question about churches and politics and tax exemption

[d_r]

Can churches put up signs endorsing candidates on their property?

[Angry Dragon]

1. I would have to say no

That is still church property so it would violate separation of church and state

[Curmudgeoness]

2. Well, no, they are not supposed to be allowed.

This site explains what they can and cannot do:

http://www.advanceusa.org/church_involvement.asp

A quote from this site: "No church can be prohibited from exercising free speech rights or the free exercise of religion. In fact, the tax-exempt status of a church has been revoked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) only once for engaging in overtly political activity (and that revocation was merely temporary). Churches and non-profits are free to be involved in political issues as long as no candidate or party is endorsed."

Of course, it looks as if no one is willing to go up against a church. Bad karma?

[d_r]

3. that's a great link

Thanks for posting that. Today was election day in Tennessee and here in Chattanooga there were lots of signs for candidates at churches, planted in the ground and people holding them up for people driving by. I think it was probably because so many churches were polling locations, and so the supporters were at the church because it was a polling station.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. Don't you have any law about signs close to polling stations?

In PA, you have to keep signs a certain distance from the polling places. Not that it matters, the ones who flaunt the rule still get their name out there and just have to take the sign down if it is noticed. Jeez.

I was surprised to find the answer to your question, and more surprised that only ONE time a church has been called on it. In fact, worse than the signs are the sermons. I know very religious people who support candidates only because their pastor has told them to. Personally, I want them all to lose exempt status.

[Igel]

6. If that's the case, the rules don't apply.

It's not the church organization posting it; the church building is a neutral site and they're just not policing their territory.

In fact, if it's rented by an organization at the usual rates for the renter then political activity is perfectly fine. It's not the building, per se, but the organization that is to remain non-partisan and not endorse candidates.

Now, if a church isn't being rented and somebody without permission puts up a sign the church has some latitude. It didn't put the sign up. It doesn't have to have a guard there 24/7 to take signs down. They should take it down when they notice it.

Take the church my scout troop met at as an example. The grand front staircase and main doors fell into disuse when the parking on the street and next door (and across the street) vanished in the late '60s. By the mid '70s the front was overgrown, the sidewalks buckled, the front doors barred. The big parking lot in the back was where it was at. A sign in front of the church would be visible against the green background, but the pastor and elders might not see it for a week or more. There was no requirement that he check more often to remove political signs. But if he checked and saw one, down it went.

[AnArmyVeteran]

5. You can start your own church in your house and not pay taxes.

I paid three bucks to become a minister of the Universal Life Church. It's recognized by the government and I can marry people and other official functions. And I could proclaim my house a church and not pay any property taxes. Just have a few people over every Sunday and have a few beers and burgers and call it a service. It's legal.

[WolverineDG]

7. As a general rule, no

But it could be someone pulling a prank (much like putting a "For Sale" sign in the high school principal's front yard) OR, as someone else pointed out, the church could be a polling site.

And yes, you can put up political signs at polling stations, if they are over 100' from the entrance (or whatever limit your state law requires). In my community, most schools are polling stations & on election day, they look like campaign headquarters.

dg