Quote Originally Posted by Ragoczy View Post
Can I just point out that corporations are individuals? There's no Jabba-the-Hut-looking creature out there that's called a corporation -- corporations are owned by individuals.
Corporations are entities, certainly. And individuals may be corporations. But corporations, as an entity, is not a citizen and does not have a right to vote. Individual citizens, even those who are corporations, do have that right.


How does it violate the Constitution? Why doesn't the free exercise of religion mean that my church can support a particular candidate we, as the congregation, believe best represents us? How is that any different than any other group supporting a candidate?
I never said that the members of any church, nor their minister, could not support a candidate. But using that church as a means of promoting any candidate, or of promoting or opposing a referendum is getting close to infringing on the separation of church and state. Why should a church be allowed to promote someone for election to public office, but if someone in public office tried to promote someone to be minister of the church, wouldn't they would scream separation? Besides, I never meant they shouldn't be allowed to, just that they should lose their tax-free status if they do.

An example is happening right now in my home town. There is a referendum on the ballot to allow Sunday liquor sales in restaurants, primarily because of the tourist dollars that could be gained. The local church leaders, naturally, are dead set against it, and aren't shy about letting everyone know it. They are using their positions as religious leaders to fight a non-religious issue. But if the state stepped in and declared, for example, that all churches were required to say the Pledge of Allegience at the beginning of all services, they would scream separation.

'course I'm not sure how that would work, because I don't attend church and, being an Apathetic Agnostic, it'd be a really weird service ...

"Does anybody know if there's a god yet?" "No."
"Does anybody care yet?" "No."
"Okay, see you next Sunday."
LOL! I didn't know there was another one out there! I've been using that title for years!