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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 5:29 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 5:10 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: It won't be so much about Christians controlling politics as it will be politics controlling Christians. They're already convinced god is a conservative republican.
You know you're probably right. Who needs to fear monger for votes, when you can run however you want and buy them.
I can't remember where this verse is from, I think it got removed from canon:
"I don't hang around with mostly men because I'm gay. It's because men are better than women. Better trained, better equipped...better. Just better! I'm not gay."
For context, this is the previous verse:
"Hi Jesus" -robvalue
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 5:47 pm
It might be an unpopular stance here, but I think religious congregations should be able to engage in political activism as an exercise of free speech AS LONG AS religious congregations are open to losing their various tax exempt statuses.
The tax exemption that annoys me the most is the property tax exemption, which to me is the least justifiable of any of the various exemptions religious congregations enjoy in America. In my town, huge swaths of land are owned by religious congregations, the clergy often live on site, and yet they pay no property taxes despite benefiting from the services the town provides such as garbage and recycling collection, police and fire departments.
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 6:03 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 5:47 pm)Redoubtable Wrote: It might be an unpopular stance here, but I think religious congregations should be able to engage in political activism as an exercise of free speech AS LONG AS religious congregations are open to losing their various tax exempt statuses.
The tax exemption that annoys me the most is the property tax exemption, which to me is the least justifiable of any of the various exemptions religious congregations enjoy in America. In my town, huge swaths of land are owned by religious congregations, the clergy often live on site, and yet they pay no property taxes despite benefiting from the services the town provides such as garbage and recycling collection, police and fire departments.
That's the whole nub of the gist, really. As I understand it, churches do not engage in political activism specifically because of their tax exempt status.
Boru
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 6:04 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 5:25 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: (February 5, 2017 at 5:10 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: It won't be so much about Christians controlling politics as it will be politics controlling Christians. They're already convinced god is a conservative republican.
To be fair, I'm pretty convinced of that as well...
Boru
Oh, I love me some Boru. I swear to crap, I do.
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 6:09 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 6:03 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: That's the whole nub of the gist, really. As I understand it, churches do not engage in political activism specifically because of their tax exempt status.
Boru
In seeing this story in other places some religious folks want both the tax exempt status and the political activism, while some on the other side of the issue want religious congregations to neither have tax exempt status nor be allowed to engage in political activism claiming it is a breech of the separation of church and state which I find ridiculous since it seems the opposite is the case, that the state is dictating what the church can and cannot say.
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 6:37 pm
(This post was last modified: February 5, 2017 at 6:40 pm by Rhondazvous.)
I agree, if they are willing to pay taxes they should be allowed to participate. The problem is that the Johnson Amendment is not just about churches. It affects all non profit orgs across the board. That would include The Red Cross, The March of Dimes, The Salvation Army, Goodwill,etc. I doubt such orgs will increase their political activity and I don't think they should pay taxes. But how do we make an exception?
The devil is definitely in the details.
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 6:43 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 6:04 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: (February 5, 2017 at 5:25 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: To be fair, I'm pretty convinced of that as well...
Boru
Oh, I love me some Boru. I swear to crap, I do.
Awww. *goes all blushy*
Boru
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 6:48 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 6:37 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: I agree, if they are willing to pay taxes they should be allowed to participate. The problem is that the Johnson Amendment is not just about churches. It affects all non profit orgs across the board. That would include The Red Cross, The March of Dimes, The Salvation Army, Goodwill,etc. I doubt such orgs will increase their political activity and I don't think they should pay taxes. But how do we make an exception?
The devil is definitely in the details.
Agreed there should not be a exemption to the rules for churches
Seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy -- myself.
Inuit Proverb
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 7:39 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 6:37 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: I agree, if they are willing to pay taxes they should be allowed to participate. The problem is that the Johnson Amendment is not just about churches. It affects all non profit orgs across the board. That would include The Red Cross, The March of Dimes, The Salvation Army, Goodwill,etc. I doubt such orgs will increase their political activity and I don't think they should pay taxes. But how do we make an exception?
The devil is definitely in the details.
Salvation Army, IMO, would increase their political activity.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
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RE: Trump vows to destroy the law limiting churches' political activity
February 5, 2017 at 7:51 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 7:39 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: (February 5, 2017 at 6:37 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: I agree, if they are willing to pay taxes they should be allowed to participate. The problem is that the Johnson Amendment is not just about churches. It affects all non profit orgs across the board. That would include The Red Cross, The March of Dimes, The Salvation Army, Goodwill,etc. I doubt such orgs will increase their political activity and I don't think they should pay taxes. But how do we make an exception?
The devil is definitely in the details.
Salvation Army, IMO, would increase their political activity.
Then they should lose there tax exempt status
Seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy -- myself.
Inuit Proverb
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