Changes to Virginia CC laws

[GTH]

washingtonpost.com

[G50AE]

Looks like Virginia might become the second state to repeal a one-gun-a-month law. My question, why is the Catholic Church getting involved on this one? If the Catholic Church in Virginia is going to dirrectly lobby the state government, then by all rights they need to give up their tax exempt status in that state.

[GTH]

I agree. The Catholic Church should pay more attention to what their priests are doing?

[G50AE]

I agree. The Catholic Church should pay more attention to what their priests are doing?

Not sure what you are hinting at there but let me expand upon the point I was trying to make.

If you donate money to the Jews For the Preservation of Firearm Ownership orginization, a tax exempt non-profit orginizarion devoted to educational efforts, NONE of that money is used for lobbying efforts. This is consistant with IRS rules that tax exempt orginizations cannot engage in lobbying functions. For this reason, the JFPO perfers to stay out of lobbying and restrict their activities to educational efforts, which they feel are more productive to their cause.

If you donate money to the NRA-Foundation, which is a tax exempt non-profit orginization, none of that money goes to lobbying efforts. If you are an NRA member, none of your member dues go toward lobbying efforts. Also if you make additional donations or payments to NRA general opperations, none of that goes to lobbying efforts. No money from the budgets of the NRA-foundation nor NRA general operations go toward lobbying efforts. The only organization associated with the NRA that engages in lobbying is the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action. NRA-ILA has a separate budget. If you wish to donate money to the NRA's lobbying efforts, you must specifically donate to that organization.

If you donate money to the Catholic Church, where does that money go to? When was the last time the Catholic parish in your town had its books reviewed by an independent accountant? Why doesn't the Catholic Church set up a Catholic-ILA and do things the right way? It can't be that hard. The Catholic Church is alot older than the NRA.

[GTH]

I was being more "flip" than anything. I believe a separation of Church and State is a healthy state. In my mind any churches first and foremost job should be to educate and support its followers in their belief. Not spend there resources opposing rights guaranteed by the founding fathers of our country.

I live in WV but travel to VA often so I support those in VA pushing this effort to enhance its CC laws.

[TXiceman]

Too many churches do not understand Separation of Church and State. You can't have a politically active church and be separated from the state.

[Bighouse Doc]

Too many churches do not understand Separation of Church and State. You can't have a politically active church and be separated from the state.

I see where this is going.

The next logical derivative of this logic, is that since a "Church" is a group of people, those who have religious beliefs should be denied the vote.

You can't have a secular style government if "religionists" can vote. Since it is certain they will vote their beliefs!

Freedom of religion is being twisted into freedom from religion.

I believe the founders rejected this concept when they wrote the constitution.

This secular government myth originated in the twentieth century. "Separation of Church and State" appears nowhere in the Constitution of the USA.

-Doc

[texasnative46]

to all,

in point of fact, "separation of church & state" is a FICTION promolgated by " anti-religious people".

at the time that the Constitution was ratified, several states HAD "religious support laws", which remained on the books until the state CHOSE to repeal them.

for example, Maryland had a law in the 18th/19th century which allowed only Catholics to vote - it was repealed long AFTER the Constitution was ratified, as the law had NEVER been enforced against ANYONE.

also, Virginia required everyone to pay taxes to the Anglican Church- again it was seldom, if ever, enforced on anyone who objected to the tax.


ALL the First Amendment does is PROHIBIT the federal government from establishing an official NATIONAL church, like The Church of England.


yours, TN46

[mrjam2jab]

Too many churches do not understand Separation of Church and State. You can't have a politically active church and be separated from the state.

The way I always understood it...Separation of Church and State merely meant that the STATE can not tell you what CHURCH to go to.

A church can be political..but by doing so they may divide their congregation so it's really in the church's best interest not to be political.

[torontogunguy]

Looks to me like the Catholic Church is afraid of all those licensed gun owners exacting revenge for what their children are having done to them,huh?

The same way I feel that guns are tools and people can be bad..... I feel that religions are tools and their followers can be bad. I have no disrespect or problems with ANY religion whatsoever, but with the people within them that break the law of the land.

And I personally believe that our children are our most precious assets.

And I personally believe that anyone or any organization that violates them needs to pay and pay dearly in accordance with the law and not in accordance with hysteria.

Those within the church or any other organization that violate our young ones need to be drawn and quartered and have their heads placed on a pole at the entrance to town. Makes me sick to my stomache but that is what, regretably, it appears that we need to do in order to stop this activity. Monetary settlements are not cutting it and are not a deterrent. I could pull the hangman's lever and not lose a moment of sleep. I might skip desert but it wouldn't even ruin my appetite.