Political action committees have to do that, right?

When is the church going to start paying taxes?

Office Chief (I'm civil service) came back from a meeting all steamed because someone wore an "Impeach Clinton" button in a meeting. He asked me if that was legal & I told him I'd find out the answer. I called our designated Ethics Office and they referred me to the US Office of Special Counsel (different from the Ken Starr organization). OSC works hand in hand with the Merit Systems Protection Board to insulate the civil service from partisan politics and keep merit principals paramount in civil service hiring, promotions, assignments and terminations.

OSC told me that advocating or opposing impeachment by wearing a button was non-partisan, not disruptive and protected. That Bill Clinton was no longer a candidate in any partisan election mattered and they said impeachment is a Constitutional process, not a partisan one.

I told my boss the answer. He was not really happy about it but understood the explanation.

So all the folks in this thread proposing constitutional changes to tax churches, are you ready for a good-old fashioned constitutional convention where it's one-state, one vote and Congress & the President aren't involved? My intuition is that there is more to lose than gain.

Out of these cults calling themselves religions. Anyone with common sense wouldn't come close to any of these flat earth, science deniers.

Your post is on exactly the same level as the Republicans saying that Clinton bombed that factory in Sudan to distract people from Monica Lewinski.

Believe it or not, the Catholic bishops have more than one concern. I realize that this may seem difficult to believe, but it's true none-the-less.

Personally, I think that this constitutional amendment has as much chance of passing as one to re-institute slavery. The Catholic bishops should admit to themselves that they have lost this battle.

You are claiming that Archbishop Cordileone is trying to divert attention from the pedophilia mess. Of course he isn't, because legalizing gay marriage and the pedophilia mess in the Catholic Church have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with each other. I personally think that Cordileone is full of crap in his call, and he should realize it has no chance of passing. But he is NOT trying to divert attention from priestly pedophilia.

Clearly, YOU either did not read my post or you did not understand it.

You were saying, "Oh, Archbishop Cordileone is merely trying to distract people from the misdeeds of the pedophiliac priests." No, he was talking about a subject which has nothing whatsoever to do with that.

And in your first reply to me, you seemed to be accusing me of exactly the same thing, which is both ridiculous and insulting.

Claiming to know 'exactly' what I am saying, and then immediately misquoting me (with actual quote marks around the words, no less) tells me pretty much everything I need to know about your responses. People who say they know 'exactly' and understand 'perfectly' while proving otherwise are quite funny. Thanks for the laugh.

I find it funnier still, that the very words you labeled 'both ridiculous and insulting' were simply me copy-pasting your own words as my response posted back to you. Verbatim. Yes, your very own words!

Delicious.

Apparently you find your own comments 'both ridiculous and insulting'.

______

Oh and because I'm such a nice guy and enjoyed this entertaining exercise, let's be 'perfectly' and 'exactly' clear...

I do believe Cordileone is being distracted and focusing Church energies on one subject over another. Yes. I have an opinion on the subject. So do you. Thus, we differ. But yours is only an opinion as well. To that end, you might want to say 'I believe he is NOT trying to divert attention from priestly pedophilia' rather than indicate it as a fact. I believe your ability to discern fact from opinion may be considered questionable at this point.

... but don't quote me on that.

Yes, it was stated in my words, not yours, but anyone with the sense God gave geese would understand what I was saying.

And YOU were at least implying that I was attempting to distract attention from the pedophilia mess -- that is what I termed "'both ridiculous and insulting". Did I interpret you accurately? If not, then what were you saying?


You apparently assume that ANY statement from any member of the Catholic hierarchy which is not addressing priestly pedophilia is an attempt to distract attention from the pedophilia mess. Is that an accurate statement? If it is accurate, then it shows you to be both narrow-minded and rather silly. As I said in my first post, believe it or not, Catholic bishops actually have more than just one thing on their agenda.

...how bout we change the Constitution to ban tax-exemptions for churches.

That way you can stick you righteous nose anywhere you want.

- Until then, BUTT OUT. Your Eminence.

Do to get to have an opinion - period.

It has only ever meant judges who make decisions conservatives don't like. The REAL activist judges, the ones who make decisions with no grounding in precedent, are all on the conservative side.

he has a better chance of (pick a good one) BTW why would anyone take moral advice from the RCC

And pay taxes...and turn over all the child molesters and records, worldwide...gut instinct says that you never fessed up to everything.

You want to play hard ball? Bring it, Asshole!

Are also solidly blue states.

When are the leaders of that fine institution going to deal with the massive child sexual abuse incidents in recent years? They should focus their efforts on that, rather than going after the gays.

Babylonian Capa Cordileone can go to the hell he believes in.

And can you still sleep with your slaves?

After all, if we're keeping things biblical...

Any relation to Vito? I know spelling's different)

and perhaps giving each citizen a small transferable tax credit that they can designate to a church or charity of their choosing.

This guy is just a bigot covering for an organization that should be charged under the criminal RICO statutes for serial child molestation, conspiracy and obstruction.

The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church is limitless.

Cordileone

Shouldn't it be Corleone

Last time we tried that it was called Prohibition. How did that work out for you, Archbishop?

cover for and protect child molesters.

How about that padre?

And of course all political churches should be forced to pay taxes on their mansions, yacht's, and vast empires paid for with little old ladies social security food money. Fair is fair.

have problems keeping/attracting/winning back believers as it is. Keep beating this drum and every church will be an echo chamber in a year or two. In the interest of full disclosure, I was raised in the Church but rarely attend anyhow............

the child raping baby killing Catholic Church.... just saying.

I know, he is just saying this because he "has to" despite the fact that Papa Frankie has said the Church needs to stop focusing exclusively on gays and abortions.

It may not be this year or next year but I expect within 5 years the SCOTUS will issue a final ruling that will apply to all states declaring unconstitutional any state statutes or constitutional provisions that proscribe same-gender marriage. Just as they did in Loving v. Virginia in overturning bans on inter-racial marriages, this will be met with some grumbles from some but the world will not fall apart, straight marriages will do no better or no worse as a result, etc.

From there once people see the world is not ending, only the most hateful types including those that base their hate on the Bible, will be worried about this anymore. The rest of the country will have moved on.

Yes the U.S. Constitution could still then be amended to prohibit same-gender marriage but it will NEVER happen. There will be very little public support for it and the issue will only be used by conservatives to excite their aging, dying and religious nut base.

He and those like him MUST register as foreign agents.

Also, long past time for the Roaming Cadillac Church to pay taxes.

Wolf

wonder how this is playing locally. . .I would guess : not well.

As they are probably on the fence with Pope Francis being Pope Francis on other issues that get them all upset (let's care about the poor again). There is no realistic chance for 2/3rds of Congress and 3/4ths of the states to pass a federal constitutional amendment on anything nowadays never-mind the gay marriage issue. It really is the only remaining way with the Supreme Court upholding DOMA unconstitutional and all the state constitutions being overturned as unconstitutional.

The US Catholic Bishops are in dissaray now because of Pope Francis, they know going full ultra social conservative is not a guaranteed way to a promotion to the red hat.

And God wishes She could unsee it.

And homophobic enablers of the worst kind.

collecting and filing. act on it further and you help build the people's case against you. please, be my guest, breach the terms of your exemption.

As is the equal protection clause. This type of proposal might have gotten traction a decade or more ago, but given a dramatic shift in public perception in recent years, it is no more than an exercise in futility for those who cannot come to grips with modern times.

I think this stance by the Bishops will not be good.

One is Jewish and another Episcopalian. I could be off by one but that's what I recall.