The Religion Thread

[Vrede too]

They don't need no stinkin' courts. But the guy who hit it will undoubtedly need a good lawyer.

It's just vandalism/property destruction. Short of a divine lightning bolt, how severe could the penalties be?

I would have waited until the courts ruled that it could stay, which is unlikely, but I kind of admire the less than a day 'rapid response', the open acceptance of responsibility and the sheer chutzpah.

Didn't we recently discuss some odd Alabama Jesus? . . . not that I'm inciting anything, billy.pilgrim and Boatrocker, but I know how stressful those family gatherings can be.

[O Really]

In cases where the damage is valued at over $500, the offense is charged as a Class C felony which is punishable by 3-10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

Ref: Arkansas Code §5-38-203

But, if they want to throw the book at him, and I'm guessing they will, it turns into 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief

Second degree criminal mischief involves recklessly damaging or destroying the property of another or purposefully tampering with the property of another to cause them substantial inconvenience.

If the damage is valued at more than $2,500, the charge is a Class D felony which carries a potential sentence of up to 6 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines

But if avoids jail time, he can probably get a go fund me to ante up his fine in about 10 minutes.

[Vrede too]

Ouch, my bad.

... But if avoids jail time, he can probably get a go fund me to ante up his fine in about 10 minutes.

I might kick in if he articulates his cause well. He might turn out to be a loon, though.

[O Really]

Ouch, my bad.

... But if avoids jail time, he can probably get a go fund me to ante up his fine in about 10 minutes.

I might kick in if he articulates his cause well. He might turn out to be a loon, though.

You decide...this is not his first "attack" on a statue... http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/why-on ... &ocid=iehp

[Vrede too]

I saw a reference to that in a different article, it's what made me suggest "loon". He may not be our best defender of the Establishment Clause.

[O Really]

A lot of people who have done bold and perhaps unwise things to make a point or make a difference have been called loons, and worse.

[Vrede too]

A lot of people who have done bold and perhaps unwise things to make a point or make a difference have been called loons, and worse.

Found: "Southern Christians - because sometimes regular Christians just aren't quite hateful enough."

[Vrede too]

Trump lawyer Sekulow directed millions to family with nonprofits: report

Conservative attorney Jay Sekulow has for years used a network of nonprofit organizations to route payments and property deals to himself and his family, according to a Guardian report published Tuesday.

Sekulow's nonprofit Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (CASE) and its sister organization, the American Center for Legal Justice, have paid millions of dollars to the Sekulow family, as well as companies tied to the high-profile attorney....

Nonprofit insiders are prohibited by federal law from receiving "excessive benefit" from their organizations, meaning that payments and benefits cannot exceed fair market value for goods or services....

[k9nanny]

This bothers me, and not really because I have a huge objection to preachers endorsing candidates. They find ways to do it without naming names. It does bother me that campaign donations might be disguised as tax exempt contributions.

Of course, I don't like the sneaky manner in which the Amendment is being rendered ineffective.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act ... b53e9ecd15

"Instead of trying to repeal the amendment, legislators appear to be targeting it through a spending bill that says the IRS can’t use funds to investigate a church for breach of the Johnson Amendment without the sign-off of the IRS commissioner, who must report to Congress on the investigation."

[rstrong]

Wikipedia: Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations

This seems the place to put this; since the only surprise is that the American religious right considers his behavior to just fine.

[Vrede too]

Exciting news: Yesterday a federal appeals court issued a major victory for religious liberty in our case representing three Rowan County residents.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled with a decisive majority that Rowan County’s commissioners violated the Constitution when they opened public meetings by coercing public participation in prayers that overwhelmingly advanced beliefs specific to one religion.

One of the bedrock principles of the First Amendment is that our government should never promote one set of religious beliefs over others. This ruling is a great victory for the rights of all residents to participate in their local government without fearing discrimination or being forced to join in prayers that go against their beliefs.

As Nan Lund, the lead client in our case, said:

“All we’ve ever wanted is for Rowan County to be a welcoming place for everyone, no matter their religious beliefs, and I am so glad that the court agrees that the Constitution is on our side.”

It was an honor for me to represent our three clients, Nan, Bob, and Liesa, in court. Celebrate their victory with us by sharing on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,
Chris Brook
Legal Director
ACLU of North Carolina

[Vrede too]

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2017
Subject: The very first Christian diet pill available for you

Our prayers have been finally answered: the first Christian diet pill.

Stop living a sinful life and start getting fit, forget about gluttony. (hyperlink, I did not click)

Is it for your pet lion?

[rstrong]

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2017
Our prayers have been finally answered: the first Christian diet pill.

All diet pills are faith-based. It sounds like this one is just a bit more specific.

[homerfobe]

Found: (with slight wording changes to accommodate actuality)
Where filth, nastiness, abomination, and guttural living once snuck secretly down
back alleys and other secret places, it now struts proudly down Main Street.

[rstrong]

Most crime has been dropping for decades. To BETTER "accommodate actuality":

Where hatred, racism and bigotry once strutted proudly down Main Street, it's now largely relegated to sneaking secretly down back alleys and other secret places.

That's what your real complaint is. Enjoy the dustbin of history.

[homerfobe]

Most crime has been dropping for decades.

rstrong again spews his stupidness with that tired old same shit about crime rates dropping (while he was up in under his rock)

When you see the stupidity in that tangent you're on, go spewing that silly shit in Chicago.
You don't know shit about racism and bigotry, unless you are Black. Hatred for the filth of faggots is universal. Attitudes aren't really changing; people are resigning themselves to the fact that faggots are proliferating. Kids are being coddled and being raised as sissies and tomboys to the point they're confused about what gender they really are.

Interesting though that you equate the filth and nastiness of faggotry with crime.

[Vrede too]

Creationists Sell Christian Theme Park To Themselves To Avoid $700,000 In Taxes

Fine, just tell 911 to tell them to pray if they call for police, fire or EMS. Tax dodging is the rightwing Christian way. The Ark should be taxed extra to pay for the remedial science education for its visitors.

[O Really]

That's probably not going to work. I'm not a tax guy by any means, but generally if a "church" owns a business that is like other businesses and not a part of the church, it doesn't get the church's tax exemptions. That may have been affected by the recent ruling on the hospital's pension plans (i.e. whether it can be a "church plan), but it looks like those would be separate issues. Hopefully, the Ham will be roasted.

[Vrede too]

He failed with the religious exemption.

... Ark Encounter LLC sold the park's land on June 28 to its nonprofit affiliate, Crosswater Canyon, for ten dollars, just a day before the city sent a letter rejecting the organization's request to be exempted from a new safety tax because of its religious affiliation.

By selling the land to its nonprofit counterpart, the group has claimed that the park is a non-profit establishment and not subject to the new safety tax passed by city officials....

I don't know if this new sleazy scheme will work.

[homerfobe]

That shoots down that 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's'
Y'all pray for Ham that he'll see the error in his ways.