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View Full Version : Connecticut democrats open door to government regulation of religion


BoogyMan
03-09-2009, 08:41 PM
http://cga.ct.gov/2009/TOB/S/2009SB-01098-R00-SB.htm

Connecticut democratic state senator Andrew McDonald and democratic state house member Michael Lawlor have put forth a bill to force government regulation of the Catholic church in Connecticut.

If legislation gets passed to allow the government to regulate the Catholic church, no other religion will be safe.

I doubt this stupidity would stand in light of the 1st amendment, but these days you can never tell.
PostmodernProphet
03-09-2009, 09:13 PM
requiring the board of directors of a Catholic church to have multiple lay members and requiring that the professional clergy have no voting rights on the board is clearly a major change in the operation of a Catholic church....I can't imagine these guys think it would pass the constitutional test.....
Kathianne
03-09-2009, 09:22 PM
requiring the board of directors of a Catholic church to have multiple lay members and requiring that the professional clergy have no voting rights on the board is clearly a major change in the operation of a Catholic church....I can't imagine these guys think it would pass the constitutional test.....

They are biding time, will make the bureaucracy work to the best of ability, then when that runs out, the showdown will come. My guess, the Church will refuse and close. Will they sell? Anyone's guess.
PostmodernProphet
03-09-2009, 09:29 PM
They are biding time, will make the bureaucracy work to the best of ability, then when that runs out, the showdown will come. My guess, the Church will refuse and close. Will they sell? Anyone's guess.

/boggle.....??...you think the Catholic Church is going to close?.....it's been around for a couple of thousand years I doubt it will close any time soon.....
emmett
03-09-2009, 09:33 PM
It is just the concept that Government would even consider this that has me! Power is a horrible thing!
Kathianne
03-09-2009, 09:38 PM
Catholic hospitals.
PostmodernProphet
03-09-2009, 09:44 PM
Catholic hospitals.

wrong thread....this is about churches, not hospitals....
Mr. P
03-09-2009, 09:44 PM
Looks like this is just a Connecticut "corporate" law change...No? :dunno:
PostmodernProphet
03-09-2009, 09:46 PM
Looks like this is just a Connecticut "corporate" law change...No? :dunno:

the Catholics and Protestants split about 500 years ago over the issue of whether the Church is hierarchical or congregational......this "corporate" law change just declared the Protestants the winners.....
Kathianne
03-09-2009, 09:47 PM
wrong thread....this is about churches, not hospitals....

Not exactly. Do not dismiss hospitals, schools, as well as churches.
PostmodernProphet
03-09-2009, 09:52 PM
Not exactly. Do not dismiss hospitals, schools, as well as churches.

most states have three types of corporations....."profit", "non-profit", and a third called either "religious" or "ecumenical".....only churches are set up as "religious".....schools or hospitals would be set up as "non-profit" even if affiliated with a church......
Mr. P
03-09-2009, 09:59 PM
the Catholics and Protestants split about 500 years ago over the issue of whether the Church is hierarchical or congregational......this "corporate" law change just declared the Protestants the winners.....

Since we didn't have a corp structure 500 yrs ago I don't buy it..but I understand where yer coming from in the current times.

Hey, if they don't like the corporate laws, don't incorporate. After all it really has nothing to do with religion, incorporation is a business decision.
PostmodernProphet
03-09-2009, 10:27 PM
Since we didn't have a corp structure 500 yrs ago I don't buy it..but I understand where yer coming from in the current times.

Hey, if they don't like the corporate laws, don't incorporate. After all it really has nothing to do with religion, incorporation is a business decision.

you cannot have tax exempt status unless you incorporate....and the point isn't that there was corp status 500 years ago, but that this corp change states that local churches are run by the congregation, not by the priests/bishops/etc.......that wouldn't be a problem for Protestant churches, since that's the way we have always been run....but it would be a serious problem for a Catholic church.......
Mr. P
03-09-2009, 10:52 PM
you cannot have tax exempt status unless you incorporate....and the point isn't that there was corp status 500 years ago, but that this corp change states that local churches are run by the congregation, not by the priests/bishops/etc.......that wouldn't be a problem for Protestant churches, since that's the way we have always been run....but it would be a serious problem for a Catholic church.......

Before ya know it, we won't be able to handle snakes at Sunday service either!