Posted on 01/03/2008 7:46:25 AM PST by JohnnyZ
In recent days, at least two evangelical pastors who are personally supporting Mike Huckabee received anonymous mailings warning that their churches risk sanction by the Internal Revenue Service if they become too involved in politics. The pastors said that the letters, one of which is notable for exaggerated punctuation and a spelling mistake, appeared aimed at preventing church leaders from encouraging congregants to turn out on caucus night.
"The intention is to try to get us to back down," said Kevin Hollinger, the pastor of Algona's First Baptist Church and a letter recipient. Like dozens of other evangelical leaders in Iowa, Hollinger has personally endorsed Huckabee, a fellow Baptist pastor, while encouraging his church membership to participate in the caucuses. In Iowa, polls show that Huckabee has a significant advantage among evangelical voters over his closest competitor, Mitt Romney, a Mormon who has courted the support of evangelical leaders across the country with more mixed success.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Who cares?
The Huckster has played his own dirty tricks on others.
“Under federal rules, churches and other tax exempt organizations are barred from explicitly supporting or opposing a candidate. Church leaders, however, can still encourage congregants to participate in elections or caucuses, and they may discuss general political issues, like abortion and marriage, from the pulpit. Leaders can also endorse candidates in their capacity as private citizens.”
“One of the anonymous mailings includes a seven-year old news article about a church that lost its tax-exempt status after paying for a newspaper ad that criticized former president Bill Clinton. Another mailing warns church leaders against “campaigning” for a candidate, before announcing in capital letters: “IT WILL LAND YOU IN THE SLAMMER!” The letter, which is signed by “Concerned Christian,” then suggests that churches should avoid even more anodyne political involvement. “With Sen. Grassley holding hearings on exactly this issue in Washington DC, we can’t be to careful!!!!” it states, with a notable misspelling. Hollinger said the letters were addressed to him, with no return address and a Des Moines postmark.”
"The letters became a topic of discussion on a Wednesday morning conference call with Iowa pastors that was organized by the U.S. Pastor Council and several Christian leaders who have personally endorsed Huckabee. “It’s literature kind of indicating that churches better not be involved in politics,” said another letter recipient and Huckabee endorser, Pastor Terry Amann, of the Walnut Creek Community Church in Windsor Heights. The call included about 50 leaders, including bestselling Christian author Tim LaHaye, who also supports Huckabee." It appears to me that the more these “religious” politicians “wear religion on their sleeve”, the more VISCIOUS and INCOMPETENT they are in the secular as well as living TRUE Christian doctrine.
“Under federal rules, churches and other tax exempt organizations are barred from explicitly supporting or opposing a candidate. Church leaders, however, can still encourage congregants to participate in elections or caucuses, and they may discuss general political issues, like abortion and marriage, from the pulpit. Leaders can also endorse candidates in their capacity as private citizens.”
“One of the anonymous mailings includes a seven-year old news article about a church that lost its tax-exempt status after paying for a newspaper ad that criticized former president Bill Clinton. Another mailing warns church leaders against “campaigning” for a candidate, before announcing in capital letters: “IT WILL LAND YOU IN THE SLAMMER!” The letter, which is signed by “Concerned Christian,” then suggests that churches should avoid even more anodyne political involvement. “With Sen. Grassley holding hearings on exactly this issue in Washington DC, we can’t be to careful!!!!” it states, with a notable misspelling. Hollinger said the letters were addressed to him, with no return address and a Des Moines postmark.”
"The letters became a topic of discussion on a Wednesday morning conference call with Iowa pastors that was organized by the U.S. Pastor Council and several Christian leaders who have personally endorsed Huckabee. “It’s literature kind of indicating that churches better not be involved in politics,” said another letter recipient and Huckabee endorser, Pastor Terry Amann, of the Walnut Creek Community Church in Windsor Heights. The call included about 50 leaders, including bestselling Christian author Tim LaHaye, who also supports Huckabee."
It appears to me that the more these “religious” politicians “wear religion on their sleeve”, the more VISCIOUS and INCOMPETENT they are in the secular as well as living TRUE Christian doctrine.
The Romney Sleaze Machine strikes again.
Can't be. Romney supporters know how to sell. Maybe it's Paulistinians.
Knowing the Huckster, his campaign or supporters are behind this.
The Huckster is a craven, incompetent manipulator who wants to be seen as a martyr for his “faith.”
You accuse Romney. Show your proof.
Sounds like something Ed "Walkin Around Money" Rollins of the Huckster's camapign would do.
I am not a Romney supporter but where is the evidence? It is NOT likely a Romney trick....but Huckabee competition for the stealth evangelical voters... that other side of this base. The majority of Baptists I know are Clinton supporters and they are very white.
Two thirds of this nation continuously polled in the approval of the Clintons during their rule and I have come across some of them, two times a week church goers. I call them the WWJD - praise the sinner but hate the sin crowd.
Could be why the Rev Jesse Jackson and the Rev Al Sharpton have been conspicuously absent from the campaign trail... thank goodness!!!
But I have seen articles in which the Hildabeast has spoken in churches recently. I wondered why she could speak in churches when the Republicans seemed to get trounced by the IRS for this behavior.
I doubt the IRS sends out anonymous warnings. Trying for the sympathy vote here?
Who benefits?
Who has been behind sleazy attacks in the past?
Who do you think put out the "Thompson's dropping out" dirty trick?
Who is trailing Huckabee in the latest polls after spending millions of dollars in Iowa and is launching every desperate attack he can manage?
I agree , the RSM has been out in full force lately as Romney gets desperate .
I wouldn’t put it past the RSM to pull a stunt like this ....
Hucky is probably sending the mail himself, to get some kind of sympathy..poor Hucky! Better yet... Hillary is probably snickering as we write, thinking “ I am killing two birds with one stone”
I strongly disagree with this. I know many who support Huckabee and they would NOT approve of something like this at all.
If they had even a hint of it, they would drop their support for him instantly.
And I am not a Huckabee supporter.
My guess is some loose cannon atheist types .
Yeah, he really does look like him. Amazing.
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