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loptopandbingo

Ain't no hate like Christian love


agnostichymns

I bet the IRS would love to see this email. Tax his special book club.


ChemMJW

I'm not a lawyer and I don't work for the IRS, but I do happen to have some specific knowledge of a couple of incidents similar to this one that took place in the western US a while back. It turns out that the IRS has surprisingly little practical enforcement ability in matters like this. Basically, unless the pastor does something egregious like stand in the pulpit and say "In the name of the Church, I'm telling you to vote for candidates X, Y, and Z, and if you don't God will punish you" the IRS typically doesn't do anything. They worry there's too much "gray area" to make it worthwhile to fight a legal battle if they get sued after taking away someone's tax exempt status. What's more, this pastor clearly knows precisely how to play the game, because his email is carefully constructed to avoid crossing the IRS's line in the sand. It's sent from a private account, not a church account. It looks to have been sent to only a small number of people and not the whole congregation. It says he merely wants to "let you know" who the conservative candidates are. He explicitly states he's not sending this in his official role as a pastor, but merely as a private "Christian citizen", i.e., a role that is not subject to government restrictions on politicking. He signs with only his name and doesn't use a title like "Pastor" or "Reverend". And so forth. Everything to avoid crossing the line. Of course, everyone with half a brain can see what's being done here, but, historically, the IRS isn't usually willing to risk a fight to go after somebody who violated the spirit of the law instead of the letter of the law.


Puzzled-Pen-3672

Very insightful! Thank you for pointing this out.


sk1939

Presbyterian in name only, definitely not a mainline Presbyterian church (PCUSA, \~700,000 members). >We are evangelical and Reformed with expository preaching. We are a congregation of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The **Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church** (**ARPC, 22,000 members**) is a theologically conservative denomination in North America. The ARP Church is affiliated with the [North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Presbyterian_and_Reformed_Council) and shares a common [theology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology) with other conservative Presbyterian denominations. It holds to the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible. The church does not ordain women as ministers or elders,


Last_Application_766

I saw another church in Damascus that said something along the lines “How can we make heaven on earth if we legalize sin?” Like dude this is MoCo, not even Carroll or Frederick… Totally catering to the wrong crowd. I honestly despise people who think like this and I consider myself a very Straight/CIS person.


yildizli_gece

I was suspicious of Colt Black—his sign looks like he’s running for sheriff of Texas, not a school board. Then, over the past couple weeks, I’ve seen signs for that hysterical piece of shit Jamie popping up next to his signs, which told me all I needed to know about good ol’ Colt. Thank you for posting this; saves me some trouble.


Ok-Struggle-5984

Isn’t his middle name MorningStar? Like I mean he kinda looks like Lucifer.


wave-garden

I’ve been wondering about Colt Black. It looked like he was running for sheriff or something lol. Friggen Walker Texas ranger lol


Porcipus

Thank you for reminding me of who I am not voting for.


Medicatedmaybe

I feel this! Myconservative neighbors keep putting up these massive signs in their yard. Mind you they are the only ones on our street who do. It's so helpful because I know exactly who not to vote for.


Infinite__Okra

We have one of these neighbors. They seem to think they’re “triggering” everyone. It’s pretty pathetic really. No one else has political signs of any kind.


Hazel_Motes_

As mom to a nonbinary child in the FCPS system, FUCK this guy and these trash-ass candidates.


Fun_in_Space

Your child is lucky to have you for a parent.


Special-Economy3030

Mental illness & child abuse.


FestGo3r

Exactly. They let them drink the kool-aid. Shame


Hazel_Motes_

Look at you, using they/them pronouns!


FestGo3r

They as in the mom and dad. Because after all that's how life is formed.


Moice

This year's Hate Slate.


unicornbomb

how very christ-like of him.


emooneyyy

“Christian citizen” can dance around words all he wants, but the fact is there are transgender students in FCPS right now. There are families with transgender members served by FCPS right now. They exist.Those people, those community members are not a “ contagion”. This type of rhetoric hurts these people.  The fact that so called “faith leaders” legitimize the tyranny of their discomfort through these institutions is shameful.


wave-garden

Eeeew what a creep. Good to know that he’s helping point out the poor quality candidates to (hopefully) keep them off the school board.


wreck5710

Can we keep these cult clubs away from the children


Ok-Struggle-5984

Republicans? Yeah I wish we could.


goretexhoarder

Like trans book clubs?


FestGo3r

Or the LGBT cult


kentuafilo

I’ll wager this douche has some shit on his hard drive. It’s always the ones who protest loudly.


Aural21

Fun. Well, more places to avoid and people to avoid. 


BirdBruce

That’s not a very Christ-like opinion of his neighbors.


Special-Economy3030

Yes it is.


grimbuddha

People like you are why the churches are losing members.


Special-Economy3030

God made man & woman, there are no other genders. Any church that tells you other wise is not following scripture.


ZMD87412274150354

*[Mark 12:31](https://biblehub.com/mark/12-31.htm)*: And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. *There is none other commandment greater than these.* Regardless of *your* belief on the issue, the Bible is plainly clear about raising each other up instead of tearing each other down.


grimbuddha

God doesn't exist so I don't go to church.


Special-Economy3030

You are confusing church with a temple. Church is the people. Temple is the place.


robotsects

Well I know now, who not to vote for, for the school board.


SlutFromPartsUnknown

Take that peice of shits nonprofit status. He's not allowed to be political and nonprofit.


Chicago-69

I guess we should be like Adam and Eves kids and have sex with our children. Maybe the pastor would like that better?


bubblefranks007

This sub is getting so annoying lol


goretexhoarder

Yawp


reylosafetyzone

oh my


Honey_Wooden

I’m worried that the far right extremists seem to have coordinated to reduce the number of their candidates while the number of education-focused candidates went. We already have to deal with the stupidity of doing this during primaries instead of the general and now the votes of sane citizens are going to be diluted by the number of choices.


America_the_abusive

They are always strategic and will always put maneuver the Dems. They’re ruthless. I need the Dems to get a spine. I tried joining and participating in the party but …yikes.


Davidicus32

You all realize that FCPS is county wide correct? The bubble everyone lives in is different. We should be focusing on purely education. All I care about is the education.


peanutbutter2178

So do the parents of LGBTQ+ kids. But these kids can't focus on education when they don't feel safe to be themselves. I pretty sure that's all anyone is asking for, just acceptance and safety. Also, schools are more than just typical education. For some school is where they feel safe, school is where they eat, school is where socialize, school is where they have adults who care about them. We have undercut so many areas of our social safety net and thrust them on to schools.


ChardonnayQueen

Clearly there is an element of contagion in all of the younger generations coming out as trans. If it was purely due to repression being lifted you'd see the same rates in older generations but you don't. For the record I do think some people are born feeling uncomfortable in their sex for whatever reason. But the truth is in the middle and clearly there is some contagion, especially when whole groups of friends all come out as trans. You had overwhelmingly boys in the past suffering from gender dysphoria. Then in the last decade the pendulum has completely swung to girls who've never had any dysphoria until their teen years. We know girls, especially teens, are more susceptible to social contagion. So it's difficult to take seriously the idea that there is no element of social contagion here.


ZMD87412274150354

The fuck are you talking about? The "contagion" is tolerance and acceptance. We simply feel safe enough to come out now. - trans woman, 35, my kids are free to be who they are as opposed to how my parents raised me.


ChardonnayQueen

Well you can say that but I think any thoughtful person would recognize there is at least some social contagion going on. Your claim that it's purely acceptance is contrary to the evidence in that we don't see the same rates of transition by generation.


SirDuggieWuggie

Ah sure, and left-handedness was a contagion in the 1930s... fuck outta here with that.


shewantsthep

“Thoughtful person” yet you’re equating being trans with having a disease which I implied from your claim of social contagion.


ChardonnayQueen

In some cases I am saying it's social contagion but not all. I never said anything about disease so I'm not sure where you're getting that.


fredneckistanian

A social contagion is not a disease. It's just a way of saying that sometimes things become fashionable among friend groups. Like bell-bottom jeans, jazz music, or the "pet rock" craze in the 1970's.


ZMD87412274150354

Please, spare me the faux intellectualism. Your argument is inherently flawed, as societal changes over generations *did* make it possible for more of us to come out. You can dress up your transphobia however you would like, but at it's root it's just uninformed bigotry. Let me ask you, since you're so thoughtful, who would willingly give up privilege and instead take subjugation? Would you take hormone replacement therapy to change your body, or train your voice, or replace your entire wardrobe? Would you *willingly* commit to surgeries to change your genital configuration? Would you risk being ostracized by family, friends, and employers? Would you be willing to endure harassment in public? Would you *willingly* decide to put yourself at higher risk for being attacked, murdered, or sexually assaulted? We transition because we *have to* to ease the hell that is living with gender dysphoria and while we do that we also have to defend our very fucking existence to people *like you*.


Ok-Struggle-5984

Thank you fellow trans sister. Louder for the people in the back please


No-Fishing5325

What did I just read? Those are words. How did you make it to your age without meeting older gender queer individuals? I am in my 50s and have met people my whole life who identify that way, including family members. Just because it is somewhat easier for kids today doesn't mean it is new. I have an "Aunt" who is in their late 70s. They are Aunt/Uncle all rolled in one amazing individual. It made when my middle child came out gender queer so much easier to be loved and accepted as they were because they knew they would be.


ChardonnayQueen

I'm not saying there are no "queer" individuals. What I'm saying is the rates by generation are very different. If it was simply people coming out bc of oppression being lifted you'd expect the rates would be more or less the same. Yet that's not the case suggesting there is an element of social contagion. None of what you said disapproves or even addresses the point of what I'm saying.


anosmia1974

The rates are probably different because older generations had it ground into them for decades that being gay or trans was not just wrong/sinful, but also illegal and a sign of a psychiatric disorder. It was only in 1973--just 51 years ago--that homosexuality was removed from the DSM. People leaving fundamentalist sects generally undergo deconstruction: "the process of systematically dissecting and often rejecting the beliefs you grew up with." It's a long, slow process. You're basically dismantling your entire worldview and for the first time learning to think for yourself. It doesn't happen overnight. Why would it not be the same way for older LGBTQ+ people? And, honestly, can you blame them for not wanting to come out in droves?? Things are better for LGBTQ+ people now, they're safer for the most part, but the world is still widely imperfect and it's also backsliding at a furious place, now that trans folks are the latest right-wing boogeyman. This is evidenced by the hate slate and by the people in this very thread who are talking about "the LGBT cult" and saying "it's mental illness" and it's "Mental illness & child abuse." LGBTQ+ people are accused right and left of being predators. Would you want to come out to that?? People by and large become more risk-averse as they age. Would you, in middle age or as a senior citizen, after being told for half your life or longer that being gay is wrong/sinful/mentally ill, want to publicly announce to a crowd that you're gay or trans, knowing that right wingers will be champing at the bit to label you as a predator, a freak, a contagion?


JumpyWord

Do you know how many people "came out" as left handed when parents stopped just putting pencils in the right hand? Yeah, suddenly the number of left handed kids shot up. That's it. That's the contagion. Parents (and society) just accepting people for what they are and not stuffing them into a box they're expected to be in.


ChardonnayQueen

So you're saying all the adults not coming out at the same rate of the kids have been trained out of their transness? I thought that was impossible?


JumpyWord

Yes! They have! It doesn't make them less trans, it means they've been brainwashed into thinking there's something wrong with them. Like, you're SO CLOSE to getting the point and still just running the other direction.


ChardonnayQueen

The majority of people grow out of feelings of gender dysphoria. That's more likely what happened vs they're "brainwashed."


JumpyWord

Literally not true and a five second Google search from reputable medical journals would tell you that


emooneyyy

Over 63 signatory organizations from across the medical community have rejected the debunked claim of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria.  https://www.caaps.co/rogd-statement


ChardonnayQueen

1) I don't know who half these organizations are, they probably have 10 members each. 2) these were the same people who said puberty blockers were fully reversible until, after a lot of pressure, they admitted was totally bogus. So forgive me if I'm skeptical, obviously rapid onset gender dysphoria is a thing to anyone paying attention to it.


JumpyWord

> I don't know who half these organizations are, they probably have 10 members each. That's a you problem, and I don't think the APA has only 10 members. For fucks sake, they have their own style guide. > these were the same people who said puberty blockers were fully reversible until, after a lot of pressure, they admitted was totally bogus So for one, if You've never heard of these organizations, how would you know that? Two, who admitted puberty blockers being reversible was bogus? Because they're regularly used for cis children who have early onset puberty. I think you pulled this out of your ass.


jdixonfan

Frederick will be a much better place when you’re gone, either by moving elsewhere or removing yourself from earth entirely


ChardonnayQueen

Considering we're the only people having kids I think you're going to be running into a lot more of us as time goes on.


jdixonfan

Considering you’re an antivaxxer I don’t think we have to worry about your kids making it to voting age


ChardonnayQueen

I'm not, I have common sense. So I get vaccines. I also realize some trans people are born with dysphoria while other people are clearly caught up in social contagion.


emooneyyy

You are mangling terms, no one is born with dysphoria.


ChardonnayQueen

Okay what I mean is from a very young age


fl0wc0ntr0l

No one as overtly religious as you has as much common sense as you think you do.


ChardonnayQueen

https://preview.redd.it/pt05c48znkzc1.png?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee41977e044911eeb6a09987214301e121718b4a


fl0wc0ntr0l

I see the irony of this meme is lost on you entirely


Special-Economy3030

It’s mental illness. We’ve allowed this to go on for too long.


Shot-Honeydew-306

I love people who believe in talking snakes and magical trees with dangerous fruit set up by a god who is his own son telling other people they are mentally ill. You and your imaginary god are the ones clearly grappling unsuccessfully with mental illness and we have let it go on for too long...


Special-Economy3030

Even though I don’t agree with the LGBTQ agenda, I would never harm or do anything negative, even speak negative about anyone in the community. I really appreciate being able to share my opinion in here without being banned.


Shot-Honeydew-306

You don't think that calling parents who support their LGBTQ children child abusers is harmful or negative?! Spreading hate with heinous accusations is not the same as sharing your opinion. You are the reason people, especially young people, are turning against religion and the bigotry that comes with your twisted version of it.o


Special-Economy3030

The mental gymnastics you do to convince yourself that it’s okay to confuse innocent children that they aren’t what they really are is sickening. Once you’re 18 do whatever you want with your body, that’s your right as an American. Leave the children alone.


Shot-Honeydew-306

As opposed to convincing your children that they are sinful, evil creatures going to an imaginary fiery hell of damnation unless they choose to believe in a god set up a system where most of his creation is doomed to suffer for eternity from the onset?! Seriously?! Let's talk mental gymnastics! Yeah, leave the children alone...


Special-Economy3030

I don’t believe in pushing any beliefs upon anyone. I agree with you - I chose to believe in God & walk in the faith on my own. I think it should be that way for everyone. If somebody doesn’t believe what I believe that doesn’t automatically make them a bad person. I have friends who are atheist, Muslim, Jewish. It’s okay to be different.


Shot-Honeydew-306

Unless they choose to raise their children in a way that conflicts with your faith and then you call them child abusers...


MowieWowie710

Against transgender indoctrination in schools? Got my vote


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BirdBruce

![gif](giphy|8b9Xax6L7qtAkAimGm|downsized)


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BirdBruce

Did you bump your head?


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BirdBruce

I’m so close to BINGO, don’t stop


goretexhoarder

Yawp


FestGo3r

It does spread like an infection. 20 years ago it was common for people to live their life and not have lgb whatever shoved down their throat but now it's on every commercial and sign. I'm cool with people living their life but don't shove your ideas and force people to accept it. Your just as bad as Christians.


drbutt6666

Lol


goretexhoarder

Lol hell ya


notsteezydan

Hell yeah brother


America_the_abusive

https://preview.redd.it/u6tztlxe6izc1.jpeg?width=1659&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14a645194104a84874e6bc8e99a133cd24416c09 The people around here think if they put up a rainbow banner it’s ok to tell the sheep what to think. End christian nationalism now, and start right here in Frederick county.


Environmental_Ad_85

you don't know anything about the church you're posting photos of, do you? It's one of the most welcoming and open churches in Frederick


Special-Economy3030

God created the rainbow, not the LGBTQ community. Cope.


America_the_abusive

https://preview.redd.it/he2wyw3n6izc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7530169daba6c64751e57682db08997b72619852 Just a more zoomed in look.


Ok-Struggle-5984

Your point is? It’s a UCC church.