Help strip Mormons of their tax-exempt status

[nichomachus]

Here's the deal:

Mormons stole our rights

Great quote from Brigham Young:

Marriage is a civil contract. You might as well make a law to say how many children a man shall have, as to make a law to say how many wives he shall have. (Journal of Discourses, 11:268-9)

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Absolutely!!..and let's just start with them and then move on to others.

[napi21]

2. I could be wrong, but I don't think what they did violates IRS laws.

The way I understand the law, a 501 c3 org. can publicly support a position or cause, but they CANNOT support an individual candidate!

[Lerkfish]

4. I think you are correct.

[nichomachus]

6. Well, let them spend their money to prove that

Substantial Lobbying Activity

In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying). An IRC section 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status.

The Mormons spent $19,000,000 in CA on Prop 8 alone. In my book, that's "substantial." Let them prove otherwise.

[napi21]

12. I don't know if this will go anywhere with the IRS, but I think the better

and more effective approach might be through the Calif. Supreme Court. It WAS the Ca. SC who first ruled that Gay marriage was suthorized by the Constitution, and I can't imagine their ruling can be overturned by a ballot resolution.

[nichomachus]

13. We can do both -- thes eare separate issue

[RetiredTrotskyite]

3. Oh, Hell, Yes!

Definitely. In addition to this how about a boycott of Utah? I mean there are tourist attractions there and all. Just a thought. It wouldn't hurt to persue that angle as well.

[closeupready]

5. I'm not opposed, but I think those calling for this are just wasting time and energy.

Because it won't happen.

Further, it's curious to me that when CALIFORNIANS have voted to take rights away from their gay and lesbian citizens, it's UTAH that people are suggesting to boycott in response. That makes no sense to me.

[nichomachus]

7. Because Californians voted based on lies and misinformation

that were financed and orchestrated out of Utah.

Is that hard to understand?

[closeupready]

8. It's hard for me to understand why you make excuses for adults who

have a responsibility to inform themselves.

Californians are to be blamed for this. They passed it, not Utahans.

Now as far as I'm concerned, Utah has ALWAYS been on my boycott state.

But don't put the passage of Prop. 8 on them when its passage is due to people in California voting to pass it.

[nichomachus]

10. I'm not making excuses

As I've said before on DU -- most people who go to church are well-meaning people looking to do the right thing. They trust their religious leaders to tell them the truth. That is "informing themselves." They just chose the wrong sources of information, because their religious leaders lied to them. They abused the trust that was placed in them.

Support of Prop 8 closely tracked church attendance. The churches are the problem.

[closeupready]

11. I understand your point. By way of explanation, I was raised Catholic, but I do not

accept the argument that when the laity seek to restrict women's right to choose based not upon what is right but rather, because my priest told me to, that this is an acceptable rationale. No - when you vote in this country, you accept the responsibility that goes with the consequences of that vote, whether you are an atheist, Catholic, Mormon, whatever, no excuses.

Cheers.

[nichomachus]

15. I'm in the same boat -- but Catholics don't have quite the grip on the minds

of the laity as these fundie churches do.

[closeupready]

9. Oh, I see, you live in CA. Well, obviously, you would

no more likely call for a boycott of California than I would of New York State, but that's how I see it, I'm sorry. No offense, but I really do think California is the one which should be boycotted.

Which, I know, is hard to do, but to the extent possible. That's just my personal opinion.

[NorthCarolina]

14. Boycott everything Utah. Ski/Travel/Vacation elsewhere

eom

[newtothegame]

16. Prop 8 was disgusting...

But I think the church can put money towards issues it supports as long as it isn't a particular CANDIDATE, am I right? Fighting poverty, abortion, gay rights, whatever.

[SoonerPride]

17. How about we outlaw Mormonism completely?

All out war on those fuckers.

Light a molotov cocktail and toss it into their fucking temple.