Trump's 'Religious Freedom' Executive Order May Have More to Do With Fundraising Than Freedom

[DonViejo]

BAD FAITH

Trump’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Executive Order May Have More to Do With Fundraising Than Freedom

Pastors have sent the IRS videos of themselves explicitly violating the Johnson Amendment for a decade. The IRS has yet to bite.

BETSY WOODRUFF
05.04.17 9:35 PM ET

One of the president’s contentious religious-liberty executive orders may have more to do with fundraising than freedom.

Among a host of provisions President Donald Trump signed Thursday was an order directing the IRS to be lenient about a law that blocks pastors from endorsing candidates from the pulpit. Just one issue: The IRS is already incredibly lenient about enforcing this law—so much so that some pastors have been trying for years to goad the agency into enforcing it, to no avail.

That law, called the Johnson Amendment, has been in place since 1952. Trump spoke out against it on the campaign trail, which surprised many long-time religious liberty activists.

“I’ve never heard it come up as a priority, ever. Not once,” said Tim Schultz, who heads the First Amendment Partnership, an organization with the stated goal of promoting and protecting religious freedom. “There’s probably been more discussion of the Johnson Amendment in the last 24 hours than I’ve heard in the last six years.”

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/04/trump-s-religious-freedom-executive-order-may-have-more-to-do-with-fundraising-than-freedom

[dalton99a]

1. He's throwing a bone to evangelicals

[Missn-Hitch]

3. They will follow him NO MATTER WHAT.

[global1]

2. On Trump's EO On Religious Freedom - If You Can't Beat'm Join'm....

Let's start a new religion - The Church of Anti-Trump. We would get a tax exemption and we can raise money tax free and preach anti-Trump dogma from our pulpit and now endorse Progressive candidates.

Anyone know how to start a religion?

We need to take advantage of Trump's generosity to religious organizations.

Are you with me?

[BigOleDummy]

5. Like

your thinking! Don't think there's anything "special" in starting a religion , I mean...... if there is a REAL honest to goodness "Church of Elvis" and a "Church of Ed Wood" , I don't see why you couldn't have a church of Anti-trump. (I refuse to capitalize his name)

Knew about the Elvis one but I must say The Church of Ed Wood surprised me! And I have every movie he ever made.... except for the porn from his latter life but not for the lack of trying. So bad they're good , at least to me. lol

[jmowreader]

6. Start here

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/churches-religious-organizations

Here's the IRS definition of a church: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/churches-religious-organizations/churches-defined

[BigmanPigman]

4. Everything the Repub do has to do with fund raising/ $. It is their only faith...the almighty dollar