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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dale Baker who wrote (112079)	5/27/2009 10:26:39 PM
From: epicure	Respond to of 541674

The problem churches have is when they want to get public money, by renting things out to the "public" or when they want to cater to the public with some service they hold out to everyone (not just to their church members). Then they are really becoming part of the commercial establishment- and that's fine- but the commerce clause cases tell us that almost anything can be regulated, if it's in business, when the commerce clause is capable of being invoked. So bigots need beware- don't go in to business and expect to be able to discriminate. But churches? No problem. They are in the business of segregation- denomination wise, and they probably always will be. No one expects the Catholics to perform Jewish ceremonies and vice versa- and no one will expect them to marry gay people (but the cash may be too tempting- that may be the thing that cracks them, if the business of gay marriage gets rolling. )

To: Dale Baker who wrote (112079)	5/27/2009 11:20:10 PM
From: Bread Upon The Water	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541674

This is really a very unique situation as Ocean Groove itself acts and functions like a municipality (even though technically it may not be one) inasmuch as it has streets, a boardwalk, a music pier, beach front etc. Though owned by a church it is acting de facto as public entity. (I have been to Ocean Grove). So you are correct about it not functioning like a church in this instance. My guess is that at some judicial level it will be concluded that the church can't cloak its "public" functions in religious exemptions--it will be interesting to see the outcome.