You Could See This One Coming... Protesting Pastors Back Candidates (McCain\Palin) From The Pulpit

[WillyT]

<snip>

WEST BEND, Wis. -- Pastor Luke Emrich prepared his sermon this week knowing his remarks could invite an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. But that was the whole point, so Emrich forged ahead with his message: Thou shalt vote according to the Scriptures.

"I'm telling you straight up, I would choose life," Emrich told about 100 worshippers Sunday at New Life Church, a nondenominational evangelical congregation about 40 miles from Milwaukee. "I would cast a vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin," he said. "But friends, it's your choice to make, it's not my choice. I won't be in the voting booth with you."

All told, 33 pastors in 22 states were to make pointed recommendations about political candidates Sunday, an effort orchestrated by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund. The conservative legal group plans to send copies of the pastors' sermons to the IRS with hope of setting off a legal fight and abolishing restrictions on church involvement in politics. Critics call it unnecessary, divisive and unlikely to succeed.

Congress amended the tax code in 1954 to state that certain nonprofit groups, including secular charities and places of worship, can lose their tax-exempt status for intervening in a campaign involving candidates.

Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said hundreds of churches volunteered to take part in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday." Thirty-three were chosen, in part for "strategic criteria related to litigation" Stanley wouldn't discuss.

<snip>

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/28/AR2008092801338.html

:puke:

[msongs]

1. hypocrite bible thumpers back the ADULTERER John McCain lololol nt

[MadMaddie]

2. Then it is time to start sending these churches into the IRS

right? It is illegal what they are doing and they should lose their tax exempt status. For these churches to violate the law so blatently they should pay taxes. Nuff said....

[DontTreadOnMe]

3. Tax the Churches!

-FZ 1980

[mcctatas]

4. Yank their freaking tax exempt status IMMEDIATELY!

All IRC section 501(c)(3) organizations, including church­
es and religious organizations, must abide by certain rules:
■
their net earnings may not inure to any private
shareholder or individual,
■
they must not provide a substantial benefit to private
interests,
■
they must not devote a substantial part of their
activities to attempting to influence legislation,
■
they must not participate in, or intervene in, any
political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to)
any candidate for public office, and
■
the organization’s purposes and activities may not
be illegal or violate fundamental public policy

tax exempt status churches

edit to add: How much clearer does it need to be? Fucking christofacists make me hurl :puke:

[hedgehog]

5. Here's my take on this: either the people in the congregation are

already McCain/Palin supporters in which case this changes no votes, or else they are independents or Obama/Biden supporters who may get mad enough at this political talk to change congregations.

[secondwind]

6. I had heard that this was going to happen, and that they didn't care about the IRS'

rules..

[mitchum]

7. Now that they have put the $uckers' money where their lying mouths are...

strip these fucking grifters of their tax exempt status

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. these pastors need to be reminded of

the separation of church and state. I am sure they would not be to happy if the evil government stuck its nose in THEIR business


ignorant asses

[Balderdash]

9. Tax them!!

Period, tax the mother F'ers.

[juno jones]

10. No tax exemptions for ANY religion.

They can balance out their tax load with proven charity work exemptions...if they can.

When will people realize that you don't have to buy into church to believe in god?

[screembloodymurder]

11. How can we get a list of these churchs?

They need to be turned in.

[WillyT]

13. Some Info For Ya...

Link: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Taxes/Avoidanaudit/P42263.asp

Enjoy!

:hi:

[Okie4Obama]

12. Ugh, one of them from my town.

I wish I had moved from here before I bought a house. Now I'm stuck.

[Bake]

14. According to NPR, they plan to sue the IRS if they lose their tax-exempt status

They claim the government is infringing on their first amendment free speech rights.

The difference is (and the SCOTUS has long held) that nobody's infringing anything. The govt. doesn't tell you what you can and cannot say, only that you aren't entitled to not pay taxes for doing so.

Bake

[TlalocW]

15. Good plan

Let's take it to the courts, do appeal after appeal to higher courts until it reaches the Supreme Court at which point, Obama and Biden will have been in office for several years and have appointed one or two more liberal leaning judges who will take away their tax exemptions.

TlalocW