Forbidding politicking from the pulpit is a Free Exercise violation

[cthulu2016]

The First Amendment lends itself to a sensible, comprehensive interpretation but since people don't really like the First Amendment much (as written) we get confused, contrary interpretation.

For instance, if my religion says Barack Obama is the devil then I am obliged to preach against voting for the devil.

And if my religion says that the indiscriminate murder of thousands of people is evil then I must tell my followers to not vote for George W. Bush.

Free Exercise of ones religion obviously includes at least talking about politics, as surely as it includes talking about any aspect of life.

Instead we have a policy that restricts exercise of religion by threatening to take away tax exemptions from churches that practice politics.

That is the federal government using tax policy to dictate the dimensions of religion, and to limit what a religious leader can say. It is a plain, facial, stark infringement of the free exercise of religion.

If, however, the entirety of the First Amendment was followed there would be no problem. There would be no tax breaks to lose!

Not only does the government infringe the exercise of religious politics, it establishes apolitical religion as a higher and more deserving class of religion!

Craziness.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

1. Giving tax breaks is a Establishment Clause violation.

The churches should be taxed like any other entertainment business.

The churches that don't want tax breaks don't have to take them.

[cthulu2016]

2. Exactly

Respect both sids of the equation (establishment and free exercise) and there's no problem.

[hifiguy]

3. "Tax the Churches.

Tax the Businesses Owned by the Churches."

- Frank Zappa

[gratuitous]

4. *Sigh*

The rule is (and maybe this needs to be carved in a stone somewhere) that issue-oriented speech from the pulpit is okay, endorsement of a candidate by name is forbidden.

Example:

"Vote for Joe Blow!" Forbidden

"Joe Blow endorses the civil rights and full participation in our society by everyone, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons. Sammy Suck does not. This congregation also believes in civil rights for everyone, and the full participation of everyone in society, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons. Vote your beliefs." Allowed

Questions? It's just not that difficult a concept.

[cthulu2016]

5. The complaint is not vagueness

The fact that you can describe how a restriction operates does not mean a restriction doesn't exist. Quite the opposite.

You just identified an expression of a particular category of moral viewpoint as forbidden to religious leaders, though strangely enough, open to me.

Vote for Obama! See... I just said it.

[msongs]

6. yes, christian churches preach that all non believers are going to eternal hell nt

[gratuitous]

7. Some do, but not all

You might consider using the finishing brush rather than the broad one.

[madrchsod]

8. i can`t remember any of my pastors saying this...

of course i am a Methodist with a rather liberal congregation who cares about the here and now instead of the hereafter.

[jberryhill]

9. It's not a 1st Amendment issue

Churches aren't accorded special tax status.

They are treated like any other non-profit organization. If they engage in politics, then they lose their tax status. That's the same rule as applied to any non-religious non-profit social organization.