It’s no secret that the Democratic Party abhors anyone who does not agree with LGBTQ talking points. Even so, Beto O’Rourke’s call for the removal of tax-exempt status for religious organizations marks a new low for the party.
The comments, which were made during CNN’s “equality” themed town hall, were naturally met by wild applause by far-left event attendees. However, it’s unlikely that the majority of voters in swing states will find the idea palatable. Voters in O’Rourke’s home state of Texas will remember the former state lawmaker’s anti-First Amendment stance.
Beto’s spiel would make one think that he truly cares about everyday Americans and their struggles. He told the town hall event attendees that there should be no tax breaks for any person or organization that denies the “full human rights and civil rights” of every single American.
The obvious problem with that statement is that it’s not a “human” or “civil” right to have a gay wedding at a religious venue. Churches, mosques, and synagogues are well within their rights to deny gay couples access to their buildings. What is more, religious organizations aren’t obligated to hire employees who strongly disagree with the organization’s statement of faith.
Most regular people accept that one would need to agree with a religious organization’s point of view in order to work at that organization in any capacity. Catholics, for instance, don’t usually apply to work at evangelical organizations. Muslims don’t apply to work in synagogues, and devout Jews don’t work for Catholic schools. However, gay and transgender rights activists seem to think that the entire world should cater to their wishes by changing their own religious beliefs to align with the LGBTQ agenda.
Freedom of religion, speech, and assembly are clearly enshrined in the Constitution of the United States. The U.S. government cannot blackmail religious organizations to force them into expressing support for an idea that runs contrary to their beliefs. As Sen. Ben Sasse accurately pointed out, the federal government does not have the power to decide which beliefs are legitimate and which are not. Furthermore, he noted that the law would not only target a wide range of organizations, including hospitals and charities that actively serve the poor in their communities every single day. Oddly enough, it is the very people the Democrats claim to support who would lose the most if Christian charities were forced to make this choice.
The United States allows its citizens to chart their own path. These freedoms are in place to ensure that no president, Congress or government bureaucrat can force people to abandon their faith in order to live and work. Unfortunately, far-left Democrats are so desperate to get in power, that they are willing to trample on the rights of anyone who dares to disagree with them.
The call to revoke tax-exempt status for traditional churches is just the left’s first step. If such a law goes through, the next step is to shut these organizations down. This should be adamantly rejected by anyone who is concerned about real basic human rights.
