Ministers Threatened with Jail/Fines For Refusing to Officiate at Gay Weddings

[Jenny A]

You cant force them to perform gay marriages. But society can boycott that business. And if that location gets tax exempt status it should lose that tax exempt status for discriminating.

emphasis mine.

That is precisely the way this should be handled. Boycott. Protesters out front.

Tax exempt status is a broader question. Most anti-discrimination statutes have an out for three types of organizations: political groups (freedom of association and freedom of speech); political office holders and judges (freedom of association and freedom of speech); and religious organizations (free exercise of religion). Both the political organizations and religious ones often have tax exempt status, office holders are paid by the government. If the first two can have tax exempt status and a discrimination get out of jail free card, why not churches?

The real question in my mind is whether religious organizations should have tax exempt status just because they are religious organizations. I think the answer to that question is no. Only separate charitable, political, or educational arms of a church should have tax exempt status and that status should have the same requirements as those for secular organizations including anti-discriminatory laws. Granting them tax exempt status simply because they are churches is the establishment of religion.