Trump vows to 'totally destroy' law against pastors preaching politics from the pulpit

[DonViejo]

Source: RawStory

DAVID FERGUSON
02 FEB 2017 AT 09:48 ET

At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning, Pres. Donald Trump announced that he will be doing away with the Johnson Amendment, the amendment to the federal tax code that forbids churches and other tax-exempt organizations from involving themselves in political races.

I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment, Trump said during his remarks on Thursday, [link:

Link to tweet

to Jeff Sharlet] of the New York Times who was present at the breakfast.

[link:http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/22/donald-trump/donald-trump-correct-lyndon-johnson-passed-legisla/The Johnson Amendment] was passed in 1954 and specifies that organizations that endorse candidates or make calls to political action will forfeit their tax-exempt status.

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Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/trump-vows-to-totally-destroy-law-against-pastors-preaching-politics-from-the-pulpit/

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Trump Vows to ‘Destroy’ Law Banning Political Activity by Churches


By MARK LANDLERFEB. 2, 2017

WASHINGTON — President Trump vowed Thursday to overturn a law restricting political speech by churches, a potentially huge victory for the religious right and a gesture to his political base.

Mr. Trump said his administration would “totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits churches from engaging in political activity at the risk of losing their tax-exempt status.

Repealing the law would require approval by Congress. Certain tax-exempt organizations — in this case, churches — are not allowed to openly endorse or campaign for political candidates. If they do, under existing law, they risk losing the benefits of their tax-exempt status.

Speaking to a gathering of religious leaders, the president also defended his immigration policy, brushed aside concern about his harsh phone calls with foreign leaders, and ridiculed Arnold Schwarzenegger for his poor ratings in replacing Mr. Trump as host of “Celebrity Apprentice.”

He did not mention an executive order on religious freedom, which critics said would restrict the rights of lesbians and gay men; a draft of the order has circulated, but administration officials have denied that it will be adopted.

more
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/us/politics/trump-vows-to-destroy-law-banning-political-activity-by-churches.html?emc=edit_na_20170202&nl=breaking-news&nlid=57435284&ref=headline

[Kber]

1. That's cool.

Can we tax them, then?

[stopbush]

10. Exactly.

[chelsea0011]

12. Yes. I am all for this as long as they lose their tax free status.

[DK504]

17. He's going after the African American churches.

He doesn't give a shit about Scientology, which would be a hell of a windfall.

[lostnfound]

23. He's not going after them. He's doing it to help the fundies

And evangelicals.

[not fooled]

37. Yep

Just wait 'til they can pass the collection plate...for political candidates. After their pastor has told them it's dog's will to support dump, or some other phony Xtian candidate.

The 'puke's wet dream.

[zentrum]

26. Our Dems will never

...go after Churches. Will never require them to pay taxes.

May I recommend instead we establish a bunch of tax-free entities of our own who advocate for progressive causes for real. LGBTQ churches. Feminist Churches. Evolution Churches. Climate Change Churches. You get the idea.

We are the true moral majority and we're so damn non-passionate about it.

We always want our Dem leaders to grow a spine. We need to too.

[hunter]

28. Jedi churches, Klingon churches, Flying Spaghetti Monster churches, Satanist churches...

Best of all, Free Beer churches!

[zentrum]

32. I'm a believer!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

39. The Church of the Anti-tRump. . . . . nt

[karynnj]

2. The result would not be what he expects it to be

My perception is that the evangelical churches were not dissuaded at all by the law -- and I know that liberal churches and synagogues take it VERY seriously.

[Marthe48]

30. S.E. Ohio and WV

Several church pastors tell their congregation they will go to hell if they vote Democratic. And they get away with it.

[karynnj]

31. Exactly --- the law is not really enforced

Not to mention, there are ways to "lay it between the lines". For instances, imagine 2008 and a clergy member speaks of religious values to heal the sick, saying that health care should be a right etc All of us can write the sermon for the left leaning clergy. Or more recently, it required a little more skill to more write a religious statement against Trump's ban -- without mentioning Trump.

More significantly on the left, there was a tradition in some states for black ministers to lead their congregation to vote after the service.

[Botany]

3. Separation of church and state anybody??????

This was and is a coup.

[zentrum]

27. I agree. The more

...I discover about what's really going on and who is who, the more I realize there has been a silent coup.

Listen to Terry Gross today, Feb 2, on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

"Exploring The Nationalistic And Christian Right Influences On Trump"

[RegexReader]

35. it may be a coup now

but will be a soon a true civil war with all of the non-civility of war. America has fallen.

[Mc Mike]

4. Totally destroy the Constitution, he means. Nt

[Cracklin Charlie]

5. Dumbass will say anything.

Putin must have shared a copy of his film with the evangelicals.

[briv1016]

22. No this is simply part of there 18' 20' strategy.

Expect widespread voter suppression next.

[randr]

6. Radical Christianic churches have ignored this law for years

[ck4829]

7. So I suppose this means mosques too, right?

[ElementaryPenguin]

8. No you ain't, Trump! Such a bragging bullshitter! SHUT THE FUCK UP!

You're gonna lose at every turn!

Destroying any shred of credibility that anyone ever might have believed you had - that's what you're best at destroying!!

[wildeyed]

9. He needs to get up on the history of the black church in America politics.

Democrats got to church too.

[Crash2Parties]

11. The GOP in Congress has actively prevented enforcement since 2007

Not a single church has been charged under it since then, so really this just housekeeping for them.

[YOHABLO]

13. These Southern Baptist and Evangelical Churches have been telling their congregations who

to vote for for years. No one has ever tried to stop them. It shows you how out of touch Trump is. The idea that this man has ever been religious is very questionable. It's just laughable.

[Wuddles440]

21. Many Catholic churches have been...

providing "Voter Guides" to their parishioners for decades.

[Fresh_Start]

14. so lets see all the non-delusional churches start preaching against trump and GOP

explaining how they are both violating christ's greatest commandments.

[starshine00]

15. interesting...the ahnuld mention is going to generate more ad clicks I'm sure

so the ahnuld story is what most people ran with. This, this is boring, but catastrophic, and thus it will sink to the bottom. THIS was the story of the national prayer breakfast. I said this in the first few days, wondering if there was something Rovian going on and that when he does something Forrest Gumpish like this we need to pay special attention to what is going on with policy & this is proof.

[NYC Liberal]

16. Remember that this law applies to ALL non-profits.

If it's repealed, then ANY non-profit would be able to go after Trump and the GOP. Think of all the scientific non-profits, for example.

Go for it Donald. The right-wing churches don't follow the law anyway, taking advantage of the fact that no politician would be caught dead prosecuting a church.

[BigDemVoter]

18. Let them preach politics.

But YANK their goddamned tax exempt status first!

[joanbarnes]

19. Churches already blatantly violate this law with no punishment.

[packman]

20. I live in the Florida Panhandle and..

I've seen church billboards advocating for certain candidates - Take their tax exempt pass away, no exceptions

[Nitram]

24. Good luck with that, Dump.

[OKNancy]

25. kick

[Tommy Generico]

29. I have a better idea ...

Tax churches like any other business, whether they preach politics or not.
Especially local real estate taxes.

And have them subject to consumer fraud statutes like any other business, too.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

33. You could donate to your church just like it was a PAC except you can take a tax deduction for it.

You wouldn't be able to deduct for a donation to a political organization.

Pretty slick deal for millionaires who want to support candidates and get a tax break along the way.

[TeamPooka]

34. I think I'm going to have to start a church, maybe a whole religion. Lotta money in those.

[Rustynaerduwell]

36. I think at least the Christian curches should render unto Caesar

the things that belong to Caesar, if they render unto their followers the belief they should vote for Caesar.

[Ilsa]

38. That will destroy a lot of bigger churches in more mainstream

denominations if they take the bait. Reasonable Christians don't want that crap for a sermon. They'll leave and take their tithes with them.