Posted on 06/29/2015 5:02:53 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross
For years conservatives and proponents of religious liberty in America have warned that if same-sex marriage became legal, the left would then pursue revoking the tax exempt status for religious institutions, particularly Christian churches, around the country.
Just days after the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that gay marriage is a constitutional right, progressive activists like Mark Oppenheimer of the New York Times are calling for tax exempt statutes to be stripped.
The Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage makes it clearer than ever that the government shouldn't be subsidizing religion and non-profits.
Rather than try to rescue tax-exempt status for organizations that dissent from settled public policy on matters of race or sexuality, we need to take a more radical step. It’s time to abolish, or greatly diminish, their tax-exempt statuses.
Defenders of tax exemptions and deductions argues that if we got rid of them charitable giving would drop. It surely would, although how much, we can’t say. But of course government revenue would go up, and that money could be used to, say, house the homeless and feed the hungry. We’d have fewer church soup kitchens — but countries that truly care about poverty don’t rely on churches to run soup kitchens.
So yes, the logic of gay-marriage rights could lead to a reexamination of conservative churches’ tax exemptions (although, as long as the IRS is afraid of challenging Scientology’s exemption, everyone else is probably safe). But when that day comes, it will be long overdue. I can see keeping some exemptions; hospitals, in particular, are an indispensable, and noncontroversial, public good. And localities could always carve out sensible property-tax exceptions for nonprofits their communities need. But it’s time for most nonprofits, like those of us who faithfully cut checks to them, to pay their fair share.
Incredible.
The left will claim they aren't singling out religious institutions through their calls for the revocation of tax exempt statuses because they include non-profits, but the fact is that a majority of non-profits in the country are religious. The Salvation Army, which truly helps the homeless and addicted clean up their lives and get off the streets, is one example.
Meanwhile, the ACLU said over the weekend it will no longer defend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in the 1990s after a unanimous vote in the Senate.
Although Justice Kennedy did carve out an exception for religious liberty in his opinion on same-sex marriage last week, it won't be enough to protect it going forward.
"Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned. The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths, and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered. The same is true of those who oppose same-sex marriage for other reasons. In turn, those who believe allowing same-sex marriage is proper or indeed essential, whether as a matter of religious conviction or secular belief, may engage those who disagree with their view in an open and searching debate. The Constitution, however, does not permit the State to bar same-sex couples from marriage on the same terms as accorded to couples of the opposite sex," Kennedy said in the opinion.
Religious liberty is under attack in America and the next five years will serve as a battleground to protect or destroy it. If religious liberty is in fact destroyed, America will no longer hold onto one of the most important principles that makes it an exceptional nation more tolerant than the rest in the world. We are at a tipping point.
My great grandpa fled the Prussians to go to a place where he didn’t have to deal with a government mandated religion.
We shall see.
And now the churches and pastors will be sued for doing so ... (the gaystapo have already set the stage with bakers and florists ...)
I agree with you on that. The court cases last week proved that any time 5 judges (I refuse to call them justices, anymore), want to ignore the words of the Constitution that they can do so with total impunity. A 'feelings' group can form. I imagine a 'seance' group can form and 'divine' the truth from Ouija boards. They've proven that our country runs on their opinion and not on any document like the US Constitution.
Aside from that, the old document that our country used to run on had an amendment that protected the religious free exercise of the people. If it were read seriously and applied seriously, there would be no way that the government would even begin to consider taking money out of the offering plate that is directed toward God.
Kinda like a background check to buy a gun. It turns a right into a government granted privilege.
My plea...What to do? What to do?
In its sarcasm, it IS what needs to be approached.
We, as confessional Christians, are faced with a new “unionism” that mitigates against the totality of Christian Faith. What did we (reformation Christians) learn from history? What did our ancestors do?
Admittedly, there is no “New World/America/Australia” that we can migrate to but, each of those who rejected the Union (CFW Walther), each of those who rejected the National Socialist (Sasse)...these understandings of such “men-of-God” is still needed.
Unfortunately, the current culture see “history” starting around 1965.
Gads! I truly HATE hippies...
The power to tax is the power to destroy. When churches start having to pay property and income tax they will be forced to shut their doors and sell.
Sure there are a couple Joel Osteen type megachurches which will survive. I’m sure those will only preach govt approved sermons.
Yup...my daughter in law does marriages...in WA state you can get the right to perform marriages...off the internet I think..
A couple of years ago I was told that gays in the military was no big deal. One freeper told me it was a “big nothing burger”. Well We went from debasing the military to the church in about 3 years. So is this a big nothing burger too?
If any Christian works/ministries are depending on their tax exempt status, they NEED to lose it.
Neither God nor true believers are not restrained by a need for tax-exempt status and give - and the tax-exempt status is not even a consideration. Believers I know give with no regard for tax benefits, or benefits to self. And it’s a lie to say Christians can give more if they get a tax benefit. True giving considers no benefit to self.
And as others have said, Christian groups need to be free from gov. control, as they would be if they gave up tax exempt status.
And as others have said, you are out of your mind to trust that this government will let you be even more free after revoking your tax exemption ...
The IRS has already attacked Conservative groups, and the people behind it will never be held accountable. The Left doesn’t need the formality of a new law to go after churches.
True churches know they have been under attack and are now in battle, and will speak truth to lies, regardless of consequences. Hopefully many authentic men in them will arise with strength as Christian soldiers.
Rainbow churches will, of course, gag their pastors, blackout certain passages in their pew bibles and celebrate sodomy.
Unitarians are not Christians and don’t even claim to be. I went to one “service” back in the days when I was lost and they played Arlo Guthrie songs and the sermon was on Socialism. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Not being pickey but I think it was, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
As far as persecution, I love the book of Esther and how it ends.
No. The power to tax is the power to destroy. Churches that speak the truth on political issues will be destroyed by the legal costs of defending against audits, of their finance, of their clergy, of everyone on their donor lists once those are required to be turned over to the IRS.
“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” can be implemented by forbidding buying and selling without the mark, or by depriving everyone without the mark of all of their assets.
If “marriage” is defined as a state licensed legal construct, then a church matrimony ceremony becomes simply a religious rite. Can the government make religious rites a subject of public accommodation ( like wedding cakes) and compel churches to perform those rites for anyone who demands them?
If it was good enough for Henry VIII...
Oh man, the one Unitarian service I have attended was on UN day and it was like the high priestess of fire and water was celebrating a mass for global government.
Creepy. But the pews were absolutely packed with families.
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