Trump vows to overturn ban on political activity by churches

[struggle4progress]

Gregory Korte , USA TODAY
Published 11:12 a.m. ET Feb. 2, 2017 | Updated 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — President Trump promised faith leaders Thursday that he would "totally destroy" the law that prohibits churches from engaging in political activity, a move that would upend 63 years of settled tax law ...

The 1954 law is named for its author, then-senator Lyndon Johnson. Because it's in the tax code, any change would have to come from Congress.

Campaign watchdogs criticized Trump’s call, saying it would open up another conduit for unlimited — and anonymous — money in elections. Religious groups can accept sums of any size and do not have make public their donors’ identities ...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/02/trump-vows-overturn-ban-political-activity-churches-johnson-amendment/97394540/

[Horse with no Name]

1. NO problem. The churches already participate

Just tax them all. Problem solved.

[struggle4progress]

6. Your response doesn't really seem to respond to Trump's agenda

[Horse with no Name]

10. I live in an area that there is a church on every corner

2500 people and about 20 churches.
The poverty rate is sky high.
The schools are crumbling.
There are very few jobs here.
It is so bad that Walmart shut down.
Hate is preached and reinforced within the walls of every one of these places.
Politics is the topic of every sermon.
Hatred towards Democrats and everything progressive is brainwashed into the heads of every person sitting in those pews.
I can't even have a bumpersticker or a yard sign.
I have to vent on an anonymous political board so my house isn't burned to the ground.
The point is....you aren't going to stop it. But. If these snakeoil pits were forced to pay taxes, there would be fewer of them and that is a win in my book.

I know trump isn't for taxing them...but if he lifts the church/state exemption---it is fair game.

[struggle4progress]

14. The Johnson amendment forbids campaign activity by non-profits

26 USC 501c(3)A:

An organization described in subsection (c) .. shall be exempt from taxation under this subtitle unless such exemption is denied under .. 502 or 503 ...

(c) List of exempt organizations. The following organizations are referred to in subsection (a) ...

(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office ...

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501

[struggle4progress]

2. The Johnson Amendment. What is it and why should people care?

By Julie Zauzmer
February 2 at 1:04 PM

... Is it in Trump’s power to destroy it? And who would want him to do that?

... It bans all tax-exempt nonprofits — which includes churches and other houses of worship, as well as charities — from “directly or indirectly” participating in any political candidate’s campaign ...

“Most people’s concern is if you allow churches to freely allow political activity — churches, synagogues, temples, whatever the religious organization — now what you’ve done is you’ve turned those into Super PACs,” said David Herzig, a Valparaiso University tax law professor.

Churches would be freed to use their budgets to support campaigning — and citizens would get a tax deduction for contributing to the church, which would still be a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Also, Herzig pointed out, nonprofits like churches aren’t required to make the same public disclosures as PACs, so political funding could theoretically become much less transparent if campaign funding were funneled through churches ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/02/02/trump-said-hell-totally-destroy-the-johnson-amendment-what-is-it-and-why-do-people-care/?utm_term=.b35c481bd0a1

[SHRED]

3. ALL religions? Mosques??

[TeamPooka]

5. fair is fair. Although at this rate all religions except Christianity will be outlawed soon.

[FarPoint]

4. It's a higher level than a ban...

Is it not Consitutional...separation of church and state?

[NastyRiffraff]

7. Not only can they accept sums of money in any size

They don't pay taxes on it. I say let preachers engage in political activity as long as they pay taxes like everybody else. They can't have it both ways, and they'd never agree to paying their fair share of taxes. BTW, I wonder if Muslim Imams are included.

Repeat after me. America is NOT a Christian country. It's a country with a lot of Christians in it. There's a vast difference in those two ideas.

[Initech]

9. I agree, they can preach politics, but make them pay first.

They can't preach without paying their share.

[Initech]

8. He can't do this!!!!

He can't overturn the Johnson Amendment, he can't cut Berkeley funding, he can't send troops into Mexico, he can't do any of this shit he's threatening to do without going through Congress first!

[cynatnite]

11. Repubs have majority in both houses...

He'll do it and with their fucking blessing.

[BigBoss]

16. 60 votes

They won't have 60 votes to end a filibuster.

[atreides1]

12. Which Congress

The one filled with fascists, bigots, racists, religious fanatics...the one where love of party over love of country is the norm...the Congress that despises woman's rights and civil rights...the Congress where the Democrats can't do much because the Republicans change the rules...that Congress?

[Initech]

13. Yeah true. But if he overturns the Johnson Amendment it's over.

There will be no resistance. Churches can funnel any amount of money toward any political candidate, and there will be nothing to stop them. It will be game over.

[logosoco]

15. That was my first thought, but then I remembered that checks and balances

safety net is gone until all Democrat and regretful repubs. get to the polls in 2018!

If we make it to then, that is!!!

[Initech]

18. If they overturn the Johnson Amendment, it's game over.

The republicans will have successfully won the war on liberalism. It's the only thing right now that's keeping us from being a fascist theocracy. If that amendment is overturned churches will be able to funnel any amount of money they want into any candidate that they want, and they'll be able to elect the most far right candidates that they please. And they're coming for it.

[octoberlib]

17. That's not all . The Nation got a leaked copy of Trump's Religious Freedom EO

A leaked copy of a draft executive order titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom,” obtained by The Investigative Fund and The Nation, reveals sweeping plans by the Trump administration to legalize discrimination.

This article was reported in partnership with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute.

The four-page draft order, a copy of which is currently circulating among federal staff and advocacy organizations, construes religious organizations so broadly that it covers “any organization, including closely held for-profit corporations,” and protects “religious freedom” in every walk of life: “when providing social services, education, or healthcare; earning a living, seeking a job, or employing others; receiving government grants or contracts; or otherwise participating in the marketplace, the public square, or interfacing with Federal, State or local governments.”

The draft order seeks to create wholesale exemptions for people and organizations who claim religious or moral objections to same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion, and trans identity, and it seeks to curtail women’s access to contraception and abortion through the Affordable Care Act. The White House did not respond to requests for comment, but when asked Monday about whether a religious freedom executive order was in the works, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters, “I’m not getting ahead of the executive orders that we may or may not issue. There is a lot of executive orders, a lot of things that the president has talked about and will continue to fulfill, but we have nothing on that front now.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/leaked-draft-of-trumps-religious-freedom-order-reveals-sweeping-plans-to-legalize-discrimination/

[pat_k]

19. Oh good. Our tax dollars at work.

Unless of course he is doing the logical thing and is also eliminating tax exempt status.

Trump. Logic.