Top Trump administration officials will address a mass prayer meeting in the heart of Washington Sunday – an event organisers bill as reclaiming the country’s religious foundations, but critics say is a quasi-official rally for Christian nationalism.
Yeah im sorry but I just can’t condone laws that say you can’t do something if your reason is X but if its Y its fine. Its not a public space its a private space open to the public. That is a vastly different thing. Its not federally funded (directly). Again I am totally fine with taking away the tax breaks and have they run as any other charity and following the same rules. honestly im not sure we should even have tax breaks for charity. Tax should be progressive for businesses the same as individuals (welll we actually need that to be more progressive to) with making larger amounts putting them into blocks that have a higher rate. Again though I really don’t think its so easy to say something is a religion. Yoga has all sorts of religious roots and philosphy spawned from it. Illegal? What about shriners? Or everyones favorite masons? Are religions that are not open to the public ok then? Its just not something I would like to see in a society. If people want to be religious I think they should be able to do anything someone can do in a non religious way. ie clubs and such.
Religions not open to the public would be fine, although it’s not about the religion it’s the buildings. Masons are an interesting one. The lodges would maybe be illegal, but I don’t think those are open to the public. I don’t know enough about how they operate to say. I’m also not familiar enough with shriners to say one way or another on that one. I think I remember seeing some kind of building labeled as belonging to the shriners, which that might have to go depending on whether it’s public or not.
Yoga is very obviously not a religion, but even if it was there generally aren’t buildings dedicated to practicing yoga that are open to the public. You generally need to pay and book time at yoga companies that do it commercially.
Basically places that charge an entry fee or where you need to pay for a membership to get inside would be legal. Places that you can enter for free as a member of the general public and that exist primarily or exclusively for the purpose of religion would be illegal.
Also there’s a difference between public property and public spaces. There are plenty of public spaces that are on private property, most stores are examples of such. Spaces that any random person off the street is able to freely enter and exit are public spaces which most churches and other religious buildings are as well, as they’re generally open to the public.