SENATE BILL: Freedom from Religion Act (Law'd)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor: TNF

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to begin advocating for this.

[Goldwater]

Do we give any funding or tax brakes to charitable organizations? If so, would this legislation prevent these organizations from getting their funding if they are associated with a specific religion or church?

[President Tyrion]

I wouldn't mind exempting non-profit groups who are affiliated with a church but do not discriminate whatever aid they provide on the basis of religion, or force people to become a member to receive said aid.

[TNF]

Religion has always played a big role in Atlasian society and at times it has played an overbearing role on the backs of nonbelievers, which is why I have introduced legislation. I am willing to work with my fellow Senators to make this into something they can support and would deem friendly an amendment as described by Senator Tyrion.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I can see some of this becoming law for sure, but if the Atlasian constitution has a freedom of religion clause in it, parts of this bill will never make it through the courts.

For example, I am totally fine with religion being banned from public schools, but banning religious backed schools will likely be unconstitutional. I would favor asking these religious schools to do things like teach evolution if that is not already law and some other things, but banning them outright probably won't be upheld even if it did pass.

I am sure this will be amended several times, and if you're lucky, I will offer an amendment myself.

[Goldwater]

I would like to offer an amendment:

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[tmthforu94]

I'm willing to vote for parts of this due to the constitutionality, though I can't accept clause 6, and as the President said, am reasonably certain it wouldn't hold in the courts.

An amendment:

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EDIT: Goldwater just barely beat me to striking clause 6! Under the assumption his amendment goes three, I'm offering an amendment to remove clause 3.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Section 3 strikes me as unnecessarily vague.

[TNF]

Friendly on both amendments.

[President Tyrion]

So now under the assumption that the tmth and Goldwater amendments go through:

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[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The only qualm I would have about removing the tax exempt statuses of religious organization is that many of them contribute to their community just as charities would do. Removing that status may have unintended effects.

EDIT: Tyirion's amendment satisfies that concern.

I also agree on the previous amendment merely because banning religious groups from using public places is discrimination based on religion and would likely be struck down by the Court.

[TNF]

Friendly

[Goldwater]

Now we have a bill that I will support. Does anybody else have any complaints?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Senators have 24 hours to object

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Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Senators have 24 hours to object.

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Sponsor Feedback: Unknown
Status: Pending Completion of Prior Amendments.

[Talleyrand]

With Tyrion's last amendment, I am 100% fine with voting to pass this bill. If a religious organization wishes to provide charity in a secular manner and the federal government can verify that, it should not be penalized.

[Napoleon]

And the organizations that only provide aid to their own are very few. This is a good approach that isbfair tobreligious institutions while respecting our secular society at large.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Just to be clear we are talking about removing government funding for a lot of organizations that do a lot of good work in their communities and around the world.  I can understand if people are against government funds to religious organizations on principle, but let's not kid ourselves that people's lives won't be affected at least as much as if we cut government-run programs for the poor.

I also fail to see why religious organizations should be discriminated against for tax purposes, unless we are going to do a similar thing for all nonprofits.

 

[President Tyrion]

Just to be clear we are talking about removing government funding for a lot of organizations that do a lot of good work in their communities and around the world.  I can understand if people are against government funds to religious organizations on principle, but let's not kid ourselves that people's lives won't be affected at least as much as if we cut government-run programs for the poor.

I also fail to see why religious organizations should be discriminated against for tax purposes, unless we are going to do a similar thing for all nonprofits.

 

My amendment addresses that.

[President Tyrion]

Also, Yankee, TNF declared my amendment friendly as well.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Just to be clear we are talking about removing government funding for a lot of organizations that do a lot of good work in their communities and around the world.  I can understand if people are against government funds to religious organizations on principle, but let's not kid ourselves that people's lives won't be affected at least as much as if we cut government-run programs for the poor.

I also fail to see why religious organizations should be discriminated against for tax purposes, unless we are going to do a similar thing for all nonprofits.

 

My amendment addresses that.

It should be enough that an organization is a nonprofit for it to be tax exempt.  They shouldn't have to forswear membership as a part of its activities or do anything that wouldn't be required of a trade union or mutual benefit society, for example.

[windjammer]

This bill is horrible.

[TNF]

Friendly on the last amendment.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Also, Yankee, TNF declared my amendment friendly as well.

I saw as soon as I made the post but since I wanted to leave it off until after the first two were completed, I didn't bother to go back and add that as well.

[TNF]

Anything else anyone would like to add here, or are we ready for a final vote?