Posted on 06/27/2015 11:13:03 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
FULL TITLE: Churches Could Lose Tax-Exempt Status For Refusing To Accommodate Gay Marriage, Warn Dissenting Supreme Court Justices
Dissenting Supreme Court justices in Friday's same-sex marriage decision raised concerns that conservative churches, schools and other institutions could lose their tax-exempt status with the IRS if they refuse to recognize the high court's decision.
Chief Justice John Roberts warned in his dissenting opinion: "Hard questions arise when people of faith exercise religion in ways that may be seen to conflict with the new right to same-sex marriage - when, for example, a religious college provides married student housing only to opposite-sex married couples, or a religious adoption agency declines to place children with same-sex married couples."
Some churches fear that by refusing to allow same-sex couples to marry in their sanctuaries, the IRS could take away their tax-exempt status by citing a violation of a "fundamental national public policy," explains The New York Times.
The 1983 Supreme Court decision in Bob Jones University v. the United States allowed the IRS to revoke tax-exempt status of schools that barred interracial relationships.
Religiously affiliated universities could be denied tax-exempt status for providing married heterosexual students housing but refusing to accommodate married gay and lesbian students.
"Indeed," writes Roberts, "the Solicitor General candidly acknowledged that the tax exemptions of some religious institutions would be in question if they opposed same-sex marriage. See Tr. of Oral Arg. on Question 1, at 36-38. There is little doubt that these and similar questions will soon be before this Court. Unfortunately, people of faith can take no comfort in the treatment they receive from the majority today."
Justice Samuel Alito raised similar concerns during oral arguments, citing the 1983 Bob Jones decision: "In the Bob Jones case, the Court held that a college was not entitled to tax-exempt status if it opposed interracial marriage or interracial dating. So would the same apply to a university or a college if it opposed same-sex marriage?" he asked.
Arguing on behalf of the Obama administration, Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. said, "You know, I don't think I can answer that question without knowing more specifics, but it's certainly going to be an issue. I don't deny that. I don't deny that Justice Alito. It is - it is going to be an issue."
Alito wrote in his dissenting opinion: "The majority attempts, toward the end of its opinion, to reassure those who oppose same-sex marriage that their rights of conscience will be protected. We will soon see whether this proves to be true. I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools."
How about mosques?
Churches are going to lose tax-exempt status because they’re Christian.
America’s Liberal and Marxist Satanists are deliberately destroying both religion and the church.
It can’t end well.
Agreed. And the government wants the money to redistribute anyways. This is just one more way to get it.
let them close the churchs....let the religious universities go further bland in their spirituality....most of them already are anyway....
let us follow our faith the way the early Christians did....quietly in small groups....
they will know us by our love....
Well they could say they’re busy those days ....
Churches should give up their tax-emptions to get ahead of this.
Sadly, most won’t.
sign that ought to be on citybusses and the walls of metro stations
Better to lose tax status than salvation.
Absolutely.
Just asking; would family plan health insurance have to pay a higher premium because of the health risk of two gay male marital partners?
Equating homosexual unions with interracial marriage is unbelievably repulsive to interracial couples such as ours. However this Court will likely see differently.
Its going to be an issue.
The pope’s more interested in global warming anyway.
stick to your guns and force the pink booted fedgov to come and enforce it
Separation of church & state. Freedom of religion. Some religious sects may accept gay couples. Others who do not, do not have to in my opinion.
Individuals are free to think, believe, speak and refuse service according to their conscience. I don’t care that the secular government is issuing licenses to gay couples. Live and let live.
This is the read line, folks.
That would be fine by me. I don’t it serves anyone’s interest to have churches beholding to the government in any way... and that’s more important now than ever.
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