June 27, 2015

A Fund for Displaced Religious Believers

With the ruling in Obergefell, the recent job losses, fines, and threats of other economic harm to orthodox Christians and Jews (and perhaps Muslims, though I have not seen the news myself) for exercising belief in traditional marriage via whom they serve in the community, and in what fashion, I perceive the need for a fund to be established to provide financial assistance to such people, in terms of food, shelter, clothing, etc. - the basics of life. This would not be a legal defense fund, but rather, a fund simply raising money to help keep families from being homeless, hungry, or naked due to negative action taken against them for their beliefs. Such a fund would receive donations and invest them in standard mutual funds, and grow for several years before beginning to operate as a going concern.

At this point, Christians are blessed to be able to continue their work in various fields without too much economic threat. However, with the recent ruling in Obergefell, the withdraw of the ACLU from support for the RFRA and other religious-freedom guarantees, with the government beginning to threaten withdrawal of tax exemption for religious nonprofits who do not comply with the ruling and its forebears and progeny, there will be an ever increasing need for Christians to have recourse to each other to provide. Legally, there are many attorneys willing to go to bat for Christians, but those attorneys will come under pressure themselves to refuse to do so, or risk losing their license. Recently, even a professor who spoke up for another professor with a Title IX claim against her became himself a target of a Title IX claim. I have no doubt that such "guilt by association" tactics will be imputed to attorneys as well, eventually, when attorneys deign to represent those who are attacked by the axe of the new social-justice warriors. Such funds will be even more necessary as this eventuality develops.

I would be interested in your comments as to the feasibility of such a fund. I suggest that they might even be set up on a state-by-state basis, so that if one state seeks to confiscate the funds (based upon, perhaps, asset forfeiture laws), the funds for that state could be relocated to a different state, if possible, to offer some more defense.

1 comment:

  1. This is a good idea and one that has been on my mind since GoFundMe killed memories pizza.

    I think it wise to also consider whether the money can be parked overseas, since, in light of the recent decision, federal level power can be brought to bear against dissenters.

    ReplyDelete