Thread: Same sex marriage

Originally Posted by chassamui

Churches should be damned.

If a particular church (Not like "the catholic church" - I mean a singular house of worship) doesn't want to marry same sex couples they should be allowed to refuse.

They can always go to another church willing to do the service.

Religious freedom & shit.

Originally Posted by chassamui

I am happy that folk should be treated equally by the law, on the strict understanding that for men and women, gay or heterosexual, no two people are actually equal.

speaking of going round in circles...

Originally Posted by Slick

Churches should be able to refuse to marry same sex couples if they so desire and its against their religion/denomination.

agree

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Oh, and they should lose that whole tax-exempt thing also.

definitely...

Originally Posted by Slick

Religious freedom & shit.

The best and only way to enjoy religious freedom, is to do away with religion all together.

Read the back story a bit more and you will find that the Scottish Episcopalians have advocated exactly the compromise you just suggested.

Originally Posted by tomcat

definitely...

Why?

Other than Scientology I mean.

Churches are tax exempt under the principle that there is no surer way to destroy the free exercise of religion than to tax it.

Originally Posted by chassamui

The best and only way to enjoy religious freedom, is to do away with religion all together.

I think we can all just shit-can this one as it'll 100% never happen

Originally Posted by tomcat

Scientology is just as valid a belief system as Catholicism

Is it fuck.

Originally Posted by tomcat

how much religious freedom should be tolerated before it bleeds into outright hatred and human rights abuses?

When it reaches hatred & human rights abuses.

Originally Posted by tomcat

they all should be financially supported by their adherents who can donate after-tax earnings to whichever Edgar Cayce-esque alien spore infestation they like...

Tax free donations and tax deductible donations are normal for a lot of things - not sure why you have a boner over that. Its the church itself that operates just about tax free.

Originally Posted by Slick

When it reaches hatred & human rights abuses.

one man's human rights abuse is another's wedding night...

Originally Posted by Slick

Tax free donations and tax deductible donations are normal for a lot of things

normal? Which religion do you consider normal?...

Originally Posted by Slick

Is it fuck.

...well, how is one different from the other?

Yeah that's a little weird. Slick's test for 'Religious freedom & shit' devolves to his entirely subjective interpretation of what's a 'real' religion or not??

Originally Posted by tomcat

one man's human rights abuse is another's wedding night...

No its not. This is the kind of pink t-shirt bullshit that immediately puts me off.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Slick's test for 'Religious freedom & shit' devolves to his entirely subjective interpretation of what's a 'real' religion or not??

I don't think Scientology is a legitimate religion. A lot of people agree, but under the laws of the USA & the Tax Code they are. Nothing weird about it.

Originally Posted by tomcat

Which religion do you consider normal?...

All of them, except for Scientology.

Originally Posted by Slick

This is the kind of pink t-shirt bullshit that immediately puts me off.

human rights can be so-o-o annoying...

Originally Posted by Slick

I don't think Scientology is a legitimate religion.

I don't think any religion is legitimate: so what?

Originally Posted by Slick

I don't think Scientology is a legitimate religion. A lot of people agree, but under the laws of the USA & the Tax Code they are. Nothing weird about it.

Well neither do I as it happens.

However it's just as 'legitimate' as any other religion - even legally so as you note yourself.

What's weird is that you seem to draw the line at their Giant Space Ghost but accept other Giant Space Ghosts.

Originally Posted by tomcat

human rights can be so-o-o annoying...

Especially when entitled first worlders shame the words by twisting them to apply to their marriage demands.

Originally Posted by tomcat

I don't think any religion is legitimate: so what?

Dunno, you're the one trying to go against it worldwide.

Anyway,

Lets just call it eh.

Faggots are nasty filthy horrible disgusting blighters.

There ya go Eh.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

What's weird is that you seem to draw the line at their Giant Space Ghost but accept other Giant Space Ghosts.

No, its just that I'm not being intentionally obtuse about the fact that Scientology was completely made up recently, clearly for profit, to abuse the US Tax code and system, by a lunatic.

Originally Posted by Thedogsbollix

Faggots are nasty filthy horrible disgusting blighters

I've met a few of those; the pink T-shirt ones, however, are much cleaner though not as much fun in a cubicle...

Originally Posted by Slick

Scientology was completely made up recently, clearly for profit, to abuse the US Tax code and system, by a lunatic

...and how, except for "recently", is this different from any other religion operating in the US?...do you honestly think your rescue from this life will be effected by flying humans as opposed to space invaders?...

Originally Posted by Slick

I don't think Scientology is a legitimate religion.

None of them are, even if current law allows it.

Originally Posted by tomcat

I've met a few of those

A different dating sit perhaps?

Originally Posted by Slick

its just that I'm not being intentionally obtuse about the fact that Scientology was completely made up recently, clearly for profit, to abuse the US Tax code and system, by a lunatic

Psssst, Slick, newsflash... They're all made up.

Originally Posted by tomcat

and how, except for "recently", is this different from any other religion operating in the US?

If you think that Scientology is the same as Christianity or Buddhism or Islam, then thats it. I don't agree. Most religions are generally good and come from a generally good place. Your hate of them is entirely your problem that you're gonna have to suffer through.

Originally Posted by tomcat

do you honestly think your rescue from this life will be effected by flying humans as opposed to space invaders?...

Im not religious, but I understand its importance for people, and I don't think they are generally bad, like yourself.

Originally Posted by chassamui

Separate Religion from the state and disqualify any POTUS who ends a speech with the words 'God Bless America' and you will have made a very good start to real freedom of belief and behaviour.

Off-topic some, but I've always found that a curious aspect of politics in the US - the almost prerequisite profession of an undying and eternal love of the Sweet Baby Jesus.

It's just seems so much more pronounced than other countries. Western democracies at least. In NZ for example, being religious is by no means seen as a requisite for office. Actually it might even be seen as a negative and viewed with some suspicion by most.

As in do you really want someone who believes in Space Ghosts with their hands on the levers of power.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

In NZ for example

I located your malfunction.

You're from an insignificant county riding the coattails of Oz with a population of like 5 million people. The state of Texas has almost 30 million people. USA isn't NZ.

Originally Posted by Slick

You're from an insignificant county riding the coattails of Oz with a population of like 5 million people. The state of Texas has almost 30 million people

And that, incidentally, is another curiosity about the US in general.

Well, some of its people at least. This notion that smaller countries don't count / are insignificant and the corollary that because they're 'bigger' they're better. Like their own ignorance of places outside of the US somehow reflects poorly on anyone other than themselves.

And I note with no small amount of mirth at the delicious irony that - in this particular instance - it comes from a tiny, gnome-like, little man.

Originally Posted by Slick

USA isn't NZ.

And if it was ..... well try and work that one out for yourself.


Actually if you are as buff as you claim to be, I think rural NZ would suit you rather well.