Beto threatens tax-exempt status of churches if they don't support gay marriage

Chrystal-J · Oct 11, 2019

Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke says he'd strip churches of tax-exempt status if they don't support same-sex marriage.

When the former Texas congressman was asked if religious institutions -- "colleges, churches, charities" -- should be stripped of tax-exempt status Thursday night by CNN anchor Don Lemon during the LGBTQ town hall, he immediately responded, "Yes."

The crowd erupted in applause before O'Rourke further explained.

Link: Beto threatens tax-exempt status of churches if they don't support gay marriage

OldWiseGuy · Oct 11, 2019

Beto (Ichabod Crane) O'Rourke will soon lose his head (it's almost Halloween).

joshua 1 9 · Oct 11, 2019

Ok so he supports taking away constitutional rights if they do not agree with him. That means he supports us taking away his rights if we do not agree with him.

Michie · Oct 11, 2019

Chrystal-J said:
Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke says he'd strip churches of tax-exempt status if they don't support same-sex marriage.

When the former Texas congressman was asked if religious institutions -- "colleges, churches, charities" -- should be stripped of tax-exempt status Thursday night by CNN anchor Don Lemon during the LGBTQ town hall, he immediately responded, "Yes."

The crowd erupted in applause before O'Rourke further explained.

Link: Beto threatens tax-exempt status of churches if they don't support gay marriage

Oh, you mean change Christian teaching? The Bible? The Church fathers?

Chrystal-J · Oct 11, 2019

I wonder if the bible will ever be a banned book in the US.

Michie · Oct 11, 2019

You can always tell when these poseur politicians are talking out of their backsides concerning Christianity and theology to just get a step ahead. What an idiotic thing to say.

charsan · Oct 11, 2019

Chrystal-J said:
I wonder if the bible will ever be a banned book in the US.

I could see that happening

Sketcher · Oct 11, 2019

Judas O'Rourke

Lady Bug · Oct 11, 2019

He'd be a nightmare...

Chrystal-J · Oct 11, 2019

I guess this all shows the importance of our vote.

AvilaSurfer · Oct 11, 2019

I guess it’s a good thing Robert doesn’t have a chance.

chevyontheriver · Oct 11, 2019

Chrystal-J said:
The crowd erupted in applause before O'Rourke further explained.

It isn't just Beto but the whole Democratic Party establishment that will revel in doing this.

HardHead · Oct 11, 2019

There is perhaps another way to look at this. I'm offering this as a point of discussion only and not necessarily as my own personal view on this. Consider this ...

Arguably, this is a good example of why church and state should indeed be separated completely, in reality, and not in theory.

The state has certain policies/laws they want maintained/enforced. The church disagrees. The church does not want the sate meddling in its affairs and teachings. The state disagrees. Fair enough on both sides.

In this dialogue, to be fair, the state should stop any and all support for all churches of any kind in order to make the separation between church and state a complete and actual reality. Also to be fair, the church should stop taking any and all free public money (by having a tax exempt status) to keep its autonomy.

Why would anyone support someone that does not agree with a preferred outlook? They would not. Why would anyone accept support from someone who does not agree with their outlook? They would not.

Arguably, its best to break the bonds, and let the church be free to stand on its own with no reference from public monies and influence at all, of any kind, ever. In this way there is no negative political or other influence from either side of this. In this way, the church is free to succeed in its activities or to fail, and so is the state.

Arguably, if private users of church services that want to donate to a church, can certainly do so, and they should do so if they see this as a fit thing to do. Such donation is not the domain of the public in general who should be able to opt out. Such donations should have nothing at all to do with taxes in order to keep the separation clear. This means no claiming donations as charitable donations at tax time.

The references in Matthew 22:15-22 may be of interest in discussing this.

chevyontheriver · Oct 11, 2019

HardHead said:
There is perhaps another way to look at this. I'm offering this as a point of discussion only and not necessarily as my own personal view on this. Consider this ...

Arguably, this is a good example of why church and state should indeed be separated completely, in reality, and not in theory.

The state has certain policies/laws they want maintained/enforced. The church disagrees. The church does not want the sate meddling in its affairs and teachings. The state disagrees. Fair enough on both sides.

In this dialogue, to be fair, the state should stop any and all support for all churches of any kind in order to make the separation between church and state a complete and actual reality. Also to be fair, the church should stop taking any and all free public money (by having a tax exempt status) to keep its autonomy.

Why would anyone support someone that does not agree with a preferred outlook? They would not. Why would anyone accept support from someone who does not agree with their outlook? They would not.

Arguably, its best to break the bonds, and let the church be free to stand on its own with no reference from public monies and influence at all, of any kind, ever. In this way there is no negative political or other influence from either side of this. In this way, the church is free to succeed in its activities or to fail, and so is the state.

Arguably, if private users of church services that want to donate to a church, can certainly do so, and they should do so if they see this as a fit thing to do. Such donation is not the domain of the public in general who should be able to opt out. Such donations should have nothing at all to do with taxes in order to keep the separation clear. This means no claiming donations as charitable donations at tax time.

The references in Matthew 22:15-22 may be of interest in discussing this.

When you recommend do the same for ALL universities and all schools, public and private, ALL charities, and everything that gets any form of tax exemption, including various corporations, maybe we can consider this.

You do raise one good point that tax exemptions come with strings. Beto merely wants to yank one of those strings to forward his particular objectives.

HardHead · Oct 11, 2019

chevyontheriver said:
When you recommend do the same for ALL universities and all schools, public and private, ALL charities, and everything that gets any form of tax exemption, including various corporations, maybe we can consider this.

Suppose I did exactly that on the grounds of those corporate organisations having their hands in the public purse. Arguably, we are talking about corporate welfare, are we not? Is that ludicrous? Could this fly in some way?

HardHead · Oct 11, 2019

chevyontheriver said:
You do raise one good point that tax exemptions come with strings.

This is exactly my point. Its a two-way street no matter how you look at it.

John P. Alexander · Oct 11, 2019

He doesn't have a chance anyways, but people always forget that presidents aren't kings and can't just do things. It would never pass.

Michie · Oct 12, 2019

Beto Vs. Religious Liberty

Michie · Oct 12, 2019

Democrats Are Going to Regret Beto’s Stance on Conservative Churches

chevyontheriver · Oct 12, 2019

Michie said:
Democrats Are Going to Regret Beto’s Stance on Conservative Churches

That Beto is the only one who actually said it does not mean he is the only one for it. I'm sure Beto had a momentary surge in fundraising because of his statement. And the rest will be asked to fall in line or forgo some funding from the shapers of the Democratic Party. In other words, I think Beto's position will coalesce into the required Democratic Party position for 2020. The smart contestants will say just enough to indicate they are holding that position but not enough to alienate the middle of America.

It would be a disaster policy to follow. A political disaster if it was public enough for middle America to figure out. A financial disaster if once elected they actually did it, messing with universities and hospitals and charitable institutions collapsing. But maybe there is the opportunity for socialism to step in and assume those collapsed institutions. I'm not sure they have thought it all through. But I don't think the current Democratic Party cares a bit about electability or about what such a thing would do to the economy. They need to virtue signal in all of the right areas. Thus Beto's 'yes' and thus how every one of them will loudly or quietly agree with him.

Beto threatens tax-exempt status of churches if they don't support gay marriage

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