The Christian Church Should be Funded by the USFG

Here is my rebuttal. First of all, I accept my opponent's funding arrangement. Legitimate or not, and regardless of whether I agree with it, there is no point contesting something that does not advance Pro's position nevertheless. This is not a concession, since my opponent's proposed financial plan is not an argument for the inherent validity of the USFG funding the Christian church. R1) Pro's plan to divert funds from welfare does not take away from the fact that the funding of the Christian church constitutes inequality before the law. My opponent may dispute the share of the US population comprised of non-Christians; it is irrelevant regardless. The flaw in my opponent's response is his lack of understanding of the principle of equality under the law. Whether it is via executive order or congressional approval, the principle still applies. The method by which the policy is enacted does not affect whether or not it is unjust. Even if segregation under the Jim Crow laws was enforced by executive order, the policies themselves were still wholly unjust. I have yet to observe a group of people that feels closer to their government because their religious institution is federally supported; if my opponent would like to bring forth evidence for this assertion, I would gladly consider it. My opponent also infers that a religious group must be persecuted for it to be considered unequal before the law; this is obviously false as I have already shown in the previous round, as preferential treatment in any form is unjust at the government level. R2) States funding religious institutions meets the same fate as federal funding initiatives. Lemon v. Kurtzman established the test that I have already explained. Excessive government entangling in religious affairs can occur at the state level and at the federal level, and it is treated the same under the law. The constitutionality of a policy as defined by the Supreme Court sets a precedent that can be applied to all law interpreted from the time the original decision, as shown by many historical applications of legal precedents. [1]Regardless of whether the funding is for the "secular purpose of welfare", the fact that the government is directly funding a religious institution fails the Lemon test as established by the SCOTUS. I have yet to see my claim to unconstitutionality adequately refuted. ---------------------------Thus far, my arguments stand. Let's take a look at my opponent's arguments. Note that I will leave out my opponent's claim to constitutionality, as my argument already shows that the USFG funding the Christian church is already unconstitutional. R3) "Majority rules" does not adequately address the problem of inequality before the law. As we have observed historically, the right to equality under the law does not only extend to the majority. During the Civil Rights Era, for example, whites greatly outnumbered blacks. However, the right to equality under the law still applied to minority groups. Minority religious institutions cannot be treated differently under the law than the Christian church if we are to live in a just society. The fact that the church helps struggling people is self-evident. Religious charity organizations contribute immensely to our society. However, the preferential funding of the church inherently endorses a belief in the church's righteousness, which is debatable. Beliefs shared by some Christian denominations are directly contrary to current policy (gay marriage is a notable example). It is better, therefore, for the government to stay out of it entirely. Again, it is unjust to designate the Christian church as a means through which the community can be benefited as a whole; the only institution which, by definition, represents the entirety of the community is the government. It is the government's duty in its own right to care for and represent struggling citizens; this is not to say that the Christian church does not have a right and ability to help in their communities, but it is inherently wrong for the government to funnel relief money through the Christian church, which fails to represent the whole community. The government can perform their own duty as they should. ---------------------------I find my opponent's arguments refuted. His claim to constitutionality is misinformed. The problem of unequal treatment before the law has not been addressed. The fact that the church helps people is self-evident, but the government can better represent the community by definition, and the funneling of money through a religious institution is a form of unjustly and unconstitutionally instituted welfare. I await my opponent's response. [1] . http://www.nytimes.com...