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Should religious bodies or organizations that oppose LGBTI rights lose their tax exempt status?

Debate Information

LGBTI stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual(like me) Transgender Intersex. I should probs add a q for questioning, and for the record, I say yes, these religious bodies should be taxed for spreading hate. I have the right as a tax paying citizen to say whether my tax dollars go to religious bodies that oppose my rights.



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  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -  
    Religious organizations should never be exempt from taxes for any reason whatsoever... Period.
    ZeusAres42
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • Happy_KillbotHappy_Killbot 5557 Pts   -  
    All religions should lose their tax exempt status the moment they take any political action, influence their members to hold certain political viewpoint, force them to vote a certain way, or organize behind a political movement.

    This would of course include opposing LGBTI policies, but only if they do it in a political way, for example if the members of a church all decide they are opposed to it, that's just fine, but if the church is actively pursuing it's members to oppose it and vote accordingly, that's not ok.
    smoothie
    At some point in the distant past, the universe went through a phase of cosmic inflation,
    Stars formed, planets coalesced, and on at least one of them life took root.
    Through a long process of evolution this life 
    developed into the human race.
    Humans conquered fire, built complex societies and advanced technology .

    All of that so we can argue about nothing.
  • YeshuaBoughtYeshuaBought 669 Pts   -  
    Religious organizations should never be exempt from taxes for any reason whatsoever... Period.
    Render unto Caeser, that which is Caeser's. -Jesus
  • YeshuaBoughtYeshuaBought 669 Pts   -  
    All religions should lose their tax exempt status the moment they take any political action, influence their members to hold certain political viewpoint, force them to vote a certain way, or organize behind a political movement.

    This would of course include opposing LGBTI policies, but only if they do it in a political way, for example if the members of a church all decide they are opposed to it, that's just fine, but if the church is actively pursuing it's members to oppose it and vote accordingly, that's not ok.
    Even if it supports human rights, like the more progressive churches do?
  • Happy_KillbotHappy_Killbot 5557 Pts   -  
    @YeshuaRedeemed It wouldn't be fair if we didn't.

    There is a fine line between teaching a religious message and teaching a political one. If the church is teaching that we should all love and care for each other that is a lot different from the church saying go protest some atrocity.
    AmericanFurryBoysmoothie
    At some point in the distant past, the universe went through a phase of cosmic inflation,
    Stars formed, planets coalesced, and on at least one of them life took root.
    Through a long process of evolution this life 
    developed into the human race.
    Humans conquered fire, built complex societies and advanced technology .

    All of that so we can argue about nothing.
  • YeshuaBoughtYeshuaBought 669 Pts   -  
    @YeshuaRedeemed It wouldn't be fair if we didn't.

    There is a fine line between teaching a religious message and teaching a political one. If the church is teaching that we should all love and care for each other that is a lot different from the church saying go protest some atrocity.
    I can agree to that. :)
    Happy_Killbot
  • RickeyDRickeyD 953 Pts   -   edited December 2019
    @YeshuaRedeemed ; It is an obligation of every Christian and Christian organization to tell the Truth about the demonic behavior of LGBTQ and its destruction in our society. God brought Judgment upon the Generation of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah and the Holy Spirit warns of the coming judgment upon those who participate in the evil deeds of sexual deviancy. Sexual immorality is a most egregious sin, for the one who sins sexually sins against their own body and lest the sexually immoral repent and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord for the mediation of sin, they will NOT see life in God's Kingdom!

    The Johnson Amendment was a mistake and its presence in the law permits government control over what is said from the pulpit...it would be better if the Johnson Amendment and any form of government control were barred from the Church doors.



    Happy_KillbotPlaffelvohfensmoothie
  • YeshuaBoughtYeshuaBought 669 Pts   -  
    RickeyD said:
    @YeshuaRedeemed ; It is an obligation of every Christian and Christian organization to tell the Truth about the demonic behavior of LGBTQ and its destruction in our society. God brought Judgment upon the Generation of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah and the Holy Spirit warns of the coming judgment upon those who participate in the evil deeds of sexual deviancy. Sexual immorality is a most egregious sin, for the one who sins sexually sins against their own body and lest the sexually immoral repent and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord for the mediation of sin, they will NOT see life in God's Kingdom!

    The Johnson Amendment was a mistake and its presence in the law permits government control over what is said from the pulpit...it would be better if the Johnson Amendment and any form of government control were barred from the Church doors.



    If you are going to oppose my rights, you don't have the right to my tax dollars, to fund your hate campaign.
    smoothie
  • MichaelElpersMichaelElpers 1121 Pts   -  
    @Happy_Killbot. It is very hard to have a stance on anything without it being tied to politics.
  • Happy_KillbotHappy_Killbot 5557 Pts   -  
    @MichaelElpers I mean this in specific situations. For example, if a pastor during a sermon suggests that voting for a particular candidate is in the church's interest or it is somehow gods will, is he preaching for god or for that candidate?

    The rational is that a tax exempt organization acting to spread political opinion/dissent is no longer acting as a religion, they are acting as a theocratic political organization.

    At worst, this could undermine a lot of the freedoms we have in the long run by failing to separate church and state.

    On the other hand, if religions are free to do this, then why prevents me from starting a "religion" that has no other purpose except to spread political messages?
    At some point in the distant past, the universe went through a phase of cosmic inflation,
    Stars formed, planets coalesced, and on at least one of them life took root.
    Through a long process of evolution this life 
    developed into the human race.
    Humans conquered fire, built complex societies and advanced technology .

    All of that so we can argue about nothing.
  • MichaelElpersMichaelElpers 1121 Pts   -   edited December 2019
    @Happy_Killbot. Well i think that depends if the pastor preaches that life begins at conception so abortion is wrong.  Is that political or just him professing his religion.

    Im not sure the government could or should prevent you from doing that.  I dont think every donation or every interaction people have with their money needs to be taxed by government.  They already tax our income, sales, property.  Do they really need to tax the community people decide to donate too?
  • Happy_KillbotHappy_Killbot 5557 Pts   -  
    @MichaelElpers does the bible excplicitly say that life begins at conception, and is therefore a sin?

    I would have to look it up, but i have heard arguments based on the bible that justify abortion.
    At some point in the distant past, the universe went through a phase of cosmic inflation,
    Stars formed, planets coalesced, and on at least one of them life took root.
    Through a long process of evolution this life 
    developed into the human race.
    Humans conquered fire, built complex societies and advanced technology .

    All of that so we can argue about nothing.
  • MichaelElpersMichaelElpers 1121 Pts   -  
    @Happy_Killbot. It doesnt say quote "life is st conception or abortion is wrong". However  nearly all people who actually study the bible believe from scripture to be true.  Other that argue often takes bit and snippets and take passages out of context.


  • RickeyDRickeyD 953 Pts   -  
    @YeshuaRedeemed ; I don't need or want your tax-dollars and my Lord certainly does not need them.
  • MichaelElpersMichaelElpers 1121 Pts   -  
    @RickeyD. Tax-exempt doesnt mean you receive tax dollars it means you dont get taxes taken out.
  • Happy_KillbotHappy_Killbot 5557 Pts   -  
    @MichaelElpers If there are individuals, who of their own volition can come to different conclusion from the same moral framework, then is it possible that one's stance on abortion isn't tied to the religion, but rather one's own personal values?
    At some point in the distant past, the universe went through a phase of cosmic inflation,
    Stars formed, planets coalesced, and on at least one of them life took root.
    Through a long process of evolution this life 
    developed into the human race.
    Humans conquered fire, built complex societies and advanced technology .

    All of that so we can argue about nothing.
  • MichaelElpersMichaelElpers 1121 Pts   -  
    @Happy_Killbot It could be.  For example mine is tied to both, when arguing abortion i will never point to the bible because indeed there should be a separation of church and state.

    They could also come to different conclusions because they have not read the entire book and only look for tidbits that fit there narrative.  Also people can just draw incorrect conclusions.  For example a difference in median income often leads people to an incorrect conlusion that women must be paid less than men for the same work.
    Happy_Killbotsmoothie
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5967 Pts   -  
    First of all, I do not think churches should have any tax exemptions to begin with. It is a relic of the old laws exclusively protecting religious interests, and should be gone from the modern legal system.

    That said, generally non-profit organisations have various tax exemptions, because their members financially do not directly materially benefit from their work. And in that case, the direction of their work should not affect their taxation benefits. If a church advocates against the right of gays to have sex, or if an organisation building homeless shelters refuses to let black people in to their shelters, then they should be called out in public - but, ultimately, it is their business what they do, and nobody is forced to associate with them.

    Punishing people materially for their beliefs is a very Orwellian thing and has no place in the modern society.
    smoothieMichaelElpers
  • YeshuaBoughtYeshuaBought 669 Pts   -  
    RickeyD said:
    @YeshuaRedeemed ; I don't need or want your tax-dollars and my Lord certainly does not need them.
    He is my Lord too. You don't have the right to say otherwise.
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