Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Another Example of Religion Interfering with Politics

This brief comment also raises some important questions, including whether non-charitable church activities should be sheltered from the taxes paid by other money-making American enterprises.

8 comments:

Sue said...

My thought on this is that there are a lot of people (voters) who do not approve of abortion or support their tax dollars paying for them. They're not all Catholic, they're not even all religious in the traditional sense. If this is a compromise it takes to get a health care reform bill passed, we're way better off as a country with it than with the current mess.

I also think it's interesting that when churches are vocal about something we support, whether it be environmental issues, anti-war issues, or charitable endeavors, people seem to think the involvement is great but if we disagree, we raise that old church/state separation banner. I'm glad that churches are involved. They don't exist in a vacuum. They actually represent voters.

Six said...

I agree Jane - but what's good for the goose is good for the gander... why do labor unions also receive the same basic tax exemption despite thier heavy involvement in politics? Do you support them receiving the special tax treatment?

Idna said...

Good point, Sue, about picking and choosing which issues are OK for churches to talk about.

I believe that the Church has a perfect right to take a stand on this very important life and death issue.

Side note: Yesterday, I had the great joy of viewing ultrasounds of two of my grandbabies. (Both of my daughters-in-law are currently pregnant.) I saw their profiles, with their cute little noses, even their tiny fingers!

(OK, Jane, I can just see the lambasting I'm going to get for being "emotional.")

There are all kinds of other issues that one can get really worked up about that churches (all tax-exempt) regularly get involved in ....

The Muslim mosques that have imams who preach terrorist language (this to me is criminal and dangerous and I can't believe that they can exist, and tax-exempt at that!) ... the Jeremiah style Black Liberation Churches with their hate speech for America ... the churches that single out a particular candidate, (the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam mosques had a get out the vote event for Obama with the slogan "Muslim-Americans for Obama") ... more than 100 pastors from all denominations gathered at Asbury United Methodist Church in Northwest Washington to support a gay-marriage bill (so pro-gay marriage is OK, but against is not for tax ememption?)

You can find many examples on both sides of any issue that churches embrace. So let's not always pile on the Catholics.

Six said...

How about just kill tax exempt status for EVERYONE?

Sue said...

Idna, congratulations on your grandbabies!

But why is it that when they're wanted, they're babies even at this early stage of development but if they're not wanted some people consider them disposable tissue? They are such miracles!

Citizen Jane said...

Congratulations, Idna!

Just for the record, I think abortion is always a tragedy. However, I'm opposed to legislating morality. A good health reform bill with a strong public option will undoubtedly reduce abortions by giving more women opportunities to see doctors on a regular basis, including those who provide family planning services.

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