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The Collector
Lv 5
The Collector asked in Politics & GovernmentLaw & Ethics · 8 years ago

What would happen if the Westboro Baptist Church was designated a hate group?

What would happen if the Westboro Baptist Church was designated a hate group?????

I mean seriously, they don't exactly have a stellar reputation. Would there be a change to their tax situation (currently they are taxed like all other churches)? It makes no since to me. I could join the American Nazi Party right now, if I wanted to, and I would be breaking no laws, they even have a website... http://www.americannaziparty.com/faq.php

Just to be clear, I do not support the Westboro Baptist Church, I just don't see what the government designating them as a hate group would do, the Southern Poverty Law Center and most other organizations already designate them as that. Would something else happen if the Feds declared them a hate group? Would it change their tax status? Would it give law enforcement more leeway in their investigations? Would it change anything, other than giving them an arbitrary status they would probably ignore anyways?

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  • RockHunter
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The government would revoke their tax exempt status, harass all their members, then go after every other church the same way.

    The people in the WBC have been fooled into believing a hateful radical jackass. No matter how idiotic the WBC can be, they do have some Constitutional rights, but they should abide by a superior moral responsibility to refrain from their hurtful & irresponsible actions.

    The WBC is NOT mainstream Christianity, nor are their actions indicative of heartfelt Christians.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Who would be the designater? The groups you mentioned are the REAL hate groups. That government has no business designating anyone hate group.

  • WRG
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    The IRS could pull there tax-exempt status right now without designating them a "hate group" because they are active politically.

    What it would do is set them up for RICO violations if they were to break any laws. So far they haven't.

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