It takes a lot to get most of us to give a Tinker’s damn for the homophobic extremists at the Westboro Baptist Church. However, the people may be close of doing just that. Citizens are passing around petitions to have the church declared a hate group and strip it of its tax exempt status. This type of political movement targeting an unpopular vote raises all types of alarms for civil libertarians. Declaring certain groups as “hate groups” by popular demand smacks of majoritarian dominance. It also reaffirms the concerns, which I have written about previously, that hate laws are increasingly being used to stifle free speech. It is equally troubling to find the petition on the White House website.
Almost twenty thousand people have signed the petitions demanding the designation of the Church. The church left a signature message on its machine: “We will not allow you to corrupt the minds of America with your seeks of hatred. We will not allow you to inspire aggression to the social faction which you deem inferior. We will render you obsolete. We will destroy you. We are coming.”
The petition on the White House site states:
“The members of this hate group make a practice of targeting funerals to make their case, routinely inflicting further pain and anguish onto the mourning families of deceased soldiers and, even worse, the victims of tragic crimes. They hold signs thanking God and celebrating the deaths of these people. They wave these signs in the faces of the families.”
Is that the standard for stripping away the status of unpopular groups? Holding up obnoxious signs and celebrating the death of people? There are an array of different groups who protest people who symbolize or represent an opposing view or lifestyle. Westboro is not accused of taking violent action and generally complies with local police instructions on where they can protest. The concern is that by defining an opposing view as “hateful” the majority can now punish unpopular views and individuals as part of a non-discrimination policy. Indeed, such actions in stifling speech are often defended as fostering speech — a free speech version of destroying a village to save it.
Anti-gay organizations have lost their 501(C)(3) status in the past but due to their failure to file correct forms as in the case of Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH).
The stripping of Westboro of tax exempt status would in my view place us on a slippery slope of regulating speech. For that reason, I have previously objected (here and here) to IRS rules that allow the termination of tax exempt status based on discriminatory practices of religious organizations like the Bob Jones University case.
What do you think?
Source: FOX4
Gay friends do not enlist in the army. There are enlisters going to pride parades. Turn your back to them. The military is deceptively evil. Tell all to no longer go a whoring after the military.
The only thing that separates church and state is a name. Both rely on a building to try to identify what they are separated by the others visually and with a name. Religions do the same thing separating themselves with a building and a name. The churches that do that wanting to make the bible
into a weapon of death that creates oppressive laws not telling the truth. about scripture come to the same end as the state. Both end up calling death good at a perfect point merging as one.
Justice Holmes nails it. No religious entity should be given a preferential tax advantage not available to all others.
This insanity has always violated our Constitution, particularly those who promote their political leanings.
The only thing that separates church and state is a name. Both rely on a building to try to identify what they are separated by the others visually and with a name. Religions do the same thing separating themselves with a building and a name. The churches that do that wanting to make the bible
into a weapon of death that creates oppressive laws not telling the truth. about scripture come to the same end as the state. Both end up calling. death good at a perfect point merging as one.
Gay friends do not enlist in the army. There are enlistees going to pride parades. Turn your back to them. The military is deceptively evil. Tell all to no longer go a whoring after the military.
Gay friends do not enlist in the army. They are enlistees going to pride parades. Turn your back to them. The military is deceptively evil. Tell all to no longer go a whoring after the military.
Jonathan Hughes:
“Say harmless words to a person getting a sour look on the face of whoever that would over hear what was spoken will secretly call the police or harm whoever. That is not freedom of anything.”
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No, that’s not English. Bad day off the meds, I guess.
Freedom of speech is an abominable bloody lie. Say harmless words to a person getting a sour look on the face of whoever that would over hear what was spoken will secretly call the police or harm whoever. That is not freedom of anything. Church, and state being separate is another bloody lie too. Freedom of speech is an abominable lie.
Tax exemption for organizations based on belief in the supernatural, mythological, superstitions and religious should be repealed. Only direct services — which should be strictly defined, such as food, shelter, clothing, financial assistance — and the tools/facilities that are FULLY DEDICATED to the administration should be tax-exempt.
I went to Bible College and worked in a large (26,000 on the rolls) Baptist church. Tax exemption was stretched beyond belief: the Pastor’s house in a country club development on the golf course was owned by the church, it was gifted to him upon retirement. Likewise the Pastor’s three Cadillacs, the homes of several senior church staff and their vehicles, rental properties, retail leasing operations. It also included a church “book store” that also sold computers, software, stereo equipment, exercise equipment, clothing and specialty foods.
FREE THE CHURCH, tax them and let them participate in government with freedom of speech.
Freedom of speach is an abominable bloody lie. Say harmless words to a person geting a sour look on the face of woever that would over hear what was spoken will sectertly cause whoever to call the police or harm whoever. That is not freedom of anything. Church, and state being serperate is anopther bloody lie too. Freedom of speach is an abominable lie.
pete,
“none of our cousins can fling feces like homo s.”
It’s because of subtle differences in the structure of the shoulder.
why would anybody declare themselves to be a saint to GOD in HEAVEN?
the mormon church is going to gloat because they have some prophecies that will happen. they still believe that they will put JESUS on the cross in the second coming and crucify HIM again, and then claim the world, and be taken into heaven with him. now that sounds like the end of the world.
I asked the mormons why don’t more people ask about the prohecies? they said that people only want to be saved, and are only looking to be saved, and we, the mormons will have the prophet locked up, and THE PROPHET is more powerful than JESUS will ever be.
so what should the president know to lead the country to GOD! maybe, that to pass by a house that speaks against GOD THE FATHER is a sin. do police officers and politicians do the same and then go in to worship their false idols. the mormons claim to have rewritten THE BIBLE. they follow the book of mormon and not THE BIBLE, when in THE BIBLE it is written in REVELATION, do not add, or take away ANY thing. yet all the property that they own belongs to the one they are going to kill. that does sound like a con-spear ah see.
GOD owns the planet, and said, that you can use this, until the second coming when the clouds move in.
The clouds are here, and in plain site. the world will be lost to those who speak against GOD before your very eyes.
nobody wants to be listening to a bunch of preachers, rabbis, priests, clerics, and saints forever in HEAVEN going, i told you so.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! IS it written in many languages and religions that only true believers in ONE GOD will be accepted into HEAVEN and the non believers will be destroyed !!! if God sent a PROPHET to do the things that God could not do, God WOULD make HIM GOD when the PROPHET sent in HIS Hair to JESUS.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
so have yourself a hairy little Christmas…
…too daze! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!