Using Pulpits to Power the GOP

[n2doc]

Tactic Uses Pulpits to Power the GOP
Evangelical leaders, on the first day of a rally, ask pastors to advocate for a social conservative agenda despite recent IRS investigations.
By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer
September 23, 2006

WASHINGTON — Worried that discontent among conservatives and the lack of a clear standard-bearer to follow President Bush might cost Republicans in November, top evangelical leaders pleaded with their followers Friday to put aside frustrations and turn out for GOP candidates. The appeals, coming on the opening day of a weekend-long rally and strategy conference, included entreaties to pastors to use their pulpits on behalf of the social conservative agenda. "There is no choice, because the alternative is terrible," said James C. Dobson, founder of the influential group Focus on the Family, referring to the potential for a Democratic takeover of the House and Senate in November.

Dobson's organization recently launched a major voter recruitment drive in eight battleground states that will include placing registration tables outside Sunday worship services at conservative churches. The Values Voter Summit — which will include appearances by several potential GOP presidential hopefuls — underscores evangelicals' growing power in national politics. The agenda serves as a road map of their tactics for energizing voters, including sessions on fighting gay marriage, attacking Hollywood liberalism and denouncing embryonic stem-cell research.

Kicking off the conference Friday, Dobson joined other evangelical chieftains in lobbying pastors to feel more free to advocate for conservative causes from the pulpit despite recent investigations by the Internal Revenue Service into alleged partisan activities by churches. One such investigation has ensnared the liberal All Saints Church in Pasadena, over a sermon denouncing the Iraq war shortly before the 2004 election. One session today is to focus on the "role of churches in political issues." On Friday, Dobson and a representative from an evangelical-backed legal group told the crowd that churches were free to distribute fliers and other materials promoting stands on issues.

"You still can't endorse candidates, but you can do voter guides," Dobson said. "You can do all kinds of things."

snip:
Three possible presidential candidates, along with White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, were applauded when they raised the issue. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a likely White House contender who is viewed skeptically by many evangelical leaders because he is a Mormon and is viewed as a moderate, said the country "desperately" needed a federal gay marriage ban. He won cheers as he spoke of his opposition to a ruling by his home state's highest court upholding same-sex marriage. Similar themes were sounded by three other presidential possibilities: Sens. George Allen of Virginia and Sam Brownback of Kansas and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Allen — whose race for reelection this year has tightened after his use of the word "macaca," a racial slur in some countries, and his reaction to revelations that he has Jewish heritage — was boisterously applauded when he asked the conference activists to come to Virginia and assist with that state's initiative this year to ban gay marriage.

article (reg req'd):
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-values23sep23,0,1182332.story?coll=la-home-nation

[Sapphire Blue]

1. IRS on election year activities & campaigning for 501(c)(3) Organizations

Election Year Activities and the Prohibition on Political Campaign Intervention for Section 501(c)(3) Organizations
FS-2006-17, February 2006

(excerpt)

Voter Education, Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote Drives

Section 501(c)(3) organizations are permitted to conduct certain voter education activities (including the presentation of public forums and the publication of voter education guides) if they are carried out in a non-partisan manner. In addition, section 501(c)(3) organizations may encourage people to participate in the electoral process through voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, conducted in a non-partisan manner. On the other hand, voter education or registration activities conducted in a biased manner that favors (or opposes) one or more candidates is prohibited.

(snip)

Individual Activity by Organization Leaders

The political campaign intervention prohibition is not intended to restrict free expression on political matters by leaders of organizations speaking for themselves, as individuals. Nor are leaders prohibited from speaking about important issues of public policy. However, for their organizations to remain tax exempt under section 501(c)(3), leaders cannot make partisan comments in official organization publications or at official functions of the organization. To avoid potential attribution of their comments outside of organization functions and publications, organization leaders who speak or write in their individual capacity are encouraged to clearly indicate that their comments are personal and not intended to represent the views of the organization.

(snip)

Issue Advocacy vs. Political Campaign Intervention

Under federal tax law, section 501(c)(3) organizations may take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office. However, section 501(c)(3) organizations must avoid any issue advocacy that functions as political campaign intervention. Even if a statement does not expressly tell an audience to vote for or against a specific candidate, an organization delivering the statement is at risk of violating the political campaign intervention prohibition if there is any message favoring or opposing a candidate. A statement can identify a candidate not only by stating the candidate’s name but also by other means such as showing a picture of the candidate, referring to political party affiliations, or other distinctive features of a candidate’s platform or biography. All the facts and circumstances need to be considered to determine if the advocacy is political campaign intervention.

(snip)

Voter Guides

Voter guides are usually pamphlets or other short documents, often in chart form, intended to help voters compare candidates’ positions on a set of issues. Preparing or distributing a voter guide may violate the prohibition against political campaign intervention if the guide focuses on a single issue or narrow range of issues, or if the questions are structured to reflect bias. Although any document that identifies candidates and their positions close in time to an election has the potential to result in political campaign intervention, preparation or distribution of voter guides, because of their nature, present a particular risk for non compliance. (snip)

Read the rest @ http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=154712,00.html

[Toots]

2. A banner should be hung on every Christian Church in America that says

"Who would Jesus Torture?" Mathew .. .. the verse that Jesus says treat the least among you as you would me.. People need to be smacked between the eyes with this and the perfect place would be on their way to church Sunday morning. Ahhh if only ..sigh..:shrug:.............

[WillyT]

3. K & R !!!

:kick: