IRS Strikes Deal With Atheists To Monitor Churches

Investors.com ^ | July 31, 2014 | IBD Editorial

[jazusamo]

First Amendment: Government's assault on religious liberty has hit a new low as the IRS settles with atheists by promising to monitor sermons for mentions of the right to life and traditional marriage.

A lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) asserted that the Internal Revenue Service ignored complaints about churches' violating their tax-exempt status by routinely promoting political issues, legislation and candidates from the pulpit.

The FFRF has temporarily withdrawn its suit in return for the IRS's agreement to monitor sermons and homilies for proscribed speech that the foundation believes includes things like condemnation of gay marriage and criticism of ObamaCare for its contraceptive mandate.

The irony of this agreement is that it's being enforced by the same Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS that was once headed by Lois "Fifth Amendment" Lerner and that openly targeted Tea Party and other conservative groups.

Among the questions that the IRS asked of those targeted groups was the content of their prayers.

Those who objected to the monitoring of what is said and done in mosques for signs of terrorist activity have no problem with this one, though monitoring what's said in houses of worship is a clear violation of the First Amendment. Can you say "chilling effect"?

[bamahead]

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[boycott]

(1) Speaking out against abortion and gay marriage aren’t just political issues. They’re moral issues and the church has a right to speak out against it.

(2) Unions receive tax-exemption status. Why are they allowed lobbying and political activities?

(3) Many doubt that the restriction on free speech would ever hold up if it went to the Supreme Court. The liberals really don’t want to find out. That’s why their threats against the church are usually hollow.

[Mark85937]

These were Biblical issues before they became political issues.

[Jemian]

Frankly, I am all for atheists attending church for whatever reason. I have no fear that they are stronger than the Word of God. Perhaps this is the means that the Holy Spirit will use to convict them of sin, the exisence and sovereignity of God, and the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

They will, one day, be aknowledging Him. It is just a question as to whether they will be in the body of believers or out.

[Amagi]

IRS, doing the work of the devil.

[Still Thinking]

C'mon, even a third grader can see the problems with this "monitoring."

These are feds. They won't be up to the level of a third grader for, well, probably ever.

[savedbygrace]

Because the IRS laws passed by Congress restrict from the free exercise of religion, those laws are violations of the 1st Amendment.

[Joe Boucher]

how about having the worthless IRS go after black clergy for using their pulpit as democrat recruiting platforms?
The federal gub mint is broken and can’t be fixed.
Time for a revolt!!!

[jughandle]

Now surely this is across the board monitoring...ALL religions, denominations, etc..ALL churches, mosques, places of worship, etc..

Now to avoid conflicts we are going to need multiple monitors at each and every service, gathering, or event at each and every place of worship... one monitor of every religion(don’t want one getting an upper hand on another), race, ethnicity, gender, gender identified for that matter, political persuasion, etc...because ones inert restating may differ from others..(maybe if there is a difference of interpretation there can be an IRS division for that? Or courts?)

Wow, this can be a HUGE undertaking...unless of course it’s meant to single out Catholics.

[Pearls Before Swine]

... the IRS settles with atheists by promising to monitor sermons for mentions of the right to life and traditional marriage.

If the IRS will monitor church sermons for something like marriage and abortion, why doesn't the NSA/FBI monitor mosques for sedition?

[raptor22]

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[MinuteGal]

Fine...let them monitor the sermons....but first Congress should pass a transparency bill requiring a monitor at each service to wear a swastika armband and sit in a front pew.

Leni

[raptor22]

IBD EDITORIAL PING

[rktman]

It just gets weirder and weirder by the day. :>{

[raptor22]

IBD EDITORIAL PING

[Truth29]

This sounds like the friendly lawsuit scam that the environmentalists work all the time with EPA, DOI, COE, etc.

[ColdSteelTalon]

What a lot of people don’t know is that any donation to a church is tax deductible even if that church is not a 501 c3. If I were a church I would give up 501 c3 then speak out on political issues all day long.

[RKBA Democrat]

I’m not seeing the big deal here. Only about 1/3 of taxpayers itemize and are able to make any use of charitable deductions. Of those people only maybe 1 or 2 percent will be audited. So the chance of anyone taking a charitable deduction and having a problemis nil.

[metmom]

Exactly

[metmom]

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