IRS investigates Obama's denomination - Yet Bush-y churches are just peachy

[Coexist]

Dammit. I hope Obama's rapid response team is on this.

IRS Investigating United Church of Christ Over Obama Speech

RACHEL ZOLL
AP News

Feb 26, 2008 20:58 EST

The IRS is investigating the United Church of Christ over a speech Sen. Barack Obama gave at its national meeting last year after he became a candidate for president, the denomination said Tuesday.


Obama, an Illinois Democrat, belongs to the 1.2 million-member Protestant group through his Chicago congregation.

In a letter the denomination received Monday, the IRS said "reasonable belief exists" that the circumstances surrounding the speech violated restrictions on political activity for tax-exempt organizations. The denomination has denied any wrongdoing.

the rest...

[midnight]

1. "reasonable belief exists" As church lady says, " Isn't that

special."

[KittyWampus]

2. so the IRS, is using it's power to attack the church of a Democratic POTUS candidate

[MonkeyFunk]

3. well

I wish they'd do it to all churches. I think it IS a problem that needs to be addressed.

But if they're only singling out one church, that's wrong.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Especially "this" one church

Nixon lives and Bush is still president.

[KittyWampus]

5. do what to all churches? Prevent members from speaking if they're Democrats?

[Coexist]

6. during the last election, many megachurches were urging their congregations

to vote for Bush, and though people complained, nothing was done about it.

You can't do that if you are a tax-exempt church. Either pay taxes or stay out of politics.

Now this one church supports a Democrat, and suddenly it must be stopped

[GoldieAZ49]

8. big difference between a pastor urging and a campaign speech

many candidates speak at churches (seems strange to me) but they cannot give a stump speech

[Coexist]

11. from the article it doesn't sound like he did:

Obama, a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, spoke about faith and public life at the denomination's June 2007 General Synod in Hartford, Conn.

The IRS said in the letter that it was concerned about articles posted on the church's Web site and on other sites stating that Obama had addressed nearly 10,000 people at the event. The agency also said Obama volunteers had staffed campaign tables "outside the center to promote his campaign."

The Rev. J. Bennett Guess, a spokesman for the Cleveland-based denomination, said a group of Obama volunteers was outside the Hartford Civic Center, where the event took place, but that they were told they could not enter the meeting.

<snip>
Church leaders consulted with lawyers before the event on following IRS rules. Before Obama spoke, a top church official told the crowd that the senator's talk was not a campaign-related event and that no leaflets or other signs of political support would be allowed.

[GoldieAZ49]

7. if it is a campaign speech it is against the law for either party

they can lose their tax exempt status

[MonkeyFunk]

9. You know it's much more than that

and Democrats are usually on the losing end of it.

Many churches provide tangible, material support to candidates, and that's against the law. The Mormon Church was very big in pushing an anti-gay marriage proposition here in CA. They should've been penalized.

If they're tax-exempt, stay out of politics.

[jlpohio69]

10. Good....all churches should be investigated for this!! (n/t)