Should churches that refuse to perform same-sex marriages lose their tax-exempt status?

No bc then they are forcing churches to believe in a religion/change their religion. If your church doesn't believe in homo sexuality, then the government has no right to force your church to promote something they believe the devil created

No. whilst we communicate approximately 'marriage', the be conscious has 2 thoroughly diverse applications and a pair of diverse meanings. We confuse those meanings, each now and then on purpose. One which ability has to do with the church. a pair stands up on the same time as a minister says some words over them, and then they are seen joined interior the eyes of God. this would be a very religious element and that's fullyyt as much as the church. Many church homes, working example, won't marry certainly one of their faith to somebody of yet another faith. that's their magnificent. The state has no longer something to assert approximately it and should no longer intervene via Separation of Church and State (confident! it works the two procedures!) the different which ability is a civil partnership. 2 human beings enter into an contract wherein they'd co-mingle funds, proportion a economic employer account, make judgements for one yet another, be to blame for one yet another's charges, very own belongings in situation-loose, inherit with out probate, and so on. and so on. it particularly is fullyyt a civil remember and faith has no longer something to do with it, church homes have no power over it to any extent further than a church can come to a sort who would rigidity a vehicle or prepare drugs. gay marriage is a civil remember. whilst gay marriage is legal (and that i believe that's purely a remember of time, perhaps much less time than you think of!) some church homes will enable gays to marry of their church, others won't. purely as some church homes will marry human beings of diverse religions and others won't. I think of there are nonetheless some church homes that isn't marry human beings of diverse races! None of them have lost their tax exempt status, have they?

It does not really matter. Marriage is no longer the total sanctity of the Church. Marriage is the responsibility of the state. That's why Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. We cant have religious organizations, in that case the Mormons, telling the state who can and can not get married. In fact, nobody should be telling anyone who they can or can not marry. It is none of their business.

There are many cases in American history where the majority has failed or is wrong. Prop 8 is a prefect example. America is a country of law, not majority rule. Yes, we take majority votes and go by the majority much of the time, as long as it does not violate another's constitutional rights. Americans are very fortunate to have a method for protecting a minority, however that minority is defined.

A church is not required now to marry every man and woman that wasnt to get married in a particular church, so why would they be forced to marry a gay couple? There are other ways to marry than in a church. Civil ceremonies are legally binding just as a church wedding is.

It's more complicated than that. Churches themselves aren't under any threat because they won't perform same-sex ceremonies. HOWEVER, if a church-run organization (soup kitchen, publishing house, etc) refuses to grant same-sex partners the same benefits as married couples, that could get them in trouble.

In other words, the Catholic Church can do whatever it wants as far as marriages. An employer that has ties to the Catholic Church has to follow US law though. That seems kind of reasonable to me.

No. there are churches that don't allow gays to be members now, so that wouldn't fly.

Although, I'll say that I think that any church that run businesses (publishing, network broadcasts, etc.) shouldn't be tax exempt, in principle. They are above and beyond the intent of the tax exempt status.

No. A church can, sadly, exclude whoever they want. However, a clerk who refuses to issue a marriage certificate to a gay couple, especially in a state where it's legal, should be penalized.

Separation of church and state should hold, regardless of who benefits.

If that is the case, then the state is imposing it's belief system on the church, yet the state will not allow the church to impose it's belief system on the government and that is very hypocritical and not only that it displays a lack of religious beliefs/freedoms. Meaning if you do what we say and ignore your beliefs you get treated better.

And why would a gay individual want to get married in a place where it is believed that it is a sin anyway?

If I'm not wanted somewhere I don't want to be there anyway.

The government would never do that because they depend on charity from churches in local neighborhoods to supplement welfare. Local welfare agencies are always referring people to churches for extra help.

This could get interesting

Doesn't getting a bye on your taxes imply a greater collusion between Church and State? Why do Churches get "special rights" in USA if we are not a theocracy?