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IRS Sued for Lax Response to Church Politicking
CBNNews.com ^ | Friday, November 16, 2012 | CBNNews.com

Posted on 11/17/2012 6:37:21 AM PST by daniel1212

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over its lax response to church politicking.

The group argues that the tax agency is violating the Constitution by allowing tax-exempt churches and religious organizations to get involved in political campaigns.

The suit points to several examples, including a full page newspaper ad by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The ad, which showed a photo of Rev. Billy Graham, urged Americans to vote along biblical principles.

The 94-year-old evangelist also met with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in October and promised to do all he could to help him win the election.

The lawsuit argues that the IRS is giving preferential treatment to religious groups over other tax- exempt organizations.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: antitheism; atheist; atheistsupremacists; churchstate; firstammendment; freedomfromreligion; irs; thenogodgod
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To: SunkenCiv

The ACLU says voting in Michigan is too hard.

ACLU: Long lines at Grand Rapids polls mean people must choose between voting or their paychecks

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/11/aclu_long_lines_at_polls_mean.html


21 posted on 11/17/2012 8:29:48 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: daniel1212

BTW, I’m not trying to be combative brother. I re-read my posts and my passion on this subject shows through.


22 posted on 11/17/2012 8:33:03 AM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: daniel1212

ping


23 posted on 11/17/2012 8:33:50 AM PST by celmak
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To: daniel1212

I know for sure that there were churches in Ohio that talked about voting for Obama and had voting pamphlets in their hallway telling people how to vote.

They aren’t going to do this. There are hundreds more black/liberal churches pushing a “candidate.” Evangelicals are afraid of getting in trouble.


24 posted on 11/17/2012 8:44:28 AM PST by madison10
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To: Thank You Rush

Billy Graham urging voters to vote along the lines of their biblical principles is speech. And, it clearly is not an endorsement.

And, if really doesn’t matter. The only thing the IRS can do is tell people their giving to Church of the XYZ isn’t a legitimate deduction from their taxes. So, for those whose deductions make it better for them to itemize, this deduction will then make about a 10-15% difference of the amount donated in their taxable income. So, basically, a guy who gave is at 72300 income and gave 2000 to his church might have his taxable income reduced by 300 bucks down to 72000 before the tax is assessed.

Big Whoop!

Go ahead and speak for that paltry bit of cash.


25 posted on 11/17/2012 8:58:54 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: sakic
Because while every person - citizen - is under the authority of the civil government, the Church body itself is under the authority of Jesus Christ. The Church is his.

Corporations and other organization types are chartered by (thus allowed to be created by and sanctioned by) civil government. For example, the Secretary of State of Delaware signs the approval to create a Delaware corporation. Ergo, the corporation is bound by applicable Delaware and U.S. law and subject to the authorities of those civil governments.

The Church is thought of in terms of the "visible" and "invisible" Church, the former being specific denominations and congregations, the latter being those people who are true believers destined for eternity with God; the two sets of people overlap, but it is not knowable precisly to what extent.

This invisible Church is theologically that which is Christ's Church, but technically every denomination can only be assumed by civil government to be "the Church", since the only information the civil government has is that a Church states that it is a Christian Church.

The Church was founded by Jesus Christ, ergo it is under his authority. Most every (but not all) civil governments in Western Civilization since then have, at least theoretically, recognized the Biblical teaching that Church authority is separate and distinct from civil government authority, and that they have different yet complimentary roles, and their own authorities and responsibilities. Most have also, in some fundamental way, recognized that the Bible is the underlying source of morality and legality and thereby civil governments have traditionally accepted the limitations of their authority as defined by the Bible (for example, they have no Biblical authority to legislate that theft or pre-meditated murder is legal), though over the past couple hundred years, of course, society has turned it's back on God. Notice this is not to say that individual people obeyed all laws, but it's an underlying recognition of the basis of the legitimacy of laws and authority. Notice also that under tyrannical or corrupt regimes, such as Stalin, Hitler, etc., laws and government became bereft of morality - but those governments also had abandoned all Biblical teaching and consequently trampled all over the Church and it's authority in it's areas of responsibility. Those are some of the worst cases, but of course the visible Church and civil government erred to various degrees since the Church's inception.

God's law word, the Bible, commands individual members to tithe to the Church; in the old days this sometimes was collected as we would think of a tax, though for many years this has been properly interpreted usually as a free will offering. And the civil government authorities would collect their tax as well from citizens.

Most people today, however, have never been taught that the entities of civil government and Church do not have the authority to tax each other. The Bible does not command tithes to the Church from civil government, only from individuals, and the civil government did not charter or authorize the creation of the Church so it has no legitimate authority over it. Today in America people see a congregation and a Church building and think of it as a club that has formed with just those members; but they are omitting, in their analysis, the fact that as a Bible-believing Christian Church that congregation is stating that they are members of Christ's church, founded over 1,900 years ago.

This is also why the civil government has no legitimacy in forcing a Church to alter it's doctrine - it has no more authority to do that than the Church does to force the passage of laws on the civil government. Each can call on the other to change their rules, leaders, policies, etc., but they can't legitimately force such changes.

Years ago, childhood education included the Bible, so people were generally more aware that government considered outside the context of the Bible, i.e., where legal principles are designed by men according to their whim in the "moral relativity" of secular humanism, would have as many suggested forms as there are men. And if they did not align with Scripture, none would have more claim to legitimacy than the other.
26 posted on 11/17/2012 9:00:49 AM PST by PieterCasparzen (We have to fix things ourselves.)
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To: daniel1212

none of that means the Commissioner of Revenue shouldn’t be flensed, but he probably ought to go to Congress and ask for permanent exclusion of IRS from church affairs, even if they are UBIT related.


27 posted on 11/17/2012 9:33:12 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: daniel1212

The Levites didn’t pay tithe because they maintained the temple. They were not allowed to own or farm land or raise livestock as the other tribes could. They lived off of the remains of the sacrifice or they had to purchase supplies.


28 posted on 11/17/2012 9:36:46 AM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: PJammers

Where in the constitution does it say ANYONE is taxed.


29 posted on 11/17/2012 10:12:13 AM PST by Donnafrflorida (Thru HIM all things are possible.)
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To: daniel1212

The Godless atheist supremacists in Obama’s corner are mad. Their guy won and they are still angry.

Bet there number was among the ranks of Democrats who kept saying “NO (HELL) NO!” at the 2012 DNC convention when the party bosses tried to hastily put in support for God and Israel in the party platform.


30 posted on 11/17/2012 10:19:04 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: PJammers

These issues require a deeper consideration that you express by your protests.

The Constitution does not say that churches and non profits are tax exempt, nor that they must be taxed, but allows the gov. freedom to do either (and even give money to them), and the contention is not that churches must be tax exempt, but that they must waive the normal 1st Amendment freedom if they choose to be approved as tax exempt.

As for what what Bible verse explains this exemption, that has been answered. Those who dedicate themselves to the Lord’s service without pay were absolved from paying support for the service they were already laboring in. (Dt. 26:11,12)

And even in pagan Egypt, the priests were not required to pay the tax levied on the rest (Genesis 47:26)

Yet while supported in principle, it is not mandated in Scripture, and the Lord paid taxes even though it was unjust. (Mt. 17:24-27)

But like as seen in Scripture, the gov. can choose to recognize non profits as paying their “taxes” to society by voluntary service, and absolved them from taxes so that they may increase their mission. And as such, or at least churches, usually more efficient than the government, and whose work they alleviate, then taxpayers should favor this, and churches can indirectly work to provide a more stable society by bringing souls to be controlled from within, so they need nor be controlled from without.

Moreover, churches are made up of tax payers.

In addition, while a church is essentially “not about buildings and wealth,” the fact is that practically such things, from food to clothes to buildings and the money that buys them, are used in its work and expression of love.

Thus, as we seek to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God, so we should be intent on seeing our funds be to put to the best use, and if freedom from taxes is offered, so it can be accepted.

And while many non profits (not just churches) abuse their status, that does not negate the authenticity of the rest, but can show a need for reform such as to what a non profit is .

Whether non profits can be prohibited from political involvement is the real issue, as is the sometimes one sided application of that rule.


31 posted on 11/17/2012 11:13:31 AM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: daniel1212

Either way, we all KNOW black and “hispanic” churches won’t be targeted in this lawsuit.


32 posted on 11/17/2012 3:32:30 PM PST by Amberdawn
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To: Donnafrflorida

If you read the 16th amendment it authorizes the income tax. The federal government is not allowed to tax direct asset like property. Only States are allowed property taxes.


33 posted on 11/17/2012 4:18:28 PM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: Donnafrflorida

If you read the 16th amendment it authorizes the income tax. The federal government is not allowed to tax direct asset like property. Only States are allowed property taxes.


34 posted on 11/17/2012 4:18:39 PM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: Donnafrflorida

If you read the 16th amendment it authorizes the income tax. The federal government is not allowed to tax direct asset like property. Only States are allowed property taxes.


35 posted on 11/17/2012 4:18:52 PM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: PJammers

Thanx did not know that


36 posted on 11/17/2012 4:33:11 PM PST by Donnafrflorida (Thru HIM all things are possible.)
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To: daniel1212

Sorry for the triple post. Not taxing churches has more to do with tradition than law. Man makes the law, makes the money, and collects taxes. These are the ways of the world and shouldn’t concern us. If Washington’s face is on the dollar then we should give it to Washington.

I am a member of the American Legion. A non-profit organization that doesn’t have a paid member in the entire organization, yet we are taxed on property along with any income we receive for the rental of the hall. All of our members pay taxes. We operate on a shoestring budget yet we are able to serve our community.

I see 100 million dollar churches being built in my area not blocks from 100 million dollar churches. Pastors driving new Cadillacs.

The church is its members, not how much money they make or spend.

Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree.


37 posted on 11/17/2012 4:55:32 PM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: Donnafrflorida

No problem. Actually congress can get around the direct tax by labeling your property as income.


38 posted on 11/17/2012 5:08:58 PM PST by PJammers (I can't help it... It's my idiom!)
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To: daniel1212

The time for listening to these shlubs is over. It’s time to tell them to just go find a hole and climb into it.


39 posted on 11/17/2012 5:14:58 PM PST by maxwellsmart_agent
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