“You can’t give away someone else’s property, and you certainly cannot give it to yourself.” So say congregations that are defending their sanctuaries, bank accounts and endowments from denominational confiscation.

“Au contraire: The law is different where churches are involved,” say high church officials. “When your congregation joined the ‘hierarchical’ [sic] Presbyterian Church (USA), you gave up property rights that other citizens enjoy.”

“But our church’s name is on the deed, and we never signed it over to you.”

“You’re part of a denomination that voted to put your property in trust for itself. You have to play by the rules.”

“Whose rules?”

“Our rules.”

“That’s like saying that if the Rotary Club votes to give its president’s home to the club, he loses his home simply because he’s a member.”

“The Rotary bird might not fly, but churches are different. Churches make their own rules, and the state can’t interfere. Don’t you know about the separation of church and state?”

“We understand that the state can’t tell our congregation what to believe or how to worship, but surely it has something to say about the property that our own people bought, improved and maintain. After all, isn’t property law state law?”

“Not if you’re a Presbyterian,” said the Pharaoh. “In these sacred circles, property law is what the denomination says it is.”

“We are Americans, and we cherish our freedom of assembly, so if that’s the way you play the game, our congregation will change its name.”

“Not without our permission. Lacking proper exit papers you will be schismatic, and schismatics are not recognized as ‘the true church.’ Don’t forget, we’re holding your property for ‘the true church.’”

“What makes a church ‘true?’”

“We do.”

Read More: http://www.layman.org/News.aspx?article=28213

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]