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IRS probes politics at church
Miami Herald ^ | ANDREA ROBINSON

Posted on 03/22/2005 8:23:42 AM PST by Brian Mosely

The IRS has notified a Liberty City church that it is under investigation for possibly engaging in political activity -- putting its tax-exempt status into question.

The probe is related to an appearance last October by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and several black leaders, including U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

The reason for the investigation, an IRS official wrote in a 10-page letter obtained by The Herald, is that ``a reasonable belief exists that Friendship Missionary Baptist Church has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status as a church.''

(Excerpt) Read more at miami.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: blackchurch; churchandstate; democrats; electioneering; firstamendment; irs; kerry; politicking; taxes
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1 posted on 03/22/2005 8:23:42 AM PST by Brian Mosely
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To: Brian Mosely

Don'cha love it when lefties get hoisted on their own petard?


2 posted on 03/22/2005 8:24:33 AM PST by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: Brian Mosely
Maybe the IRS should focus their energy on Islamic mosques instead of churches.
3 posted on 03/22/2005 8:25:29 AM PST by LauraleeBraswell ( CONSERVATIVE FIRST-Republican second.)
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To: Brian Mosely

It's about time.


4 posted on 03/22/2005 8:26:28 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: Brian Mosely
There was an original thread on FR when skerry went to that Church? I look for it. unless someone else beats me to it.
5 posted on 03/22/2005 8:26:40 AM PST by Rightly Biased (I believe If you can't say something good about somebody your probably talking about Hillary Clinton)
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To: Brian Mosely

It's about freakin' time. I can think of about a dozen churches they can hit in Cincinnati, including some Catholic ones.


6 posted on 03/22/2005 8:27:04 AM PST by GoBucks2002
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To: Brian Mosely

This will get ugly. The double standard bearers will be out in force. "Politics" will trump facts.


7 posted on 03/22/2005 8:27:04 AM PST by MB6.3
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To: dfwgator

Don'cha love it when lefties get hosed because they are retards? Social retards, that is.


8 posted on 03/22/2005 8:27:16 AM PST by whereasandsoforth
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To: dfwgator


""Don'cha love it when lefties get hoisted on their own petard?""

Well, I do. But this law banning churches from politics violates the basic freedom of speech. Every institution is political.


9 posted on 03/22/2005 8:27:47 AM PST by LauraleeBraswell ( CONSERVATIVE FIRST-Republican second.)
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To: whereasandsoforth

That too.


10 posted on 03/22/2005 8:28:05 AM PST by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: LauraleeBraswell

It sounds like in the case of this particular church, it went beyond simply allowing Rat politicians to speak there.


11 posted on 03/22/2005 8:29:19 AM PST by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: Brian Mosely

I disagree with the IRS investigating any Church. It is sad that Churches don't have first amendment protection.


12 posted on 03/22/2005 8:29:48 AM PST by Always Right
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To: Brian Mosely
This is not to be celebrated. Tempting but it is a reflection there is no separation of Church and State. It is all State. Our Constitution has been killed, it was on life support and despite political posturing from one party and active attempt on its life by the other the measures keeping it alive have been pulled.

Like Terri there will be no one to order it put back in. Terri will be "legal maneuvered" to death just like our rule of law.
13 posted on 03/22/2005 8:30:06 AM PST by Mark in the Old South (Sister Lucia of Fatima pray for us)
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To: Mark in the Old South

Ping


14 posted on 03/22/2005 8:33:31 AM PST by KansasConservative1
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To: Brian Mosely

It's time for all churches to lose their tax-exempt status.


15 posted on 03/22/2005 8:33:47 AM PST by Terpesman
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To: Always Right
I disagree with the IRS investigating any Church. It is sad that Churches don't have first amendment protection.

Get rid of the law. Not only is it not just, it is a huge club that intimidates conservative (mostly white and Republican) pastors because Rat churches know they can get away with anything.

A Rat admin will never investigate a Rat church and if a Republican admin does, they'll cry "racism" or "partisanship." Then, the Republicans will drop the probe because they won't want to be called "mean-spirited."

However, Rat administrations go full guns after conservative churches, to the point where some of them will not allow Republican candidates to pass out literature at the church on Election Day when people are voting there! Republican admins go after right-leaning churches in a vain attempt to get the media and other Dems to be nice to them.

16 posted on 03/22/2005 8:34:57 AM PST by GoBucks2002
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To: LauraleeBraswell
But this law banning churches from politics violates the basic freedom of speech. Every institution is political.

There is no such law. The church asks for a favor from the government, in this case not paying taxes, and in return it has to play by certain rules. All a church as to do is stop taking that government handout, then they're free from that rule.

17 posted on 03/22/2005 8:35:31 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: Brian Mosely

It is about time.

If a priest or pastor from a mainline non minority church dared to bring in a Republican candidate for any position from Dog Catcher to President, that church would lose its non profit status.


18 posted on 03/22/2005 8:35:59 AM PST by Grampa Dave (The MSM has been a WMD, Weapon of Mass Disinformation for the Rats for at least 4 decades.)
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To: Brian Mosely

I raised hell about this back during the election.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1263034/posts


19 posted on 03/22/2005 8:37:10 AM PST by KansasConservative1
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To: LauraleeBraswell
But this law banning churches from politics violates the basic freedom of speech

The church is not banned from speaking. This is about its 501(c)(3) status, not its right to have a position on the issues.

20 posted on 03/22/2005 8:37:50 AM PST by Camachee
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