Posted on 06/29/2015 5:02:53 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross
My great grandpa fled the Prussians to go to a place where he didn’t have to deal with a government mandated religion.
We shall see.
And now the churches and pastors will be sued for doing so ... (the gaystapo have already set the stage with bakers and florists ...)
I agree with you on that. The court cases last week proved that any time 5 judges (I refuse to call them justices, anymore), want to ignore the words of the Constitution that they can do so with total impunity. A 'feelings' group can form. I imagine a 'seance' group can form and 'divine' the truth from Ouija boards. They've proven that our country runs on their opinion and not on any document like the US Constitution.
Aside from that, the old document that our country used to run on had an amendment that protected the religious free exercise of the people. If it were read seriously and applied seriously, there would be no way that the government would even begin to consider taking money out of the offering plate that is directed toward God.
Kinda like a background check to buy a gun. It turns a right into a government granted privilege.
My plea...What to do? What to do?
In its sarcasm, it IS what needs to be approached.
We, as confessional Christians, are faced with a new “unionism” that mitigates against the totality of Christian Faith. What did we (reformation Christians) learn from history? What did our ancestors do?
Admittedly, there is no “New World/America/Australia” that we can migrate to but, each of those who rejected the Union (CFW Walther), each of those who rejected the National Socialist (Sasse)...these understandings of such “men-of-God” is still needed.
Unfortunately, the current culture see “history” starting around 1965.
Gads! I truly HATE hippies...
The power to tax is the power to destroy. When churches start having to pay property and income tax they will be forced to shut their doors and sell.
Sure there are a couple Joel Osteen type megachurches which will survive. I’m sure those will only preach govt approved sermons.
Yup...my daughter in law does marriages...in WA state you can get the right to perform marriages...off the internet I think..
A couple of years ago I was told that gays in the military was no big deal. One freeper told me it was a “big nothing burger”. Well We went from debasing the military to the church in about 3 years. So is this a big nothing burger too?
If any Christian works/ministries are depending on their tax exempt status, they NEED to lose it.
Neither God nor true believers are not restrained by a need for tax-exempt status and give - and the tax-exempt status is not even a consideration. Believers I know give with no regard for tax benefits, or benefits to self. And it’s a lie to say Christians can give more if they get a tax benefit. True giving considers no benefit to self.
And as others have said, Christian groups need to be free from gov. control, as they would be if they gave up tax exempt status.
And as others have said, you are out of your mind to trust that this government will let you be even more free after revoking your tax exemption ...
The IRS has already attacked Conservative groups, and the people behind it will never be held accountable. The Left doesn’t need the formality of a new law to go after churches.
True churches know they have been under attack and are now in battle, and will speak truth to lies, regardless of consequences. Hopefully many authentic men in them will arise with strength as Christian soldiers.
Rainbow churches will, of course, gag their pastors, blackout certain passages in their pew bibles and celebrate sodomy.
Unitarians are not Christians and don’t even claim to be. I went to one “service” back in the days when I was lost and they played Arlo Guthrie songs and the sermon was on Socialism. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Not being pickey but I think it was, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
As far as persecution, I love the book of Esther and how it ends.
No. The power to tax is the power to destroy. Churches that speak the truth on political issues will be destroyed by the legal costs of defending against audits, of their finance, of their clergy, of everyone on their donor lists once those are required to be turned over to the IRS.
“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” can be implemented by forbidding buying and selling without the mark, or by depriving everyone without the mark of all of their assets.
If “marriage” is defined as a state licensed legal construct, then a church matrimony ceremony becomes simply a religious rite. Can the government make religious rites a subject of public accommodation ( like wedding cakes) and compel churches to perform those rites for anyone who demands them?
If it was good enough for Henry VIII...
Oh man, the one Unitarian service I have attended was on UN day and it was like the high priestess of fire and water was celebrating a mass for global government.
Creepy. But the pews were absolutely packed with families.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.