Posted on 04/29/2015 11:39:14 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In yesterday’s oral arguments in Obergefell v. Hodges (better known as the “gay-marriage case”), the solicitor general of the United States committed a classic “Kinsley gaffe”: He accidentally told the truth.
Normally, in any argument about the next legal step of the sexual revolution, the accusation or even implication that there’s a slippery slope is grounds for outrage. Not only shouldn’t we explore the legal implications of expanding the definition of marriage, the very attempt is homophobic. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Yesterday, however, the solicitor general tugged at that curtain, revealing the Jacobin behind — a nonviolent version, of course, but a Jacobin nonetheless. It turns out that the sexual revolution — like the French Revolution — demands “de-Christianization.”
Here is the revealing exchange, widely reported yesterday:
JUSTICE ALITO: Well, in the Bob Jones case, the Court held that a college was not entitled to tax exempt status if it opposed interracial marriage or interracial dating. So would the same apply to a university or a college if it opposed same-sex marriage?
GENERAL VERRILLI: You know, I I don’t think I can answer that question without knowing more specifics, but it’s certainly going to be an issue. I I don’t deny that. I don’t deny that, Justice Alito. It is it is going to be an issue.
Those unfamiliar with the Bob Jones case or the law applicable to tax exemptions may not understand the full magnitude of that statement. Tax exemptions are widely available and routinely granted, provided the exempt organization falls within the language and meaning of the statute. Here’s how the IRS describes the scope of the tax exemption: The exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3) are charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and preventing cruelty to children or animals. The term charitable is used in its generally accepted legal sense and includes relief of the poor, the distressed, or the underprivileged; advancement of religion; advancement of education or science; erecting or maintaining public buildings, monuments, or works; lessening the burdens of government; lessening neighborhood tensions; eliminating prejudice and discrimination; defending human and civil rights secured by law; and combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency.
The Bob Jones case, however, held that even if an entity fell within enumerated statutory categories — i.e., both religious and educational — the IRS could still lawfully withhold the tax exemption if the entity did not “serve a public purpose” and was “contrary to established public policy.” In other words, if the IRS could make a supportable finding that the tax-exempt entity was — in essence — harmful to civil society, it could withhold the exemption no matter the designated purpose of the organization.
In Bob Jones, the Court found that explicit racial discrimination (bans on interracial relationships) meant that the college was not truly “charitable” and thus could not receive an exemption.
Thus, to be clear, the solicitor general said it was “going to be an issue” whether a religious college that upholds orthodox Christian teachings on marriage and sexuality could even be considered “charitable.”
That a solicitor general could even raise the question represents a sea change in American political culture, potentially placing the government in a state of overt declared hostility against the most basic elements of orthodox faith. But it’s worse than mere opposition. As the French revolutionaries learned, you can’t replace something with nothing. Thus, the revolutionary ideals themselves must be rendered sacred.
In France, that meant the Cult of Reason or — if you weren’t willing to kick faith entirely to the curb — the Cult of the Supreme Being. Here, we’ve created the Cult of Sexual Autonomy, and this is its statement of faith from Justice Anthony Kennedy, the swing vote in Obergefell:
“At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.”
Members of the Supreme Court are not philosopher-kings, and it’s safe to say that millions upon millions of citizens do not believe that such radical individualism is at the “heart of liberty.”
Indeed, one of the great accomplishments of the American Revolution was the creation of a state that allowed people of all faiths, of no faith, and of radically divergent views of liberty to carve out a place in a new nation, sustain their own thriving communities of shared purpose, and live largely free of concern that the state would move to suppress or silence your faith and viewpoint.
In 1983, in the Bob Jones case, the Supreme Court made a limited exception to that general principle — as part of the ongoing attempt to eradicate the vestiges of our nation’s greatest moral error and its greatest physical crisis. To even begin to compare orthodox beliefs about marriage to the legacy of chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and a ruinous Civil War is to utterly take leave of any sense of moral proportion.
But the Jacobin advances the revolution by any means — and through any reasoning — necessary. To the Jacobin, you are either a revolutionary or an enemy, and no lesser light than the federal government’s chief constitutional advocate has now raised the specter of a legal regime far worse than “separation of church and state.” For the sexual revolutionaries, it’s the state against the church.
That is Odumbass’s goal along with his fundamental transformation of America - Christianity and America is the cause of all the world’s problems. make it that the religion of the state humanism is the answer. Christian be damned. Islam is the true religion. I heard this crap when I was an undergraduate in the 1980s after having back from serving in the military. the professors where teaching the BS that Islam was the true religion. I simply told the professor in a state of Wisconsin publically funded university to go to hell.
Homosexuality is demonic and is the spirit of Anti-Christ.
They didnt evade taxes. They were being taxed to death, somethings could not be legally made in the colonies, and had to be imported from England, which had taxes on those goods. There sas no representation for them to get any tax relif, for decades They tried, but to no effect.
You can bla me him, but every one of those Republicans agrees.
Moral obligation is not man's prison, from which he must liberate himself in order finally to be able to do what he wants.It is moral obligation that constitutes his dignity, and he does not become more free if he discards it: on the contrary, he takes a step backward, to the level of a machine, or a mere thing. If there is no longer any obligation to which he can and must respond in freedom, then there is no longer any realm of freedom at all.
The recognition of morality is the real substance of human dignity; but one cannot recognize this without simultaneously experiencing it as an obligation of freedom. Morality is not man's prison but rather the divine element in him...
For nature is not — as is asserted by a totalitarian scientism — some assemblage built up by chance and its rules of play but is rather a creation. A creation in which the Creator Spiritus expresses himself. This is why there are not only natural laws in the sense of physical functions: the specific natural law itself is a moral law. Creation itself teaches us how we can be human in the right way.
The Christian faith, which helps us to recognize creation as creation, does not paralyze reason; it gives practical reason the life-sphere in which it can unfold. The morality that the Church teaches is not some special burden for Christians: it is the defence of man against the attempt to abolish him. If morality — as we have seen — is not the enslavement of man but his liberation, then the Christian faith is the advance post of human freedom.
That same Jesus also said "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's", fwiw.
Which could be interpreted as he didn’t have a problem with some allegiance to a government, as long is it didn’t supersede allegiance to God.
And a Christian country like America would be allowed even more allegiance in God’s eye.
Also indicates that wisdom knows what belongs to whom, because at some point people have to choose.
The odd thing about America is that a government of representatives means that we collectively are Caesar; or could be, or should be. Which of course makes us all the more culpable.
Once we turn the reins over to a Caesar, we will have to give him what is his. Talk about your slippery slope.
The American Revolution was one of a long chain of miracles that made America possible. It would be presumptuous to assume a second one would work out the same.
Wow. Well written. I’m jealous. :) And you are right. Lightening striking twice is difficult.
Perhaps if we survive the next 20 months somehow, Cruz could save us from needing another violent revolution and save the republic.
Talk about gutsy! These guys staked everything - everything! - for liberty.
Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other;" he's saying that this government isn't capable of governing irreligious and immoral people. Think about that!
What can we do but pray and act according to our consciences informed by the truth and leave the rest to God?
Well, I can join about several thousand like me to fight back with brute force, take back the country piece by piece and throw ourselves on God’s mercy when we’re done. But that’s just me.
I know Jesus said turn the other cheek, but that’s not just me. Never has been. Cant change.
Rather go down swinging than let these communists, muslims, deviants and punks take my country. Sorry. I know you are goo person, i can tell.
Jesus turned the other cheek indeed but he did a lot more than that and He gathered followers, not stunt-doubles. He lived in His circumstances, we live in ours.
There are some things that must be fought for. Liberty is one of them. There is an obligation to protect those who cannot protect themselves. That demands strength and strategy and resources.
If ever any nation on earth must be fought for, it's the United States of America.
Well, besides Israel.
You should speak at rallies! Amen to everything you said!
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