News on Religion in Our Goverments

I do not think that a church commenting on a law, even joining in a lawsuit, is the kind of thing this thread seeks to relay. I think it is more the directly intrusive things that churches do, like force involuntary prayer on a captured audience of kids or sailors, or push to have pro-creationist teachings included in the science curriculum.This is more like a citizen (even if a church) in free exercise of their political rights rather than them attempting to negate the rights of others.

Payment of taxes has no baring on whether the First Amendment applies or not. Taxes are assessed by Congress. They determine who pays how much. If Congress says you are exempt from this or that or all taxes, this means nothing to the exercise of your constitutional rights.Now, not paying your taxes as owed ... well, that is a different story.

Totally agree.I read Arti's question as asking if his referenced story was germane to this thread. Citizens exercising their rights does not seem, IMO, to be part of the OP's intention.

Good point. I use a broad, too broad for this discussion, daffynition of "citizen". Often, to me, the church is the pastor and the pastor is the church. The bishops in Arti's story are citizens, not their incorporated (or LP or LLP or LLLP) organizations.The "church" does not have a vote. But the priests do (unless they're in jail for child molestation which is very few since they seem to get transferred to other areas and placed in charge of some other Boys Choir before they can be prosecuted).

Ahh, thus the "Dislike" on my message. Understood.Off topic, I know, but you guys really gotta do something about those boy-buggering priests.

No, it's not "slander" when it's true.The problem is this:- Incidents have taken place in numerous countries on multiple contenents. This is world-wide problem in your church.- Incidents have been occurring for many decades.- The only reason these surface is when the victims lose their fear of the church and come forward, by the dozens.- In every case I can recall the church hierarchy, all the way to Rome, sought to cover up the incidents, move the priests to other locations and circumvent local authority.In any other organization this would be considered a systemic problem with the organization as a whole.And so it is for your church.You are a catholic. Whether you care to acknowledge it or not this "systemic" problem that has plagued your church for generations is a reflection on you. You need to face this. You need to stop this. God knows your church leaders are not going to.Edited by AZPaul3, : clarity

Already did that. You acknowledged it. Message 46Initial satire, yes. But no joke.You have a systemic criminal problem in your church, world-wide, for generations, that you, your bishops, your cardinals and your pope have done nothing, and continue to do nothing, but obfuscate, whitewash and hide.We do not disparage a large demographic of this planet. Your church did that to you and to all catholics and continues to do that to you and to all catholics to this day.The boy-buggering priests are guilty of child abuse and should serve time. The rest of your church hierarchy is guilty of aiding and abetting, interfering with the administration of justice and are accessories after the fact. Your pope should be in jail.