Ted Cruz instructs thousands of pastors to violate federal law by reading Sunday sermon he wrote

[DonViejo]

Ted Cruz instructs thousands of pastors to violate federal law by reading Sunday sermon he wrote

Aruggling to get some traction in a GOP primary season dominated by the upstart candidacy of Donald Trump, the campaign of Texas Senator Ted Cruz has distributed a sermon for preachers to use on Sunday urging the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

According to Ring of Fire, the Cruz sermon was sent to thousands of pastors urging them to read it during Sunday’s services despite the fact that it against the law for churches to engage in political speech.

Calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, Cruz writes, “When an individual or a nation stiff arms the character of God and embraces an abomination as the law of the land, it ends in disaster. When rebellious people disregard the compass of the most powerful, it is a very short step to dismembering the bodies of the most vulnerable. Like other nations, America has taken that step. It is time for a turnaround.”

The accusations of “dismembering” fetuses are related to the recent Planned Parenthood “sting” videos that have been debunked by both outside investigators and states that have reviewed their procedures.

Like the rest of the GOP field, Cruz wants to end government grants to the health clinics but he is the first to take his case directly inside the churches while promoting his candidacy at the same time which is illegal and can put the churches’ non-profit status at risk.

more
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/08/ted-cruz-instructs-thousands-of-pastors-to-violate-federal-law-by-reading-sunday-sermon-he-wrote/

[Vinca]

1. If they read it they should be reported to the IRS.

[Blus4u]

3. ^^^^THIS^^^^

I so wish the Feds would start stripping the tax exempt status of these evangelical churches.
As these churches have grown to be a political factor over the past 30 years or so, you know it is a big part of "curriculum" to espouse that right wing garbage.

Peace

[meow2u3]

13. You and me both

RW Evangelical churches that engage in political speeches disguised as sermons ought to be not only reported to the IRS, but also taxed double. Time to close the loophole that allows churches to hide their political views, imposed on a captive audience, behind religious tenets.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It's legal, though disgusting.

A 501(c)(3) organization, such as a church, is one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." Churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in a limited amount of lobbying (including ballot measures) and advocate for or against issues that are in the political arena. http://www.irs.gov/uac/Charities,-Churches-and-Politics So as long as the "sermon" does not include any suggestion that people vote for Ted Cruz, it's legal. I don't think it should be, but the IRS says it is.

[TexasProgresive]

4. Thank you for pointing that out.

[Igel]

10. Of course, RawStory should have pointed it out.

But then there'd be pretty much no story.

[Blus4u]

5. As Emily Litella of SNL

used to say, "Oh, never mind."

Sorry, I was unaware of the nuance.

Peace

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. That nuance is how the fundy churches get away with it.

As long as they don't come out and say "Vote for X" they can get their tentacles pretty far into politics. I wish the IRS would change the rules.

[Igel]

11. It's the same kind of "nuance" that

let Obama speak at Sunday services when he was running for office.

[gratuitous]

12. This is correct, and here's part of the reason

Practically anything can have a "political" dimension. Feeding the hungry? You could be chiseling the profits of the local mini-mart, which thrives on $4 loaves of bread. Advocating for more low-income housing? You heartless bastards! Don't you know that high-end developers could be putting up quarter million dollar townhouses or million dollar McMansions and turning a pretty penny? You want there to be less gun violence in your city? Hey, undertakers and medical examiners have to work for a living, too!

[spanone]

8. he's a sick, twisted shit.

[TheMastersNemesis]

9. Nothing Will Happen To These Churches. They Are Already Endorsing Candidates.

The Churches have been endorsing GOP candidates for years. No one will take them on because religious freedom is the big thing in politics. There would be a firestorm is they lost their tax exempt status.