The WTS, homosexuality, and the tax code

by sir82 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  sir82

  How about that for a discombobulated thread topic?

  I think we are in the midst of a new civil rights revolution - this time the oppressed who are overcoming prejudice are homosexuals. Now New York has legalized gay marriage. There were 750 thousand (!) at the gay pride parade in NY over the weekend.

  I think by 2020, the vast majority of, if not all, states will recognize at least some sort of civil union for gay couples, if not full-blown marriage.

  Those who openly discriminate against gays will increasingly be ostracized by society at large.

  I think we are at the same point the black civil rights movement was at in the early 60's. The tide is turning - there will be setbacks in the years to come, but a societal shift is inevitable.

  Now what does all that have to do with the WTS?

  As Metatron pointed out a few posts above, the WTS continues to teach & to print, with millions of copies of magazines & brochures distributed, that "God hates homosexuality". Homosexuality is still a DF offense, as per the elders' manual, with 100's of thousands of copies in circulation & easily downloadable on the internet.

  Again, compare this to the black civil rights movement - could anyone today print "God hates the black race" and expect any sort of acceptance outside of loony fringe groups?

  What would happen if, when homosexuality is more fully accepted by out culture, some enterprising folks decided to persuade the IRS to revoke the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for any organization that openly, or even covertly, discriminates against homosexuals?

  Such organizations could continue to exist, of course, and produce whatever hate-filled literature they would choose to, as protected by the first amendment - they just couldn't expect the US government to subsidize their work.

  So what would the WTS do? We all know how averse they are to paying even 1 penny in tax. Yet if their literature still demands disfellowshipping or "disassociation by one's actions" for homosexual activity, they'd be liable for millions & millions in taxes on their real esate, their assets....everything.

  And contributions by the publishers, or corporate entities, would no longer be tax-deductible!

  On the other hand, could they really get away with full acceptance of homosexuality, after decades of "scriptural admonition" about how abominable it all is? Wouldn't even brain-dead JWs see through the cynicism of changing "God-breathed" counsel in order to save $$$?

  What do you think? Conceivable - or just wishful thinking?
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  wobble

  Probably not the issue that will bring about the overdue demise of the W.T, but it will certainly put pressure on them, they have always taken the view that the Bible and "God's Law" (meaning rules and morals as decided by the G.B) are superior to man made laws and ordinances.

  I do think that where they publish their vile opinions in countries that have laws against fomenting hatred ,as we do here in the U.K, they could, and should ,be prevented from distributing them.
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  leavingwt

  Some numbers. . .

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/members/politics/210704/1/Majority-of-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage
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  Sapphy

  It would mean the governments removing tax exempt status from most orthodox type religions. Catholic adoption centres who wouldnt let same sex couples adopt would fight it. Any church that would not conduct a wedding service for a gay couple would be on the tax hit list.

  I don't think the government has the desire to take on religion in general.

  One way around it would be for the governments to make a distinction between private charitable interests and public charitable interests.
  Contributions towards religious activity would not be deductable but contributions towards public charitable works open to all would be deductable as long as the charity itself practises equality - sex, race etc.
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  RagingBull

  Yeah, there's still "Freedom of Religion" in this country. The view it as a person's right. So even your family has the "right" to shun you if its their "religous" beliefs. Its wrong, but the government figures..."you can think for yourself, and if you don't WANT TO shun your friends and family - don't!...if they kick you out and ostracize you, you can just "choose" another religion or none at all.

  I DO think that the gov't may start to crack down on the "tax-exempt" stuff, because they are a Corporation and times are tough, financially, for mostly everyone. i think that's why so many are getting out of the org. b/c at this point...who cares about going to meetings!? Gas is high...and the stresses of the days are becoming more difficult to bear without having to worry about if your behaving like a good witness.

  The ORG does discriminate...so this will make them a target. Would love to see the faces of gay people if they were to see a drama or hear a talk of how the witness reeeeally feel about them.

  "We love the person, just hate the act." (is a fisherman a fisherman if he doesn't fish?)
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  Quendi

  This is a very interesting topic, sir82. Many thanks for bringiing it up.

  For what it is worth, I believe that eventually the Supreme Court of the United States will find that bans against gay marriage are a violation of the Fourteenth Amendmant to the American Constitution. That will make gay marriage legal throughout the entire country. Once that has been established, then the WTS will have to address its stance on homosexuality. As it is, Witnesses in the six states that have legalized gay marriage are having to deal with the issue. While I doubt that any gay couple would ever study with the Witnesses or even attend a meeting at a Kingdom Hall, the organization will have to grapple with the fact that there are gay people in the territory who are legally married, and nothing the WTS teaches can or will ever alter that.

  As for the tax-exempt status the WTS currently enjoys, I don't know how its official teachings will affect that. Discrimination is a serious thing, but the WTS also has strong teachings against drunkenness, adultery, and other things that could also be seen as discriminatory. That has not resulted in a revocation of its tax-exempt status. I don't believe the WTS will ever change its beliefs on homosexuality, no matter what financial advantage it may lose. What may hit them more directly is if the official doctrine has a serious affect on recruiting and retention. Should there be a drop in Bible studies or meeting attendance and if such drops can be shown to have been caused in part by the hard line against gay people, then and only then would the organization think about bringing out some "new light" on homosexuality. But I seriously doubt that will happen.

  Quendi
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  I don't know about changes in the tax code, but changes in public opinion are powerful.

  Watchtower can proudly stand alongside the hate-filled crazies from Westboro Baptist Church. JWs may not picket, but they believe that everyone deserves to die.
• 

  3dogs1husband
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  blondie

  They also believe that adulterers and fornicators deserve to die, to be honest. The WTS may be a little homophobic but they do in print apply the same principle to adulterers and fornicators that they do to gay people.

  I was once told though by several Bethel elders that homosexuality was a GROSS sin compared to the others. It made me go on a research trip into WTS publications where I found that all 3 sins were considered GROSS (or grave). I asked them what the difference was, being executed once or were homosexuals killed once, resurrected, and killed again for emphasis? They did not see the humor.
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  St George of England

  Her in the U.K. we have had gay weddings for five years but they no longer make the news. Note this from the local rag:

  Brighton and Hove has been named as a gay wedding capital – even though the number of ceremonies is actually falling.

  The city hosted the highest number of civil partnerships outside of London in 2009.

  But overall, the number of gay couples tying the knot in the city is waning and has fallen by more than 50 since 2008 and nearly 500 since 2006 – the year civil partnerships were legalised.

  At that time Brighton was the most popular place in the UK to get married with 689 couples walking up the aisle. But last year just 232 same sex couples got married in Brighton and Hove.

  Discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, ethnic origin, sexuality etc, however is prohibited in employment and many other facets of life, so maybe the Charity Commission will move in that direction also.

  The only advantage for couples to get married is for IHT (inheritance tax) purposes.

  George