Re: Gay Marriage And Religious Freedom

On Jun 19, 10:09 am, Tom Enright <freddy_ha...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This wasn't supposed to happen:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91486340

"Our law against discrimination does not allow [the group] to use
those personal preferences, no matter how deeply held, and no matter —
even if they're religiously based — as a grounds to discriminate,"
Lustberg says. "Religion shouldn't be about violating the law."

The Methodist organization responded that it was their property, and
the First Amendment protects their right to practice their faith
without government intrusion. But Lustberg countered that the pavilion
is open to everyone — and therefore the group could no more refuse to
accommodate the lesbians than a restaurant owner could refuse to serve
a black man. That argument carried the day. The state revoked the
organization's tax exemption for the pavilion area. Hoffman figures
they will lose $20,000."


Well this story is short on specifics. However, if the pavilion is an
integral part of the church's religious mission (for example, only
used for church functions or events or only used to hold events like
revivals, etc) I would take the church's side. If however it's run as
a "related business" (*) and its use is offered to the public in that
capacity, then too bad for them.

It's the difference between: do they offer it to the public to rent
out for weddings and other events, or do they only offer its use to
their church members or for church functions.

(*) a for-profit business run by a non-profit organization in order to
raise funds, this is relatively common (think museum gift shop) and
those businesses ARE taxable and do not get the same exemptions and
legal treatment as the actual nonprofit
.

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