Should Churches be Forced to Marry Gay Couples?

• I Wear Pants

  reclegend22;1486075 wrote:Having grown up in a Pentecostal church, I can assure you that the some sects of the Christian faith do not teach its followers to think of gay individuals as less than normal human beings. Rather, it teaches its followers that the act of homosexuality itself does not follow the way of the scripture.
  
  You don't believe that to be the case. That's fine. You are entitled to that opinion. As are people who believe the opposite of you.

  FTFY
• reclegend22

  

  I Wear Pants;1486077 wrote:FTFY

  Fair enough. That's probably true.
• Manhattan Buckeye

  gut;1486032 wrote:The tax-exempt status is somewhat of a non-starter for me. For the most part, a charity is not going to incur tax liability, anyway, assuming they spend all their revenues to provide goods and services (no different than a business that operates at a loss or fails to generate a profit). I imagine they do carry some reserves, and there could be a nominal "profit" that might be taxable in a given year...but small potatoes.

  I agree generally, but I've heard arguments from non-church types that all local funding issues would go away if they weren't tax-exempt and had to pay property taxes. I disagree with that, it would be hard enough to value a church property and it isn't as if most churches are rolling in cash.
• cruiser_96

  

  U

  Manhattan Buckeye;1486123 wrote:I agree generally, but I've heard arguments from non-church types that all local funding issues would go away if they weren't tax-exempt and had to pay property taxes. I disagree with that, it would be hard enough to value a church property and it isn't as if most churches are rolling in cash.

  If there is one thing I've learned concerning the underlined portion it is that there will NEVER be enough tax revenue collected.
• Tiernan

  reclegend22;1486075 wrote:Having grown up in a Pentecostal church,i.

  Wow this explains so much about your posts and why you like a team like Duke in the first place.
• bases_loaded

  

  No. Just like country clubs shouldn't be forced to allow people in or leagues shouldn't be forced to do something.
  
  But they are more than welcome to start a church that does.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  reclegend22;1485817 wrote:Based on what is written biblically, then this is unquestionably true. And, having been brought up in an evangelical household -- though not a regular church attendee anymore -- I agree.

  Quotes where it says no gay sex please. Also - there was a talking donkey in the bible, so not sure how credible it is.
• wkfan

  Manhattan Buckeye;1486123 wrote:I agree generally, but I've heard arguments from non-church types that all local funding issues would go away if they weren't tax-exempt and had to pay property taxes. I disagree with that, it would be hard enough to value a church property and it isn't as if most churches are rolling in cash.

  I can also tell you that, if this were to happen, that most of the charitable work that most legitimate churches do in their communities would dry up.
  
  In the Church that I attend, appx $250,000 per year goes to mission (read: charitable) work. The rest goes to keep the lights on, maintain the building, etc. This money would leave the local community, food back, work with homeless, disaster relief aid, etc and go straight to our esteemed government...exactly where we do not want it to go.
• I Wear Pants

  Raw Dawgin' it;1486170 wrote:Quotes where it says no gay sex please. Also - there was a talking donkey in the bible, so not sure how credible it is.

  A dude lived for 900 years, is a talking donkey really that much more far fetched?
• I Wear Pants

  wkfan;1486171 wrote:I can also tell you that, if this were to happen, that most of the charitable work that most legitimate churches do in their communities would dry up.
  
  In the Church that I attend, appx $250,000 per year goes to mission (read: charitable) work. The rest goes to keep the lights on, maintain the building, etc. This money would leave the local community, food back, work with homeless, disaster relief aid, etc and go straight to our esteemed government...exactly where we do not want it to go.

  Which is great except that a lot of what some (not all I'm sure) churches consider charitable work consists of evangelizing and supporting causes that don't help people. (Salvation Army is a culprit of this).
• Me?

  

  Uhh...no. Can't believe this is a serious question. And I'm sad to know there are people who would probably say yes. I would love to hear an argument (even though I didn't read the entire thread).
  
  I'm not religious, at all. I have gay friends, and they're fine. I really have no problem with gay marriage. However, I have to say, gay people are stupid. I think many generations down the road, people will look back and think this discussion is stupid not because they've accepted gays, but because they'll finally realize how stupid being gay is. The bottom line is, we're just animals. The species survives by reproducing first and foremost. Being gay isn't "wrong", it's just dumb.
• Tiernan

  Brings up an interseting question...are homo sapiens the only animals that practice gay sex? I wonder if any studies on this have ever been done? Never saw any pics of monkeys giving each other a hummer but I'm thinking it might be possible I guess.
• I Wear Pants

  Me?;1486183 wrote:Uhh...no. Can't believe this is a serious question. And I'm sad to know there are people who would probably say yes. I would love to hear an argument (even though I didn't read the entire thread).
  
  I'm not religious, at all. I have gay friends, and they're fine. I really have no problem with gay marriage. However, I have to say, gay people are stupid. I think many generations down the road, people will look back and think this discussion is stupid not because they've accepted gays, but because they'll finally realize how stupid being gay is. The bottom line is, we're just animals. The species survives by reproducing first and foremost. Being gay isn't "wrong", it's just dumb.

  You're a dick.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  Me?;1486183 wrote:Uhh...no. Can't believe this is a serious question. And I'm sad to know there are people who would probably say yes. I would love to hear an argument (even though I didn't read the entire thread).
  
  I'm not religious, at all. I have gay friends, and they're fine. I really have no problem with gay marriage. However, I have to say, gay people are stupid. I think many generations down the road, people will look back and think this discussion is stupid not because they've accepted gays, but because they'll finally realize how stupid being gay is. The bottom line is, we're just animals. The species survives by reproducing first and foremost. Being gay isn't "wrong", it's just dumb.

  They're not your friends if you think they're stupid...
• I Wear Pants

  Tiernan;1486185 wrote:Brings up an interseting question...are homo sapiens the only animals that practice gay sex? I wonder if any studies on this have ever been done? Never saw any pics of monkeys giving each other a hummer but I'm thinking it might be possible I guess.

  No, humans aren't the only species that has same-sex er, sex.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
  
  Yes, yes I know, wikipedia. But the sources are there.
• Heretic

  

  Me?;1486183 wrote:Uhh...no. Can't believe this is a serious question. And I'm sad to know there are people who would probably say yes. I would love to hear an argument (even though I didn't read the entire thread).
  
  I'm not religious, at all. I have gay friends, and they're fine. I really have no problem with gay marriage. However, I have to say, gay people are stupid. I think many generations down the road, people will look back and think this discussion is stupid not because they've accepted gays, but because they'll finally realize how stupid being gay is. The bottom line is, we're just animals. The species survives by reproducing first and foremost. Being gay isn't "wrong", it's just dumb.

  Problem with that little rant is the simple fact that with how life is being extended more and more due to advances in medicine, this planet (more pronounced in some areas than others) is reproducing too much and too quickly. Only so many resources to go around. The more gays, the less over-population there is to deal with.
  
  At least, that's a better solution than a few well-timed genocides to cut down on population. At least for the people who would be erased to make room for the rest.
• wkfan

  I Wear Pants;1486173 wrote:Which is great except that a lot of what some (not all I'm sure) churches consider charitable work consists of evangelizing and supporting causes that don't help people. (Salvation Army is a culprit of this).

  Agreed. My example does not fall into that category, however.
• dlazz

  I voted yes in the poll just to spite everyone.
  
  Hope this helps.
• Heretic

  

  dlazz;1486298 wrote:I voted yes in the poll just to spite everyone.
  
  Hope this helps.

  You are the THREE PERCENT.
• I Wear Pants

  Heretic;1486300 wrote:You are the THREE PERCENT.

  3.03%
  
  Come on, get your shit together.
• reclegend22

  

  Raw Dawgin' it;1486170 wrote:Quotes where it says no gay sex please. Also - there was a talking donkey in the bible, so not sure how credible it is.

  Two quotes from the New Testament that speak to what I think you are asking.
  
  1 Corinthians 6:9-19: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? [...] nor abusers of themselves with mankind"
  
  Romans 1:26-27: "For this reason [idolatry] God gave them up to passions of dishonor; for even their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise also the males, having left the natural use of the female, were inflamed by their lust for one another, males with males, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error."
  
  After a bit of research, those are the main quotes I could find directly touching on homosexuality in the New Testament. I wanted to only use passages from this testament so as to not get into a debate about certain preachings of the Old Testament. Neither of us are going to change are stances, though, so does it really matter?
• steubbigred

  100% NO!!
  Should Christians be forced to become Muslims or vice versa?
• steubbigred

  You should have made this a public poll.
• rydawg5

  I can't tolerate the intolerance of social issues from the Bible! The only close minded people that are allowed to be close minded are the non-religious who are allowed to crucify the religious for being traditional.
  
  Religions who have beliefs are backwards haters. Those who hate religious people are heroes.
  
  
  That said. Churches shouldnt be forced.
• queencitybuckeye

  steubbigred;1486520 wrote:You should have made this a public poll.

  Yes, because we don't know the one person who voted yes. Wait, we do and you're a moron.