HEHE...local church is being investigated by the IRS..ABOUT DAMN TIME

[greenbriar]

VOTER GUIDES, MARQUEE MESSAGES
IRS questions church's activities
BY BRENT D. WISTROM AND JOE RODRIGUEZ
The Wichita Eagle
The IRS has contacted a Wichita church about whether it has violated rules that prohibit churches from engaging in most political activity, the church's pastor said Thursday.

Pastor Mark Holick of Spirit One Christian Center, 1515 E. Harry, said the IRS sent him a letter last month asking him to respond to questions about political activities at the church.

Those activities include the pastor's involvement in distributing voter guides and messages on the church's marquee critical of candidates and their stances on abortion



MORE>>> this is great

http://www.wichitaeagle.com/news/story/84844.html

[BOSSHOG]

1. Do away with tax exempt status of every church in the country

then let em politic all they want. In other words, they would continue doing what they have been doing all along. I can't fathom the need for an "investigation."

[greenbriar]

2. this "church" goes to middle and high schools and distributes horrible literature

before and after schools. Then we teachers have to deal with hurt and upset students all day long


they stand on the sidewalk so no one can touch them



they have actually caused fights among our students so our students get introuble, but the idiot church members go untouched

[BOSSHOG]

3. And they say Gays "recruit" kids

Evil bastards who never do anything FOR our country but they bray at the moon about THEIR constitutional rights.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

5. Ain't that the truth, Bosshog.

They're so self-involved, it ain't funny...

[ComerPerro]

9. Hell, it cracks me up whenever fundies or RWers bitch about any group "indoctrinating"

I mean, WTF would you call what they do? LOL

[bryant69]

4. Some churches aren't breaking the rules though

It'd be hard to know how many (I suspect our individual estimates would depend more on how much we hated religion).

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[BOSSHOG]

6. Then the good ones will have a reason to

weed out and point the finger at the bad ones. Everytime some yahoo baptist "minister" gets pissed at his church down here in Mississippi he moves a half mile down the highway and starts his own church and ergo another tax exemption. It should be pretty damned easy to make a case against any church for politicing but all we ever hear about are half hearted investigations. Fuck em. I suggest they get a tax exempt status if they prove they aren't politicing and their actions should be reviewed annually. I would suggest that any hardon I have about religious zealots telling people who to vote for from the pulpit and in a tax exempt status is their responsibility. This is the land of the free, not the land of focus on the family, and I don't think religious zealots get it.

[bryant69]

8. So what percentage of your hardons do you hold religous zealots responsible for?

I think I would be satisfied with a more regular incidents of what the initial poster mentioned. But I am religious so that probably figures into it.

Bryant

[greenbriar]

10. I to am christian but this "church" goes way over the line

sometimes even my church does too





it is quite funny to see the so called religious zealots use the hate filled speech and how rude and nasty they are. Jesus would NOT approve

[BOSSHOG]

11. At my age, most of em

I am religious as well and that's why I stopped going to church cause I was sick and tired of being told who to hate. I believe politics and religion should not mix in this country. Whose religion should trump whose relative to establishing legislation? Should one religion be more important in Washington then another? Is one person's beliefs more important then anothers? I think religious zealots in this country are their own worst enemies. They fail to grasp the concept of our constitution as being a shield to protect all citizens while making every effort to ensure everyone on the planet respects THEIR rights.

[Libby2]

7. Yes, yes, yes!!

I'm so sick of the fraud.

All I have to do is take a drive and the mega churches that I see make me ill.

I could really get on a rant about this, but I won't.

[greenbriar]

12. go a head

rant

we can no longer afford to be silent

[DemBones DemBones]

14. Don't forget that would force churches to cut back on charitable giving.

Churches have operating expenses that have to be covered and if taxes were added, that could really put a dent in the money available for charity work.

Churches operate soup kitchens, shelters, non-religious programs for kids, such as sports programs, plus giving money, food, and other goods to the poor directly, helping immigrants get settled in the US, offering sanctuary for political refugees, teaching free classes in English as a Second Language, etc.

Taxing churches that don't break the law would have very bad side effects for all those who are helped by church-sponsored programs.

Churches that break the law should lose their tax-exempt status. No question.

[BOSSHOG]

15. With the onus of losing tax exempt status

looming over the true christians it might give them impetus to police their "own." Churchs should be all about charitable work, not telling me who to hate. Religion and Politics should be two different entities in the land of the free. If those in pulpits want to politic then they can pay the fare

[mzteris]

16. Amen! Amen! A - frickin'men!!!

It would probably eliminate about half - or more!! - of them that exist solely for the financial gain.

[RevCheesehead]

17. From the 125 members of my church: Thanks a lot.

WE stay within the rules. WHY should WE be taxed??

[Az]

13. If a Church wants to get political then they should be taxed.

Taxation is our price for having a voice in the process. If churches want to enjoy being nontaxable entities then they don't get a say in our process.