Beto O’Rourke: I’ll Revoke Tax Exempt Status from Religious Organizations

EXCERPT:

O'ROURKE: "Yeah. I agree with them that they should be able to believe whatever they believe. They should be able to practice their faith in whatever way they choose, and that should in no way compromise their freedom to do that or their tax-exempt status if they’re a nonprofit organization. But if they offer some service in the public sphere, whether it is adoption services or health care or higher education, and discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation or race or ethnicity or any other difference, then not only do I think that is wrong and against the law, especially if we sign into law the Equality Act, but I also think that it should cost them their tax-exempt status. And it’s not idle speculation or a novel idea. We know that Bob Jones University in 1983 lost their tax-exempt status for discriminating on the basis of race. So I had watched some of those earlier town halls on CNN earlier in the day and understood that the spirit of the question was discrimination in the public sphere. Of course, in your mosque, in your temple, in your church, in your synagogue, that is your business, not mine, nor is it the government’s. But the moment you offer a public service, public accommodation, you are held to a higher standard. As president, I'll make sure we do that."