Posted on 09/18/2004 2:57:07 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
A month ago, the Internal Revenue Service mailed a letter to the First Baptist Church of College Hill inquiring about a visit two years ago by Janet Reno, then a Democratic candidate for governor. The letter caused the Rev. Abraham Brown to move a scheduled political forum from the historically black church. Why? Because if the IRS found the church was supporting or opposing a political candidate, it could revoke the church's tax-exempt status.
No church in the United States has ever lost its tax-exempt status, but in a campaign season when the presidential candidates are reaching out to church members for support, complaints to the IRS are picking up.
Like most people, we don't believe churches should explicitly endorse candidates for public office. A survey released last month by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 65 percent of Americans oppose church endorsements of political candidates.
But neither should the political parties or a political interest group like Americans United for Separation of Church and State use the IRS as a club to still pastors' tongues or prevent the political education of their congregations.
Historically, the civil rights movement would have gone nowhere if black churches had been divorced from champions of equality.
Even with the IRS rules in place, churches can do a lot politically. They can encourage voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives. They can put together voter guides or fact sheets that contain the views of candidates as long as the list is not an endorsement.
It's even OK for candidates to speak from the pulpit, so long as they don't talk about their candidacy.
In a nation where the majority of voters are people of faith whose views are inspired by religious conviction, religion and politics will never be mutually exclusive.
A church that entertains a candidate or hosts a political forum to inform voters is not a threat. It's an asset.
yup
A touchy subject BUMP!
What was the name of the church in NY that was sued by the IRS for engaging in political discussion? IIRC the Dems furor was over abortion politics not leftie-rightie politics.
It should say,
"No leftist church has ever been sued by the Feds or lost its tax-exempt status ..."
Bump!
THE preacher at our church reminds people to vote on the issues like gay rights, and to look at the canidate who sees your side ,which means GWB they just never say it.
PING
"No church in the United States has ever lost its tax-exempt status"
Leave it to a journalist to make (re-make) history:
http://www.aclj.org/News/Nr_000512.Asp
Of course, in the view of most journalists (mostly leftists), this church
probably doesn't count.
Heck, they're probably some sort of hate-group against gay marriage!
***
Even with the IRS rules in place, churches can do a lot politically. They can encourage voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives. They can put together voter
guides or fact sheets that contain the views of candidates as long as the list is not an endorsement. ***
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