Should churches that refuse to perform gay marriages lose tax exempt status?

Including any other non-profit?

All non-profit organizations are tax exempt. Museums, universities, charities, etc. Why should religious institutions be any different? They are treated the same by the IRS.

If a church admits Christians, should it also admit Jews?

They aren’t treated the same. Other tax-exempt organizations have to open up their books every year to prove that they aren’t cheating.

I don’t regard them as non-profit.

Should the KKK be forced to allow black people to join?

Yes, I was being funny.

They both have 501(c)(3) arms as well as 501(c)(4) arms. So if you’ve been meaning to make a donation to these organizations but didn’t because you didn’t think it would be tax deductible, you can donate to their 501(c)(3)

I’ll be sure and write a letter to the IRS–some guy on an internet message board doesn’t think they are non-profit. Change the tax code now!

Amen, except that I do have a problem with the use of the word “marriage.” I think it’s always been an egregious violation of the doctrine of separation for the state to act as if it had the power to authorize something that’s either God-ordained or private citizen ordained. Render unto God the things that are God’s (the sacrament of marriage), and unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (legal and financial contracts governing the domestic partnership). After all the essence of marriage is “til death do us part.” Since slavery is illegal, no civil entity could possibly enforce that provision, so how can it grant it?

Or, to use another example, should I be able able to go into a Navajo village and demand they all me to be a part of their ceremonial dances.

Based on Steophan’s logic if any of the Navajo told me I couldn’t join in they’d be “bigots”.

Similarly, based on his logic, Catholic Churches should be forced to allow Jewish or interfaith churches to have their weddings there or they’d be bigots.

Garbage. Religions don’t have the right to decide who can and can’t get married. You aren’t calling for separation between church and state, you are demanding that the state submit to the church.

The only thing that religion has to offer as far as marriage goes are rituals and rules that outside of that particular religious sect are meaningless. It is the state not the church that makes a marriage real, and not merely the declaration of some particular sect or priest. It is the official recognition of the government that makes people married; churches have no say in the matter.

Why not?

Please explain how an organization of Reform Temples can’t be a non-profit organization.

BTW, I’m not being snarky I’m genuinely curious as to your logic.

Yes, obviously.

Yes, obviously.

Definitely on the latter part - but of course they would be Catholic weddings. They don’t have to offer Jewish weddings, but they should offer Catholic weddings without discrimination.

I don’t know anything about ritual dances, but if it’s a public event, a service offered, or a job, then they should not be allowed to discriminate based on race or religion.

They should be treated the same as any other organisation. A shop can’t refuse service to someone because of their race or religion, or refuse to employ them because of it. Neither should a church be allowed to.

Atheists don’t have religious practices. I’m not talking about the freedom to believe whatever you want, I’m talking about the freedom to practice a religion in a way that harms others. That should not be a right.

There’s no way my proposal could harm atheists.

Now I have this image of a snake-handling Pentecostal gay marriage ceremony.

Should be a blast.

True, but that applies to several other kinds of groups too.

http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Annual-Exempt-Organization-Return:--Who-Must-File

So they are intended to make a profit?

You can’t just define “non-profit” according to your personal whims.

Should the Ku Klux Klan be required to admit blacks too?

But you can’t separate the two when it comes to religion. It’s religion, it’s all about beleiving and practicing things that are often irrational and can hurt people. That’s life.

They do. A Catholic wedding is a union between a man and a woman. A marriage between two men or two women cannot be a Catholic wedding.

You should come to a budget meeting with me then, 'cause I’d love to see us in the black on of these days.