Pastors plan to defy IRS ban on political speech

[n2doc]

Ministers will intentionally violate ban on campaigning by nonprofits in hopes of generating a test case.
By Duke Helfand, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 25, 2008
Setting the stage for a collision of religion and politics, Christian ministers from California and 21 other states will use their pulpits Sunday to deliver political sermons or endorse presidential candidates -- defying a federal ban on campaigning by nonprofit groups.

The pastors' advocacy could violate the Internal Revenue Service's rules against political speech with the purpose of triggering IRS investigations.

That would allow their patron, the conservative legal group Alliance Defense Fund, to challenge the IRS' rules, a risky strategy that one defense fund attorney acknowledges could cost the churches their tax-exempt status. Congress made it illegal in 1954 for tax-exempt groups to publicly support or oppose political candidates.

"I'm going to talk about the un-biblical stands that Barack Obama takes. Nobody who follows the Bible can vote for him," said the Rev. Wiley S. Drake of First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park. "We may not be politically correct, but we are going to be biblically correct. We are going to vote for those who follow the Bible."

Drake was the target of a recent IRS investigation into his endorsement last year of former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. In the end, Drake was cleared.

Drake and 32 other pastors who have signed on to the "pulpit initiative" have sparked loud condemnations by fellow clergy and advocates of the separation of church and state.

more:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pulpit25-2008sep25,0,5235934.story

[depakid]

1. I just hope that the IRS is inclined to enforce the law

People in BOTH parties are getting sick and tired of these tax exempt nutcases attempting to influence politics.

[WCGreen]

2. I really hope they go after these pricks...

I bet some lawyers were looking at all that money these churchs collect and the high falootin' lifestyle of these preachers and said, I wonder how I could talk them into taking on a big, expensive, long, drawn out law suit so I could ge me some of that money...

[Blue Diadem]

13. The lawyer group was founded by Dobson and some other now deceased fanatics.

http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/main/default.aspx

Pulpit freedom Sunday is on their front page right now.

[williesgirl]

3. They should have someone in every one of these churches Sunday taping the sermons and cut off their

exempt status on Monday.

[summer borealis]

4. Fuck these people

[ck4829]

5. But McCain follows the Bible?

:rofl:

[rucky]

10. That's the wonderful thing about the Bible.

You can leave your injured wife for an heiress, and Jesus still knows what's in your heart.

You can deliver an inspiring and peaceful message, backed by a lifetime of public service, and still be the Antichrist.

God is testing us and Satan is tricking us, so anything that seems like a good idea should be second-guessed.

[WePurrsevere]

6. Tax exempt status is a privilage, not a right.

Freedom of speech is a right of course BUT if I remember correctly when they sign the application/contract for tax exempt status they sign off engaging in politics.

IMO if religious orgs want to exercise their 1st Amend right of Freedom of speech to take a political stance that's fine but then they have also chosen to violate their contract(s) with the IRS and lose their exempt status so they can pay taxes just like other "political" org. If they are allowed to get away with it however then it seems to me that all political non-profit but ATM not exempt orgs should get tax exempt status as well.

The fact is that Americans willingly sign off on limiting their freedom to speak all the time when we agree to certain contracts such as a NDA, Terms of Use, etc. I'm not a lawyer but if these contracts are to be maintained as valid it seems to me that the IRS tax exempt contracts that religious orgs agree to should be just as valid.

[ITsec]

7. I think they should just elmiminate tax exempt status for churches.

All churches. Fuck em. Treat them like any other business. Make them pay taxes just like the rest of us have to.

[TornadoTN]

12. They pretty much run themselves like businesses anyway

I'm tired of it. It's a social circle and the have's and have not's. I'm tired of this hypocritical bullshit from religious groups - they don't own the patent on decency and human rights.

If they pull this bullshit, then we need to press the IRS and keep their feet to the fire about upholding the law.

[ITsec]

16. What scares me is.... IF....

and it's a big IF..... McLame and Queenie get elected, the real possibility exists that she would attempt to totally remove that requirement from the IRS tax laws, making campaigning from the pulpit, and collecting campaign donations in churches legal. Especially if they planted more Theocrats and Dominionists into SCOTUS.

[Lyric]

8. They aren't voting for who "follows the Bible."

They're voting for who follows one or two verses and/or concepts, and blatantly violates much of the rest, including some of the most important words that Jesus himself ever spoke. I'm getting sick and tired of these hypocritical liars claiming to follow the Bible. They're don't, and neither does McCain.

[JoDog]

9. Last Saturday

during Torah service, my Rabbi said that we all have a duty to try to "vote responsibly" in the election. "And that's all I can say on that matter," she said.

[n2doc]

11. kick n/t

[n2doc]

18. kick n/t

[LeftinOH]

14. "Reverend" Wiley S. Drake previously asked his followers to pray for the death of his critics...

From August of last year:

"Wiley S. Drake, a Buena Park pastor and a former national leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, called on his followers to pray for the deaths of two leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State."

<snip>

"Drake said Wednesday he was “simply doing what God told me to do” by targeting Americans United officials Joe Conn and Jeremy Leaming, whom he calls the “enemies of God."

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/19044/wiley-s-drake
Here is the "reverend" himself-

[mitchum]

15. Grifters

[Vinca]

17. They should be taxed whether they're political or not. nt

[kirby]

19. Tax these fucks.... n/t