Fifteen pastors tell congregation members who to vote for? 1984 comes to life

[Peacetrain]

They do this to defy the IRS tax laws. Well buckos, preach away, but not on my dime. No one is telling you that you cannot tell your flock to vote for the great spaghetti monster. But you do not get to do it with my money.

No IRS tax breaks for you. That is the price, speak on issues, but you do not get to advocate for one specific person. You especially do NOT get to do it and threaten people and their religious identity.

The thing that amazes me about these same said ultra right wing religious nuts, is how they attacked my church, the UCC's (United Church of Christ) for having an ad up a few years ago, that just said, all people are welcome to the house of GOD. They pressured the media outlets, and the outlets folded.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/12/01/us.church.adban/

They also went on an all out assault on Kerry to try and keep him from communion.

Now they want my money to spread their hate,

I don't think so.

Its a free country and you can do speak as you want, but again, not on my dime.

[Warpy]

1. "TAX ME"

painted on those church doors might start to get the point across.

If they want to live on the untaxed side of the wall between church and state, they need to behave.

BTW, it would have been nice had your link contained anything about those 15 churches.

[Ian David]

2. They made a deal. A legal contract with The IRS.

They agree not to be political, The IRS agrees not tax them.

They reneged on that contract.

Therefore, they should be taxed.

It's like if a farmer is paid by the government NOT to grow corn, and then he gets caught growing and selling corn.

[knitter4democracy]

3. Right wing preachers have told people whom to vote for for years.

I remember back in '92 when I was at Mt. Vernon Nazarene college, we had a visiting preacher for (required) chapel who said, "I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for Clinton, you're voting for a murderer." I kid you not. People in the back got rowdy, some got up and left, and a few of us in the front made sure to blatantly display a friend's Clinton/Gore sticker on her backpack and button on her coat (she came from a strong Ohio Dem family high up in the party and even got to meet the president and vice president that summer). It went downhill from there, and our student chaplain apologized at the next chapel, the day after the election.

They've been doing it for years.

[msongs]

4. the faith-based scam is just a start for churches to get on welfare to spread their poison nt

[MadrasT]

5. I heard it was 33. It's a coordinated effort to try to get this

in court to get the law prohibiting it overturned.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080927/NEWS07/80927043/1009

Ministers plan pulpit protest over endorsement law

By BOB SMIETANA • The Tennessean • September 27, 2008

On Sunday, 33 ministers around the country plan to break the law, endorsing presidential candidates during their sermons despite IRS rules prohibiting such endorsements for tax-exempt non-profits.
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Then they’ll mail their sermons to the IRS and wait for the taxman to arrive, hoping to force a legal fight over a 1954 federal ban on endorsements by nonprofits, including churches.

“These churches actually hope that the IRS will come after them, and that it will set up a chance for litigation in federal court,” said Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund, the Arizona-based group organizing the pulpit protests.

Edit to fix typo and to add, HAHA that website is "freep.com" :rofl: It's the Detroit Free Press. :rofl: "freep.com" that kills me.

[Peacetrain]

8. 33, even worse..

[rebel with a cause]

14. MSNBS also has the story

So you can find it here also http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26930425/.

I saw the freep on you post and thought it was for a freeperville site, only now while posting do I see your bit on the bottom of the post about the Detroit Free Press. :rofl: indeed.

[NeoTheo]

6. Seems to me this should be viewed as a

criminal conspiracy to violate the law.

[lumpy]

7. Bump

Politicians are too chicken to take on this illegal act by some churches. Certainly there should be a drive to educate the public regarding the role of churches in politics.

[Peacetrain]

9. What makes me so angry, was their (the right wing pulpit)

tried to silence our church. Take away our right to speech. All I want is that my tax dollar does not support them if they use the pulpit to try to scare people into voting their way by using their religious beliefs as a sledge hammer

[Beregond2]

10. Agreed, but this is hardly new.

Back in the eighties, a woman I worked with brought some literature to work from her church, instructing the congregants exactly how and whom to vote for in the coming election. She had no idea that was illegal for a tax-exempt organization.

[Waiting For Everyman]

11. I'll bet on the IRS to win.

[slay]

12. CNN clip now says 30 some pastors across the USA were involved - see clip here:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=9935564

TAX THE HELL OUT OF UM!! :mad: :grr:

[HughMoran]

13. Not much infuriates me more than the sleazy RW preachers on the stump

who promote Jesus-hating Republicans. It's so hypocritical and they are violating their agreement to receive no-tax status.

Sickening. :puke:

[Peacetrain]

15. Jesus-hating..that is the perfect description, because they are anything but Christian