Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum

reply to post by WickedStar


Here are the words from an article I have been reading.

Truth Demands Charity—Not Mere Tolerance
By Alice von Hildebrand
…“Tolerance of another’s errors on crucial questions is nothing but watered-down charity. If our neighbour is in error—and every weighty error inevitably poisons the person endorsing it—it is an act of charity to pray ardently that his eyes be opened and to beg God to use us as unworthy instruments. Deadly erroneous ideas should be opposed by every legitimate means, for on the key questions of human existence, they are poisonous. They harm not only the individual endorsing them, but the society as a whole."...

My act of charity is to pray for those who commit the error as much as for those who endorse their acceptance by asking us to tolerate them.

The Church cannot preach a doctrine and tolerate an offending act against it.

While every one is ready to bash the the catholic church .

This all boils down to this .

The real point here is the The Government of the city is trying to dictate to the church what the church should believe in . And if you don't do it our way we take away tax protection.

The church is saying we will leave before we change our beliefs . People left their homes 300 years ago to rid themselves of governmental intervention in their faith .

From my view it is the government is exceeding is bounds . Forcing a change in a faiths beliefs .

Umm folks thats one reason people moved to the new world in first place to get Government our of their lives and telling them how to believe . That was one basis for the creation of the US .

Freedom of religion !

For how much longer ?

reply to post by palg1


That's all very well and good...but so long as the church is participating in politics it shouldn't be tax exempt.

Let them quit. Someone better will take their place in helping people while not brainwashing them.

Say what you want about DC they do know how to run a prison,,since the past mayor was a convict! Guess that explains how Marion BArry got coc aine and prostitutes in the "big-house" while he was doing time! And then got re-elected... nothing like America the Free!

reply to post by WickedStar


Although I disagree....Who said anything about tax exemptions? We were talking charity and tolerance. Does this mean you're now siding with us Catholics on the charity issue but now feel the need to put the focus on a different argument?

Originally posted by palg1
reply to post by WickedStar

 

Although I disagree....Who said anything about tax exemptions? We were talking charity and tolerance. Does this mean you're now siding with us Catholics on the charity issue but now feel the need to put the focus on a different argument?

My shame at the catholic church for threatening to abandon their charitable works and my opinion that so long as they are participating in the political game they shouldn't be tax exempt are NOT mutually exclusive. Thanks for playing.

reply to post by stevegmu

Why should the Church be forced to abide by something they feel goes against their beliefs?

You are right.

The Catholic church should not be allowed anywhere they might come in contact with children anyway, so just strike them from the list of service providers.

No problem.

reply to post by bettermakings

I'm calling the whole article BS. Read between the lines. From what I've heard, the Catholic Church is being given a choice: start marrying gays, or lose all tax-benefits as a non-profit organization....

That is not what is being said at all. There is no question that the Church must 'start marrying gays' - nothing of the sort. There is no question of changing church canon law, just complying with anti-discrimination law.

No organization, secular or religious, can discriminate against any defined minority group and get public funds. If the Catholic Church feels it cannot provide services to gay couples, then it is not entitled to public funds. They don't have to marry gay couples to provide services.

reply to post by TheRedneck

You seem to be forgetting a few things: ...

What you are forgetting is that there is no question of telling the Catholic Church or any other church how to spend the money private citizens donate.

The issue is the management of tax payer funds paid to the church under contract that the Church has bid for. Contracts have provisions on how that contract must be executed, especially Government contracts. Always have had and always will.

If the Catholic Church doesn't like the provisions in the contracts they are free to not bid for them. No one is holding a gun to their head saying "Thou shalt take these taxpayer funds - or else".

In fact the world would be a better place if the Catholics would just retire from the public scene until they learn how to conduct themselves in the presence of children.

reply to post by Lostinthedarkness

This all boils down to this . The real point here is the The Government of the city is trying to dictate to the church what the church should believe in . And if you don't do it our way we take away tax protection.

No and No.

There is nothing about dictation of what they should believe in nor threatening to take away tax status.

Only if you take public tax money to provide services, then you have to provide those services in a non-discriminatory fashion and you must likewise not discriminate against your employees.

These are the same rules for ANY organization taking public funds, whether to build a Space Shuttle or run a soup kitchen.

Absolutely zero to do with anything about changing religious belief.