Is the Pope Catholic? Yes, but Wisconsin Rules This Catholic Charity Is Not 'Primarily' Religious

For over a century, the Catholic Charities Bureau of Superior, Wis., has aided people of all faiths: the developmentally disabled, seniors, and children, many of them low income. As Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki recently noted, since the time of Jesus Christ, the Church has had “a mandate from Scripture to serve the poor.”

The state of Wisconsin disagrees. Its labor division has ruled that the charity is not eligible for a religious exemption from contributing to the state’s unemployment insurance system, because it offers its services free of proselytizing, regardless of clients’ religious background. As a result, Wisconsin’s Labor and Industry Review Commission determined it was essentially a secular organization, not operated for “primarily religious purposes.” 

The charity’s appeal, which contends that the state is determining for itself which activities are and are not within the scope of religious obligation, looms as a possible watershed for religious liberty. Proceedings open May 18 before the Supreme Court of Wisconsin – before the August swearing-in of Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz, a progressive who will give the court a 4-3 leftward tilt after a costly, high-profile election this spring to replace a conservative. A close watcher of the case said it seems likely that it will be heard in the fall term, after Protasiewicz is sworn in.

Daniel Vitagliano of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, representing the charity, said the state is presuming to interpret church canon and internal church policies, to determine for itself which services fall under the tenets of a religious faith. That’s an idea the Wisconsin Supreme Court previously rejected in a 1995 decision, Pritzlaff v. the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

because it offers its services free of proselytizing, regardless of clients’ religious background.

Christianity has always been about extending charity to nonbelievers and nonmembers. It's how Christians witness for Christ (i.e. proselytize) by deeds rather than words.

Judaism and Islam might differ. Judaism is not big on proselytizing, and I don't think the Orthodox do much charity outside their community. And I don't know if Islam proselytizes through charity.

This rule seems to work against Christianity's unique characteristics. Ergo, it is religious discrimination.

I call the Catholic Socialist Services. The back of their van has a sign that reads like Marx wrote it. Karl, not Groucho.

And yes, they are awash in taxpayer dollars, being used to destroy the Naton.

Not a fan

The state of Wisconsin disagrees. Its labor division has ruled that the charity is not eligible for a religious exemption from contributing to the state’s unemployment insurance system, because it offers its services free of proselytizing, regardless of clients’ religious background. As a result, Wisconsin’s Labor and Industry Review Commission determined it was essentially a secular organization, not operated for “primarily religious purposes.” 

While Catholic Charities has long been a government supported charity (Catholic Charities Charities Lost Its Soul , the IRS granted "The Satanic Temple" (TST) religious tax exemption even though it is,

"Resolutely non-theistic, The Satanic Temple does not endorse supernatural (or “supernormal”) explanations, a position also codified in the tenets which state, Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. - https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/church-of-satan-vs-satanic-temple

And consistent with the interpretation that forbids Government sanction of religion, then if non-theistic orgs can be classed as religion, then orgs which engage in evangelism, in such faith-based teaching as godless creation, mental perception-based definitions of gender, as well as the belief that homosexual relations are good and warrant government subsidy, should also be disallowed.

Or Government sanction of creationism as one theory, and acknowledgement of dependence upon a supernatural power and basic expressions of gratitude to the same should be allowed. As it was by Founders who wrote the First Amendment.

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