Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or
of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.
These 45 words that make all the difference in our society.
The framers had it right. Government has no place in religion and
religion has no place in government.
Before the US Constitution, governments would use the religious
authority to control the rabble and in return, the religious authority would
have the ability to invade people’s lives.
In order to maintain their tax-exempt status religious organizations
can’t be active in politics. This includes campaigns for office, campaigns for initiatives,
and lobbing lawmakers.
A church or religious
organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it
contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative
body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation, or if
the organization advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation.
The above is from the official
IRS guidelines for Churches and Religious
organizations.
The Mormon Church has been actively
pursuing a ban on same-sex marriage for 10 years. News Report
Seems the Mormon Church has
been active on this issue for sometime, which is a clear violation of the IRS
code. The memo clearly mention the political process and working with the
Catholic church on this issue.
I have written my elected officials
at the federal level asking for an investigation of the Mormon Church’s
tax-exempt status. I have included a reference to the above IRS document.
Last Tuesday night, America lived up to some of its promise. The promise was written down 220 years ago. The Constitution is not a perfect document. Not then and not now.
I am not a love it or leave it kind of American. A true patriot challenges the assumptions of the government and the govern and pushes to make this a more perfect union. The goal is not to protect what is, but to protect what can be.
Along with the joy on Tuesday night there was a huge disappointment. The Prop 8 “Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry" initiative passed in California. This is the first time that the California Constitution has been amended to eliminate the rights of a group of citizens.
There is no reason to eliminate anyone’s right to marry.
Any religious argument is meaningless and yes, I am discounting the religious beliefs of many. Religion has no place in any political debate. The framers made a point of this and we don’t live in a theocracy.
Any social argument is with out merit. Studies have shown over and over again, children raised by same-sex couples have the same out come as “traditional” families.
If you think being gay is a choice, ask yourself when you decided to be straight.
If you think being gay is a sin, what the fuck are you doing reading my site!
If you find this bigotry as repugnant as I do, there are things you can do.
The LGBT community cannot do this without the support of straight people.
Your freedom is only as good as the person you are willing to stand up for.
Matthew
For people moralizing about the value of religion, here is an excellent article from the New Yorker comparing the sexual attitudes among youth in red and blue states. Red Sex, Blue Sex. Seems blue works better.
I seem to have broken my kneecap, I am trying to get a new business
endeavor off the ground, you may have heard that the economy has gone to shit,
and I need to finish painting my fucking floors.
I have started working on the next chapter of “24 hours” and
rewriting some old stuff.
Anyone interested working on a comic book with me? I need an artist.
She walks from the bathroom; showered, teeth brushed, hair combed out into a ponytail, and with that clean girl scent, she is ready for bed. As she walks into the bedroom, he startles her.
“I see you have your wrestlin’ attire on.”
She is wearing a tank top and boy-shorts.
He is leaning back against the footboard of the bed. He is dressed in boots, jeans, and a black t-shirt.
S: “He has been honest and up front with me from the beginning. “ D: “How long have you known him?” S: “A month.” D: “Honest in what way?” S: “He told me he was married.” D: “Married?” S: “They have an open relationship.” D: “How do you know this?” S: “He told me.”
How do you know someone is in an open relationship? Their spouse tells you at a dinner party.
About a year ago, I came up with an idea for a novel. The premiss was for each chapter to open with a preamble consisting of several lines from a song I love. Each chapter would reference a different song. The lines would set the emotional tone for the chapter.
A lot of thought went into selection the songs, the lines and the order. I know the story and now I just need to fill in the spaces between the chapters.
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