Minnesota's marriage amendment fight funded by Catholics across U.S.

[adinasauce]

Catholic parishes and affiliated groups around the country are pouring money into Minnesota's fight to pass a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

From the $3,000 sent by Catholics in Baton Rouge, La., to the $500 from the Diocese of Austin, Texas, more than two dozen dioceses and archdioceses have dug deep for the local effort. The

Comments

[ladypolitik]

RIP tax exemption status.

No, really, enough. No more economic privileges/funding, particularly for institutions that violate basic church/state separation principles, and especially while politically "fundraising" for the obstruction of civil rights.

[pitbullgirl65]

THAT IS AMAZING!

[ladypolitik]

In ITALY?!

Holy shit.

[pitbullgirl65]

"Perhaps most disturbing is the number of local parishes redirecting the hard-earned dollars of its members in the name of discrimination."Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign,
I'm not certain what he was trying to say here: is he worried about church members being ripped off? Or the way their money is being used to fund hate?
And: why doesn't the IRS go after these groups? Is it because they are considered politically a third rail?

[redstar826]

I think his point is that many Catholics give to their church because they want to support activities at their local parish, not because they support these sorts of activities.

Is it actually illegal for churches to back ballot initiatives? I was under the impression that endorsing candidates was forbidden but getting involved in ballot questions was not

[redstar826]

eta-I found this: Are religious organizations permitted to participate in referenda, constitutional
amendments and similar ballot initiatives?
Yes. Referenda, constitutional amendments and similar ballot initiatives are classified as lobbying
activities for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code.18 As such, they are subject to the insubstantial
lobbying limitation, not the political campaign intervention prohibition.

What are the consequences if a religious organization engages in excessive
lobbying?
If a religious organization’s lobbying activities constitute more than an insubstantial part of its total
activities, the organization’s section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status may be revoked, which means that
its income for the year would become subject to income tax

source (found on page 6)

[maladaptive]

Yeah, this. My grandmother gives to the local church for things like the local festival for the poor, and to a women's shelter group. Catholic churches are still huge in "getting shit down for the needy" sector. Which makes it even more cruel when they divert funds to this stuff.

[donutsweeper]

I saw red when I read that article in the strib. grrrrr

Kudos to you for your efforts, there are a ton of lawn signs around my neighborhood and tons of people and organizations fighting the good fight too. *crosses fingers*

[tabaqui]

Fucking bullshite. It makes me angry that this is allowed at all. You're either a church or you're a political group - you're not both. Plenty of secular opportunities for fundraising, etc.

Take away their damn tax-exempt status once and for all and be done with it.

And fuck 'em an their constitutional amendment. I cannot wait for DOMA to be overturned and same-sex marriage to be federally legalized so that we can wipe that atrocity of *my* state's constitution.

[amyura]

They're contradicting themselves and their other teachings. Bigtime. And this is an institution that claims that natural law underpins most if not all of their teachings.

Against abortion and birth control? Okay, the natural consequence of forcing women to carry pregnancy to term means that children will be born either not knowing one or both biological parents, or not being loved by one or both of them.

Say that adoption is the answer to that? Except for white babies born completely free from physical or mental health issues, there are more kids who need stable loving families than there are families willing to adopt. Gay couples can make up some of the difference there.

Conservative Christian churches of all denominations are very much in favor of the separation of church and state when they want to be allowed to do things their way. They're very much against it when they want to force everyone else to do things their way. Fuck that.