Did anyone watch BOSTON LEGAL last night?

by journey-on 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  journey-on

  I was particularly interested in the part where the woman sues the Catholic Church to become a priest, citing sex discrimination.

  She wins the right to a trial and the judge says, in essence, that if a religion chooses to practice policies that are directly against

  constitutional rights such as "equality", fine....but they should have to forfeit their tax exempt status. There were other points made

  that made me take notice of just how much tax money this entails......enough to help with education, health, welfare, etc.

  Do any of you have thoughts about taxing churches that have policies that conflict with constitutional rights? And what are some

  the WTS might be guilty of?
• 

  dinah

  If only a judge would say that in real life.......

  The most glaring thing the WT doesn't do, is charitable work. All their contributions go into building halls and putting them all in the corporations name. The whole loan system they have in place puts them more on par with a bank than a charity or religious organization.
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  journey-on

  Good point, Dinah. They are more like a loan company/bank rather than a charitable organization. They call "spreading the good news"

  their main charitable work. How they get by with this with the government is beyond me. They need to be investigated, imo.

  Some savvy, very theocratic sister ought to go to her CO and tell them that she feels her long time credentials should

  entitle her to become a congregation elder. When she is turned down, and possibly disfellowshipped, she should file a

  discriminatory lawsuit and take it all the way through the courts. Wouldn't it be great if a judge told the WTS: "Yes, you

  have the right to set church policy, but if that policy is directly against the constitutional law of equality, then you have to

  forfeit your tax exempt status." When churches get involved in politics and campaign from the pulpit, they risk losing their

  tax exemption. This should be enforced on all levels within organized religions.
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  Hope4Others

  When churches get involved in politics and campaign from the pulpit, they risk losing their

  tax exemption. This should be enforced on all levels within organized religions.

  Often I have felt this way, even the fact that the churchs have money overload, and what do they do with the money in helping the people in

  war torn countries or poverty countries? Nothing but collect more into the pot.

  hope4others
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  Shawn10538

  Yes! Great episode. Now if life follows art, we should be headed for some interesting changes in our laws. It reminds me of my favorite JW teaching, that all religion will be outlawed. Of course many writers throughout history have predicted the end of faith. I am praying that this prophecy will come true!
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  journey-on

  This might be the exact way some of these less than holy churches end up failing.

  It reminds me of Al Capone. The government never could get him on racketeering charges,

  and ended up doing him in by charging him with tax evasion.

  Some of the these "religious" publishing houses /real estate investment companies/ loan/banking institutions passing

  themselves off as religions and charitable organizations (and you know who I mean) really should be investigated, imo.

  Lots of things hide under the guise of religion. Look at the FLDS mess going on right now. To me it reeks of

  pedophiles hiding behind a religious cloak.....or dirty old men desiring young underage virgins using religious doctrine

  to convince the mothers of these children that it is holy and scriptural to give their 13-year old to some 50-year old man.
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  CaptainSchmideo

  I wouldn't be too hopeful of a show like "Boston Legal" becoming some kind of precursor to a change in the mentality of the majority. As admirable as its arguments and points-of-view are, it's very much a "liberal fantasy". I saw the clip a few weeks ago where James Spader's character insulted the individual members of the Supreme Court of the US during a hearing ("Justice Thomas, can you put down the magazine and pay attention? Justice Scalia, you went duck hunting with VP Cheney...congratulations on not getting shot, by the way..").

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GG7sj2APpc&eurl=http://www.crooksandliars.com/index.php?s=boston+legal

  Fun to watch, but just as likely to happen as Jesus arriving in a UFO during a Beatles reunion concert.