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[RDreamer]

Trump signs order aimed at allowing churches to engage in more political activity

President Trump on Thursday said he would direct the Internal Revenue Service to relax enforcement of rules barring tax-exempt churches from participating in politics as part of a much-anticipated executive order on religious liberties.

The order — which Trump formally unveiled in a Rose Garden ceremony with Christian leaders — also offers unspecified “regulatory relief” for religious objectors to an Obama administration mandate, already scaled back by the courts, that required contraception services as part of health plans, the officials said.

“For too long the federal government has used the state as a weapon against people of faith,” Trump said, later telling the religious leaders gathered for the event that “you’re now in a position to say what you want to say … No one should be censoring sermons or targeting pastors.”

But the sweep of the order — unveiled on a National Day of Prayer — was significantly narrower than a February draft, which had alarmed civil libertarians, gay rights and other liberal advocacy groups and prompted threats of lawsuits.

Among other things, that version included a controversial provision that could have allowed federal contractors to discriminate against LGBT employees or single mothers on the basis of faith.

The order released Thursday instead included a blanket statement that “it is the policy of the administration to protect and vigorously promote religious liberty.”

 

[kess]

There's a church on every single street corner and they're screaming about censorship.

Sick.

 

[Slayven]

Rose Garden ceremony with Christian leaders

.

 

[Captain Pants]

I don't want to live in a theocracy.

 

[NandoGip]

Makes me want to fucking puke

 

[Kaiterra]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

 

[Linkura]

Churches are already exempt from a bunch of non-profit regulations, such as filing a 990. Fuck this bullshit. They should be treated like any other nonprofit if they want that tax exemption.

 

[Karkador]

The order released Thursday instead included a blanket statement that “it is the policy of the administration to protect and vigorously promote religious liberty.”

The 1st Amendment disagrees

 

[shoplifter]

If corporations are people, then so are churches I guess. Now just remove the tax exemption.

 

[bananafactory]

Does this mean birth control isn't covered by health care now?

Also is it all religions that are covered by this or just Christianity?

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

As long as it's Christian, I assume?

 

[Gutek]

I hope the ACLU sues.

 

[Inferno313]

So if we're tearing down the supposed seperation of church and state, they all have to start paying taxes, right?

 

[FireBeaver]

Absolutely disgusting and awful. As if churches don't have enough influence in politics already.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

Fucking Amen

 

[Omegasquash]

.

I find his lack of faiths disturbing.

Seriously though, anyone saying that this benefits all religions is fooling themselves.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Oh please...

 

[ahoyhoy]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

There it is.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

Yup. That tax status needs to go away, then.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

So mosques get a say too?

 

[darkwing]

I guess we can campaign as supporters of Pastafarianism

hail the flying spaghetti monster!

 

[necrosis]

Churches are already exempt from a bunch of non-profit regulations, such as filing a 990. Fuck this bullshit. They should be treated like any other nonprofit if they want that tax exemption.

yep

fucking bullshit

you shouldn't be able to have it both ways. hopefully this gets taken to court

 

[Count Dookkake]

But the New Atheists are so mean!

 

[Korigama]

Just to reiterate from the previous thread, during his speech, he referred to freedom as being a God-given right before quoting Thomas Jefferson in the next sentence.

 

[Rebel Leader]

I guess we can campaign as supporters of Pastafarianism

hail the flying spaghetti monster!

Praise be to meatballs!

 

[Ryuuroden]

Gee whiz I hope Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries start funneling in tons of money to Muslim religious groups in the United States and make this backfire like crazy. Would love to see liberal churches and the Church of Scientology go crazy too. Let's see it go crazy

 

[Skinny Pete]

So mosques get a say too?

Of course not this is Trump we are talking about.

 

[darkwing]

So mosques get a say too?

yes, even Baphomet supporters

 

[gutter_trash]

Trump wants to be like Erdogan

 

[Marvie_3]

Alright lets start taxing these fuckers then

 

[LordOfLore]

This is breaking at the same time.

 

[Trojita]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

Yup.

Screw this order.

 

[Snaku]

Under his eye.

 

[PancakeBurglar]

This is gross, get religion out of government please.

 

[jstripes]

Trump's not even religious. He just knows this will solidify his base.

 

[darkwing]

This is breaking at the same time.

wow, I guess this religion bill was just a cover

 

[SocksAndShoes]

It's still amazing to me that an irreligious con-man like Trump convinced the religious right that he actually cares about them.

 

[JimJamJones]

I've said it before here and I'll say it again:

the one thing that pisses me off more than anything is thinking that any religion, let alone the church, should have a say in politics.

 

[BrutishMrFish]

No one should be censoring sermons or targeting pastors.

Funny, Trump and the other Republicans weren't saying this when they were going after Jeremiah Wright.

 

[Lifejumper]

Reminds of Game of Thrones.. Forgot the priest name tho..

 

[WedgeX]

Separation of Church and State be damned, said Trump, hauntingly.

 

[shoplifter]

This is gross, get religion out of government please.

They aren't 'in' government. They should be afforded the right to political speech, though. I'm not even religious and I don't have a problem with this.

 

[Jakoo]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

Ding ding ding.

 

[Platy]

.

That is where the danger lies.

As someone who lives in a ridiculously religion mixed with politics in a state where they should be separate, the danger is how close "religious freedom" means "MY RELIGION'S freedom"

 

[MarionCB]

Religions should not get a tax exemption in the first place. If they want to set up a registered charity, then fine, that activity can be exempt same as for everyone else, and abide by the restrictions like everyone else.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Does this mean birth control isn't covered by health care now?

Also is it all religions that are covered by this or just Christianity?

Looks like birth control can be opted-out of being funded through employer insurance with this due to religious beliefs.

As far as the other...I don't know? It seems so vague, outside the birth control stuff, I can't really tell what this does.

 

[Trojita]

The provision is written in the tax code and would require an act of Congress to repeal fully.

The order instead directs the Internal Revenue Service to “exercise maximum enforcement discretion of the prohibition.” Such a direction could be subject to legal challenge and would not necessarily extend beyond a Trump presidency.

Let this nightmare be over already.

 

[Slacker]

Young people are fleeing the church in droves, what should we do? I know! Let's encourage pastors to shut up about that love and compassion stuff and publicly advocate for people like Donald Trump! Problem solved!

 

[EatinOlives]

Religious Liberty*

*To oppress others**

***as long as it's Christianity.

 

[Karkador]

Churches deserve the right to engage in political speech.

It's the tax exemption they don't deserve.

Hell no, the last thing this insane political climate needs is the fear of god on top of the fear of the brown man.