As the Illinois House of Representatives prepare to vote on a marriage-equality bill, religious leaders from Catholic and traditionally African-American churches are saying they’ll band lawmakers who vote for the measure.
On Thursday, more than 20 pastors and priests announced the formation of a new coalition aimed at stopping same-sex marriage, WBEZ Radio reports. Today the group launched a media campaign that includes billboards, radio and TV ads, and visits to some 75 churches this weekend—all asking parishioners to call on their representatives to vote against the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.
“We want to make sure that we a send a message to our elected officials that as a collective community and a collaborative, we will not allow you to speak in our churches, you will not be invited to our church when you’re running for office because we as a community are incensed,” said Bishop Lance Davis of New Zion Christian Fellowship Church.
It’s not entirely clear if the threat just entails speaking engagements or actually attending services, receiving Communion or other religious rites.
Senate Bill 10 has already cleared the state Senate and the House Executive Committee and is heading for a vote in the full House. Democratic Governor Pat Quinn has pledged to sign it if it reaches his desk.
So we’ve gotten to the point of not just punishing people for being gay, but punishing people for accepting gay people? Right-wing churches have used this ploy to attack politicians who support reproductive rights, but their claim was always that unborn lives were at stake. What’s the excuse now?
If these churches plan to actually ban pro-equality politicians from services, maybe their 501(c)3 nonprofit status should be rescinded.
Legal scholars, please weigh in!
h/t: LGBTQ Nation
Truth Addict
This group is just a lunatic fringe. I would like to remind them that churches in the South used to request the KKK to come speak about the bible and how god wanted the races to be separate. Same bigotry, different century. When you see them, just point and laugh.
marc sfe
And these assholes are tax exempt because?????
Cam
And those churches continue their march into obscurity.
These churches opinions are no different than the Westbouough Baptist Church, they just say things a little more quietly but again, they are no different. Just a bunch of bigots who use their religion as an excuse for their bigotry.
Little-Kiwi
and ten i’ll take this opportunity to welcome those banned-politicians to the United Church, or MCC.
religious denominations that welcome all in, with open arms, open minds, and open hearts.
you know, sorta like that Jesus fella would have.
alexoloughlin
There was a time when the Vatican threatened catholic U.S. politicians with excommunication if they supported marriage equality. So far, those threats have been idle. I’d love to see them try it on. I have a problem with any politician speaking in any place of worship during an election year. Inappropriate in my view.
mlbumiller
Religion out of Politics or TAX Churches… wow a way to pay for the deficit!
2eo
Anything that damages religion gets a thumbs up from me. These halfwits are doing the work of all humanity by weakening themselves. One day every person will be free of the shackles of faith.
jackpapa
No houses of God, these.
Andrew
When the HELL is the bloody media going to wake up and look these people in the eye on radio or TV and say “but you’re not allowed to judge others? Jesus said so. So how can you do this and call yourself Christian?” Call them out on this while everyone is listening/watching?
Dionte
I would like to see a list of these demonic houses.
MuscleModelBlog.com
“I have a problem with any politician speaking in any place of worship during an election year. Inappropriate in my view.”
-I agree COMPLETELY. People need to realize that even though there is separation of church and state…there really isn’t, unfortunately.
Shanestud
Stay out of civil marriage…for God’s sake. Refusing these politicians communion? Is that the kind of compassionate action Jesus would take? These churches have lost all moral authority
Ken
Taking away their 501(c)3 won’t work. There’s something much better: Charge them with blackmail. In the case of a Catholic Church, which is a foreign country, it’s even worse than blackmail.
mesobreezy
I go to a (formerly Baptist) non-denom church in Southern Illinois that lovingly welcomes people of all sexual orientations. I wouldn’t go if they didn’t! And I don’t mean “oh you guys can come here but just know we don’t condone you” or any of that nonsense. And yes, our gay and lesbian members will be welcome to get married in the church once this bill is passed.
Sooo not everybody is the worst 🙂
PARKAVMAN
If anyone goes to these churches, they may not vote for the bill anyway. If they do vote for it, they should dump the church. I’d dump the church just for being bigoted and hateful. Not very Christian are they?
Tax Status should change on any church that bans anyone for any reason.
Daniel-Reader
The Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches (http://www.chicagowelcomingchurches.org) is a great organization to counter the hypocrite-clergy mentioned in this article- the un-Jesus-like, money-grubbing pastors-turned-merchants who dare to line their pockets with church coin for working on the Sabbath while telling others to discriminate in the name of Jesus.
Shannon1981
Tax the hell out of them. Back taxes, too. They’ve had their tax-free racket long enough, and they are now in blatant violation of the IRS laws regarding tax-free establishments.
Shannon1981
@alexoloughlin: IF the RCC had made good, they’d have already sent Joe Biden to hell in his own special bus by now. Last I checked, he is still alive and well, and a practicing Catholic.
1EqualityUSA
This threat would make me want to do it.
2eo
@Ken: Indeed, how these people can put a jerkwater berg in the middle of Italy ahead of a place where people who aren’t paedophiles live is frightening.
It is anti democratic and the practitioners are guilty of treason, and deserve the punishment for traitors.
Atomicrob
Time to look into their tax exempt status
alexoloughlin
@Shannon1981: If it had, I wonder if he’d still have supported marriage equality? Makes me wonder. Archbigot Dolan of NYC once alluded to doing it to Gov. Cuomo and others, but backed off. Either way, Cuomo wouldn’t have backed down, but I suspect Biden would have. Dolan knows most catholics don’t support the ban on equal marriage so it’s too political to go through with any threats to excommunicate or deny them access to communion. Ironic considering Maggie Gallagher, although not a politician, was an unwed mother, obviously had sex outside of marriage probably numerous times and yet wasn’t threatened with similar action.
1EqualityUSA
Gays get special treatment, alexoloughlin. Even divorces are tolerated.
1EqualityUSA
It’s time for churches who operate in political spheres to lose their tax exempt status. Let’s put this idea up for a vote. Once we attain our equality, let’s focus on this. It will help future victims of their “special” attention.
GayAtheistLH
So-Called Christians Hiding Behind Their Religion Like Cowards.
2eo
I wish people would stop saying “They’re not christians, they’re not us” THEY ARE YOU, they are of your religion and IT IS YOUR OBLIGATION to do something about them.
A lot of us Atheists are making enormous strides in the face of these nutters, and you moderates are implicit in their work by refusing to actively work against them.
Shannon1981
@alexoloughlin: That’s because Maggie is a good bigot like the Vatican demands.
Shannon1981
@alexoloughlin: As for Cuomo,et al- I live in New York. Cuomo is a tough cookie. Biden has perpetual diarrhea of the mouth (one of the things I love about him), but I don’t know if he is a tough as Cuomo.
jwrappaport
They can ban anyone they want, as they’re private religious institutions. Also, Walz v. Tax Commission (1970) settled the question of whether it was constitutional to grant religious institutions tax exemptions, so that’s legal too (i.e., enough robed people said it was constitutional).
Having said that, supporting political candidates is forbidden for 501(c)(3) organizations (which include Churches). Having one candidate speak at your church and then publicly attacking their opponents seems a heck of a lot like support to me.
@2eo: Ditto. It’s the moderates who are holding the gates open for the theocrats, and they don’t realize it.
macmantoo
I guess the churches are doing very well when they can turn away people. I think it’s time for the government to rethink their tax status, but then again none of them have the balls to even attempt it. And of course the holy roller right wingers will call it an attempt to take God out their lives.
Volvoguy
Just like Jesus would do his people, shun them all if you disagree
or stop discrimination. Oh my they can’t figure why don’t go to church.