[LauraleeBraswell]

""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.

[dfwgator]

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

[antiRepublicrat]

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.

[Camachee]

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.

[Graybeard58]

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

Free speech is not the question here - tax exempt status is. Churches are as free to engage in politics as they want to be - but not at my expense.

[gdani]

But this law banning churches from politics violates the basic freedom of speech

But it doesn't ban them from politics.

It bans them from electioneering when they agree to be classified as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

Nothing/nobody forces them to be incorporated as non-profits. When churches agree to that tax designation they are doing so knowing full well what the rules & restrictions are. And the rules are the same for all 501(c)(3) groups - churches or not.

The solutions are simple. A church can abandon its 501(c)(3) status & engage in electioneering (and start paying taxes). Or it can reincorporate itself under a different designation. For instance, as a PAC. It can even create two (or more) technically separate organizations in the exact way that everyone from the NRA to Planned Parenthood have done for years.

But to say churches are banned from electioneering is totally false & misleading. Some churches just want to have their cake & eat it too.

[lonestar]

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

Let churches pay taxes and they can say whatever they want. They have a choice.

[bert]

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

Well not quite. Churches claim tax exemption on first amendment grounds citing the separation between church and state. The case in point rests on the fact that the churches have taken sides in the issue of the state and may have forfeited their church status and therefore tax exemption.
If tax exemption were associated with FRee speech, we would all pay no taxes because we certainly exercise out right.

[Centurion2000]

But this law banning churches from politics violates the basic freedom of speech

There is no law banning them from being political. BUT, if you want to be a tax-free church, you need to stay out of politics.

That's more than fair enough for me.

[Badray]

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

Well, you've heard from all of the legalistic minds here on FR. "The law is the law," they say.

I say BS.

HB25 / S25, The FairTax,(fairtax.org) solves this problem by eliminating taxation on income. There should be no rules, no laws, no hoops to speak your mind in America regardless of what your opinion is. 'Free speech' as intended by the Founders, was POLITICAL SPEECH, not nude dancing or product advertising.

That freedom was diminished by the tax code first, and then stomped on again by Campaign Finance Reform. The churches (as well as the pubs and taverns) in the colonies were important meeting places for those fighting the crown.

Hmmmm Maybe that's why the government wants these restrictions.