What do you think of same-sex church wedding ceremonies?

[Vazdania]

This^

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

[Desperauex]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

I meant why is it Taboo to talk about. You can't walk outside and say "PENISES AND VAGINAS" without being looked upon as a perv.

[4years]

I'm well aware churches are businesses. I'd like them to see them taxed as such instead of being in the non-profit category. They'd still survive just fine paying taxes.

Not many of them. Start taxing churches and the small ones will go broke. Pretty soon all we'd have left was mega-churches, which would suck IMO.

That makes no sense. Small churches could survive being taxed, just as other small businesses do.

[Pacifornia]

Both in Pacifornia and in my own life, I fully support same sex marriage. They can always get a secular marriage with all the trimmings

[4years]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty.

Fixed.

[The North Polish Union]

Not many of them. Start taxing churches and the small ones will go broke. Pretty soon all we'd have left was mega-churches, which would suck IMO.

That makes no sense. Small churches could survive being taxed, just as other small businesses do.

Apparently you didn't bother to read my explanation of why they would go broke.

[4years]

Why?

Because churches rely almost entirely on offerings given by attenders of the church. Some small churches where I live (Nebraska) have fewer than 20-30 attenders on any given Sunday. Not all attenders will necessarily be willing or able to give money. Eventually, if taxed by the government, these churches will not be able to pay their staff (pastor(s)/priest(s), custodians, musicians, etc.) and will (1) have to disband, or (2) have to rely on volunteers to clean the church, plan and play music on Sunday, and other things. Also, being a pastor or priest is generally a full-time job, and many pastors (but hopefully not preists ) have families to take care of. If a church is no longer able to pay their pastors, the pastor will have to try to get a job somewhere else, thus forcing the church to disband. Not to mention that many pastors of small churches make barely enough to support their families anyway.

Because mom and pop grocery stores are taxed for the same amount as huge chains?

[Druidville]

Will Muslim churches be doing this too? Last I heard they were still killing their gay communities.

[Ifreann]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Sex isn't dirty so long as you shower regularly, do it somewhere clean, and don't work up too much of a sweat.

[The North Polish Union]

Because churches rely almost entirely on offerings given by attenders of the church. Some small churches where I live (Nebraska) have fewer than 20-30 attenders on any given Sunday. Not all attenders will necessarily be willing or able to give money. Eventually, if taxed by the government, these churches will not be able to pay their staff (pastor(s)/priest(s), custodians, musicians, etc.) and will (1) have to disband, or (2) have to rely on volunteers to clean the church, plan and play music on Sunday, and other things. Also, being a pastor or priest is generally a full-time job, and many pastors (but hopefully not preists ) have families to take care of. If a church is no longer able to pay their pastors, the pastor will have to try to get a job somewhere else, thus forcing the church to disband. Not to mention that many pastors of small churches make barely enough to support their families anyway.

Because mom and pop grocery stores are taxed for the same amount as huge chains?

In a grocery store you must pay for what you buy, in churches it's completely optional.

[4years]

That makes no sense. Small churches could survive being taxed, just as other small businesses do.

Apparently you didn't bother to read my explanation of why they would go broke.

Apparently you don't realize that different rates of taxes are paid by the poor and the mega-rich, because without that failure your explanation makes no sense. A percentage of the total income collected by the church as profit would be paid to the government, not some set amount of money; e.i. taxation is based an earnings and projected, earnings not "pay x amount or else."

[The North Polish Union]

Muslim churches

[Desperauex]

Will Muslim churches be doing this too? Last I heard they were still killing their gay communities.

*Mosque

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Sex isn't dirty so long as you shower regularly, do it somewhere clean, and don't work up too much of a sweat.

Not sure whether to facepalm or laugh.

[4years]

Because mom and pop grocery stores are taxed for the same amount as huge chains?

In a grocery store you must pay for what you buy, in churches it's completely optional.

Because people have to buy from that specific grocery store? I mean really, if non-one donated to the church in question it would report an income of zero and be taxed a grand total of zero dollars based on zero income. Once again, taxation is based on income/profit actually taken in, not on paying an arbitrary amount of money. Further, churches sell VDS, videotapes, books, etc. which people *gasp* have to pay for to receive.

[Dermastina]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Ya know, people these days always seem to confuse morality and law. This idea comes from a law, specifically one from an ancient tribe well over 2000 years ago. It was a practical law, to help keep women who were raped before marriage from simply ending up dead (since no man would have married a woman who'd had sex before marriage).

It was never a matter of morality until people started the trend of reading little bits of the Bible out of context, and going with it. Would you consider today's laws moral rules? If not, then why do you for horribly outdated and irrelevant laws? And if yes, then what do you do if the two sets of laws contradict?

So then I hear "ah, but these rules were stated by God. That is why they are moral". And well yes, they were. However, if you understand the reason behind the laws creation, then your argument no longer stands. God created us as rational beings capable of our own logic. If the reason behind a law is no longer relevant, then neither is the law. That is how laws work, they have reasons behind them, often moral. Once that reason is gone, then so is any moral aspect of the law, and it is simply an empty law.

[4years]

Will Muslim churches Mosques be doing this too? Last I heard they were still against homosexuality but hardly more violent than any of the other religions that also take that position killing their gay communities.

Fixed.

Now, going what?

[Grave_n_idle]

Why?

Because churches rely almost entirely on offerings given by attenders of the church. Some small churches where I live (Nebraska) have fewer than 20-30 attenders on any given Sunday. Not all attenders will necessarily be willing or able to give money. Eventually, if taxed by the government, these churches will not be able to pay their staff (pastor(s)/priest(s), custodians, musicians, etc.) and will (1) have to disband, or (2) have to rely on volunteers to clean the church, plan and play music on Sunday, and other things. Also, being a pastor or priest is generally a full-time job, and many pastors (but hopefully not preists ) have families to take care of. If a church is no longer able to pay their pastors, the pastor will have to try to get a job somewhere else, thus forcing the church to disband. Not to mention that many pastors of small churches make barely enough to support their families anyway.

If they are taxed on their 'income' (by which I think we can assume a combination of sales and donations, minus the flat costs and charitable contributions)... their tax burden would just be a proportion of their profit, wouldn't it?

Are you suggesting they'd be taxed more than they earn? I'm curious where you're deriving your tax model from.

[Desperauex]

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Ya know, people these days always seem to confuse morality and law. This idea comes from a law, specifically one from an ancient tribe well over 2000 years ago. It was a practical law, to help keep women who were raped before marriage from simply ending up dead (since no man would have married a woman who'd had sex before marriage).

It was never a matter of morality until people started the trend of reading little bits of the Bible out of context, and going with it. Would you consider today's laws moral rules? If not, then why do you for horribly outdated and irrelevant laws? And if yes, then what do you do if the two sets of laws contradict?

So then I hear "ah, but these rules were stated by God. That is why they are moral". And well yes, they were. However, if you understand the reason behind the laws creation, then your argument no longer stands. God created us as rational beings capable of our own logic. If the reason behind a law is no longer relevant, then neither is the law. That is how laws work, they have reasons behind them, often moral. Once that reason is gone, then so is any moral aspect of the law, and it is simply an empty law.

Found the theist

[Genivaria]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Of course sex is dirty, it's also sweaty, exhausting, and oh so fun marriage or not.

[Grave_n_idle]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

It can be, if you want it to.

*nods*

[Desperauex]

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Of course sex is dirty, it's also sweaty, exhausting, and oh so fun marriage or not.

By dirty I mean taboo. Like if you go outside, and scream "I JUST PENETRATED A WOMANS VAGINA MOTHERF*CKERS!" He'd be branded a pervert. Why is sex so well...perverted?

[Genivaria]

Of course sex is dirty, it's also sweaty, exhausting, and oh so fun marriage or not.

By dirty I mean taboo. Like if you go outside, and scream "I JUST PENETRATED A WOMANS VAGINA MOTHERF*CKERS!" He'd be branded a pervert. Why is sex so well...perverted?

It's kind of a requirement. And why is perversion a bad thing? If it harms noone and everyone's ok with it then how's it bad?

[Dyakovo]

I don't get why sex is a dirty thing. I mean, it's the reproduction of life.

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Fixed that for you. Also, are you incapable of spelling "performed" correctly?
There is nothing "dirty" about sex.

[Desperauex]

Sex isn't dirty, so long as its preformed within marriage.

Fixed that for you. Also, are you incapable of spelling "performed" correctly?
There is nothing "dirty" about sex.

Alright go around some town, saying "Yaaaaaaaaay, no more virginity." and see if you get some looks.

[Genivaria]

Fixed that for you. Also, are you incapable of spelling "performed" correctly?
There is nothing "dirty" about sex.

Alright go around some town, saying "Yaaaaaaaaay, no more virginity." and see if you get some looks.

Of course I'd get looks, that doesn't make sex somehow wrong.