(July 31, 2015 at 10:34 am)Drich Wrote: again the reason they offer tax relief is because some bean counter figured out a long time ago the church offers more in the way of services than in taxes. The church owes the state nothing. Tax relief is not a quid pro quoe exchange. It is permitted or not.
I'm well aware of why churches get the tax relief they get. That's irrelevant. If they want to retain their ability to dodge taxes and grant legal marriages, they should have to marry whoever the government tells them to. If they wish to retain the "right" to withhold the service of a marriage ceremony, they should surrender their legal power to marry and start paying taxes. Then they could offer and deny weddings to anyone they want with general impunity. It's really quite simple.
Verbatim from the mouth of Jesus (retranslated from a retranslation of a copy of a copy):
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you too will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. How can you see your brother's head up his ass when your own vision is darkened by your head being even further up your ass? How can you say to your brother, 'Get your head out of your ass,' when all the time your head is up your own ass? You hypocrite! First take your head out of your own ass, and then you will see clearly who has his head up his ass and who doesn't." Matthew 7:1-5 (also Luke 6: 41-42)
Also, I has a website: www.RedbeardThePink.com
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you too will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. How can you see your brother's head up his ass when your own vision is darkened by your head being even further up your ass? How can you say to your brother, 'Get your head out of your ass,' when all the time your head is up your own ass? You hypocrite! First take your head out of your own ass, and then you will see clearly who has his head up his ass and who doesn't." Matthew 7:1-5 (also Luke 6: 41-42)
Also, I has a website: www.RedbeardThePink.com