churches” will be out in force, collecting money to defeat this ballot measure, with nary a peep from the groups who are now complaining.
So it begins.
Been waiting for the test case for a while now.
See you in the catacombs brother.
I’ll bring a flashlight!
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