Conservative Churches Claim Gay Marriage Would Harm Them

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/05/052306churches.htm

The president of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty says churches and Christian schools that oppose gay marriage will face government pressure if it's legalized.

Anthony Picarello says they could be barred from firing employees with same-sex spouses, forced to give them marital benefits, or lose charitable and property tax exemptions if they refuse.

Picarello and other legal experts took part in a panel discussion on the issue at the Heritage Foundation.

Maggie Gallagher, who heads the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, says opponents of gay marriage will be treated like racists if it is declared a civil right. She predicted that churches will be tempted to "mute" their marriage theology to stay out of trouble.


why don't I feel sorry for these people? can't imagine why

[GodlessBiker]

1. Such idiocy.

[Ian David]

2. I only WISH it would be that easy to revoke their tax exempt status n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. They don't HAVE to take those exemptions, you know

though I don't see how a church is going to collapse because some people live in a way they don't like. And I know for a fact that churches have changed their policies to get ahead politically-Utah became a state in 1890 (although it had had the population to become a state long before)because the Mormon Church changed its stance on poligamy.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Absolutely not. Isn't the First Amendment grand?

The very First Amendment protections these conservative dimwits have been trying to dismantle would explicitly prohibit any government agency from forcing or coercing them to perform rites that they do not wish to perform.

[BR_Parkway]

5. They can legally not hire gay folks now, how likely is it that they'll put

one on staff who is not only gay, but gets married too?

Poor, persecuted majority - it must be so masking bigotry in the name of fundraising.

[davidinalameda]

6. great point about the first amendment

I don't think that any church has to hire anyone who is not a member of that denomination

seen too many Jewish nuns teaching in Catholic schools?

[sakabatou]

7. They might actually, dare I say it, tolerant!

:wow:

:sarcasm:

[sui generis]

8. it's already harming them

apparently the only reason they haven't been able to take over the world is because of unlawfully wedded gay married terrorists. Or very existence of gays. Or worse, gay taxpayers mixing gay money with righteous money. Or even worse, atheists.

Or them turban wearing Hindoos. Or red heads. Or non-virgins.

[MercutioATC]

9. She's absolutely right!

"Maggie Gallagher, who heads the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, says opponents of gay marriage will be treated like racists if it is declared a civil right."

Look at how people who still thinks blacks should have separate water fountains are soooo unjustly picked on and labeled as "racists"...

:eyes:

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. Yup

Just like opponents of mixed-race marriage have been treated like racists since Loving v Virginia declared marriage a fundamental human right.

[kevinbgoode]

11. Really now...and do they provide marital "benefits" to

persons they employ who had a civil ceremony and married outside the church? After all, aren't they worried about getting into "trouble" and violating their deeply-held religious beliefs if someone is married by a justice of the peace and ends up being employed at some church?

This is just another smokescreen argument. For years, didn't the Catholics refuse to recognize most divorces, even if they were legal by the state? And in doing so, was the Catholic Church continuing to pay out marital benefits to divorced employees based on the Church's refusal to recognize said divorce?

These people are full of crap.