Religious Leaders Would Be Allowed More Freedom to Participate in Partisan

[Tellurian]

Politics-

House Republican leaders have tacked on to a major jobs bill a provision that would give religious leaders more freedom to engage in partisan politics without endangering the tax-exempt status of their churches.

Conservative Christian groups have been pushing for such legislation for years, while civil liberties organizations and religious minorities have opposed it. But unlike past proposals, which were stand-alone bills, the current provision is attached to a huge tax bill that House leaders have placed on a fast track for consideration.

A spokeswoman for the House Ways and Means Committee, Christin Tinsworth, said the provision was inserted in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 at the request of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) because "this is an election year and there are not many bills that will become law this year." Hastert's office did not respond to repeated calls Monday and yesterday seeking comment.

The provision's conservative Christian backers, including the Southern Baptist Convention, say selective enforcement by the IRS has had a "chilling effect" on evangelical churches. Some also say the tax code, which was changed in 1954 to prohibit churches from engaging in partisan activity, has deprived religious groups of their historical place in U.S. politics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26244-2004Jun8.html

[progressivebydesign]

1. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I make it more clear? HELL NO!! ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY NOT!

OMG! Those pricks put it into a JOBS BILL???

[NCLib23]

3. Is this the answer

to our 527's?

[Tellurian]

16. kick~

[Tellurian]

2. We need someone to say, the GOP cannot offer up any new bills until

the entire executive branch of government is removed and investigated for war Crimes.

[schultzee]

4. So we will have the damn southern Baptists running the USA!

How I hate what Bush is doing to our country!

[DrDan]

11. junior is a

Methodist

Ashcroft is Assembly of God

[HawkerHurricane]

5. You mean that they HAVEN'T been playing partisan politics?

Gawd Above, what bull.

They want to play politics? Let them pay taxes like the rest of us.

On a related note, I've heard Catholic Bishops are targeting Catholic politicians who vote pro-choice, with one exception... California Govorner 'Arnie'.

[HuckleB]

7. Was Arnie always Roman Catholic?

Or did he have to convert?

Hey, at least he must be able to drink. One has to give him that much!

:)

[HuckleB]

6. Ridiculous, as usual.

There is no longer a reason to allow religion to be exempt from taxes, unless it sets up a wholly secular social welfar nonprofit on the side. As for paying for the church, pastor salaries, administration etc... there can no longer be a justification for the exemption from taxes.

Here in Oregon, pastors and entire parishes are spending their Sundays, at their buildings of "worship" forcing parishioners to sign petishions to put a ballot measure aiming to ban gay marriage on this Fall's ballot. Sorry, folks. But that's not religion. It's not faith. It's not even Christian.

It's time to pay taxes!

[Democat]

8. The Democrats will either fight this or lose all power eventually

If the Democratic Party is not willing to stand up for this, they deserve to become irrelevant.

[GOPBasher]

9. Theocracy: not just for the middle east anymore!

It's on it's way...

http://theocracywatch.org/index.html

[Tellurian]

10. Yup, and Kerry, if he's really with us, had better take a stand on this!

This is just the beginning of the seeding of religion as the basis for law in this country and the ME.

Kerry has got to STOP this unprecedented advance of Christian Fundamentalism dead in it's tracks, blowing it out of the water in his next speech.

The Founding Fathers intended this country be free of Religious Persecution..

Make it so, JK, you've got the whole of our heritage backing you on this issue. No need to tread lightly on one of America's fundamental rights.

[Ms. Clio]

14. It's why I gnash my teeth

Every time I hear or read (often, right here at DU) about the evil Islamic fundamentalists who want us all to read the Quran and stuff our women into burkas--the Christian fundies are a far greater menace, a clear and present danger to our Constitution and our democracy.

[zanana]

12. Can you imagine Bush's next commercial?

"John Kerry voted AGAINST the recent jobs bill." These people are getting away with murder.

[bleedingheart]

13. This goes against everything our founding fathers stood for!

[Bandit]

15. Well I remember what happened to Black Churches in the South

They were perceived as being political because they advocated for civil rights. All I can say is we reap what we sow.