Pastor whose congregation dwindled after gay-marriage vote to close St. Paul church

Grace Community United Church of Christ will close its doors this weekend, but the pastor who says his decision to publicly support gay-marriage rights unwittingly thrust it on a path toward financial ruin plans to find a new home for his small congregation.

The Rev. Oliver White, 69, had hoped fundraising would keep the predominantly African-American church on St. Paul's East Side open after a Seattle investor demanded full payment on a high-interest loan.

But after a well-publicized Internet campaign raised only about $56,000 of the $200,000 the church needs to pay off its debt, White has decided to call it quits.

So please explain how it is that the exemption is a good thing in light of this very clear reality.

The exemption is a good thing because that is what society in the US (the people) decided to do long ago -long before the federal government was created and began amassing power at the expense of freedom. Yes, long ago before the fallacy called separation between Church and State was first mouthed and long before freedom of religion rather than being protected from government began being shunned by government and not even given a seat at the table in public, political, and legislative debate.

What you call an exemption for Churches is actually a protection from government. HOW can anyone consider the threat of being taxed worse than being taxed? Regardless, you believe the leftist view that Churches can not speak out -I do not. FURTHER I will never subscribe to your notion that the government grants any inalienable freedom and that one MUST PAY A FEE (e.g. be taxed) to be able to exercise that which the Creator has given us.

You need to rethink your premise on this -it is severely flawed. Now is the time to push back, NOT retreat...

No, I believe that the threat of having their tax status revoked STOPS them from speaking out...thus the problem. The Govt threatens churches with BEING taxed to keep them silent. If they WERE taxed, the threat ends and they can speak freely.

No I don’t ‘want’ them taxed, but as long as the hammer is overhead, they are constrained.

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