(Ark.) Baptist Preacher Accused of Using Pulpit for Politics (IRS filing)

[DeepModem Mom]

Publication:Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Date: 21 July 2004 ; Section:Front Section; Page:1


Baptist pastor accused of using Springdale pulpit for politicking

BY LAURA KELLAMS ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

SPRINGDALE — An organization that calls itself a "religious liberty watchdog group" filed a complaint Tuesday against Arkansas’ largest Protestant church, whose senior pastor the group claimed violated a tax rule in a sermon outlining the differences between this year’s presidential candidates.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State said its complaint filed with the Internal Revenue Service contended that First Baptist Church of Springdale engaged in politicking for President Bush in a July 4 sermon.

In the sermon, the Rev. Ronnie Floyd never mentions either Bush, a Republican, or his Democratic challenger, John Kerry, by name.

Pictures of Bush and Kerry appeared at times on a screen next to the screen that displayed Floyd delivering his recorded message to the church.

Floyd encouraged the congregation, as evangelical Christians, to "vote God" in November. Without using Bush’s name, he spoke of Bush’s support of "God-ordained" marriage and faith in Christ.

He never said which candidate he favored.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the sermon he watched on the church’s Web site went "way beyond any gray area."...

***

Floyd, who is vacationing this month, said through a church secretary that he’s responding only to media interviews about his new book, The Gay Agenda....

http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=ArDemocrat/2004/07/21&ID=Ar00102

[Coventina]

1. His new book "The Gay Agenda"

:eyes:

Obsessive hate.

It would be funny if it weren't so dangerous.

[DBoon]

14. It stands beside other classic texts

Like Die Grundlagen des 19. Jahrhunderts by Houston Stewart Chamberlain, a 19th century anti-semitic diatribe worshiped by the Nazis.


See:
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/text/x05/xm0510.html

[UpInArms]

2. what the hell would this guy know about a "gay agenda"?

Seems like he should have written about the agenda of the rabid rightwingnut fundamentalists.

[leesa]

4. No Shit! Nasty people these Christo-Facists

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Here's a copy of the LTTE I wrote about this guy a couple of

months ago:

In 1911, Rep. Seaborn Roddenberry (R-GA) proposed an amendment to the United States Constitution, proclaiming, “Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit. It is abhorrent and repugnant. It is subversive to social peace. It is destructive of moral supremacy, and ultimately, this slavery to black beasts will bring this nation to fatal conflict.”

The state of Arkansas, shamefully, supported this belief until ‘smacked down’ by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967.

Compare these words to those of senior pastor, Ronnie Floyd of the First Baptist Church of Springdale, “Same sex unions will be the most important, defining, spiritual, moral and directional issue in the country…. This would doom us.”

OK, forget about endless, inane war, massive unemployment, deficits, and the destruction of our very air and water. What utter nonsense! How can any two people applying for a state-issued license affect you? It happens hundreds of times daily and unless you are still legally married to one of them, there is no impact.

Baptists make up 42.4% of Arkansas’ population and a slightly higher percentage in Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. This region has the highest rate of divorce in the country, with Arkansas being the second highest. Perhaps Rev. Floyd should concentrate on cleaning up his own house or lobby to abolish divorce and annulment and make adultery a capital offense as suggested in the Bible.

I have been delightfully single for over 32 years yet have managed to tolerate married people. They receive over 1,049 SPECIAL benefits I’m ineligible to receive although I live among them. I question why I pay higher income tax rates to offset the financial burdens created as a direct result of these marriages….domestic violence, child abuse, abandonment, displaced homemakers, spousal murder, rape and child molestation, which take place more frequently in the ‘Bible Belt’. Also, consider that every gay and lesbian in existence came from a heterosexual coupling.

I do resent the efforts of the American ‘Taliban’ to convert our democracy into a corporate run theocracy. I do not long for a return to the Church-ruled Dark Ages.

Walter Cronkite recently wrote, “Where is the tolerance, where is the Christian spirit in the effort to criminalize the personal choices of our fellow citizens, personal choices that do not physically threaten others?”

Perhaps Rev. Floyd will respond, but please spare quotations from Leviticus since Baptists do not follow those laws (for example, Lev. 11: 7-10). I prefer Hebrews 13: 1-2:
“Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

[jus_the_facts]

5. The ENTIRE FLEET of Southern Baptist preachers does this......

.....their whole AGENDA is about politics and has been for a least a DECADE now! :eyes:

[MasonJar]

6. Does anyone know how to reach this organization? There is a

very large and powerful church here in my city that I need to report. I tried to call the IRS directly but it is impossible.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. This looks to be their website --

Americans United for Separation of Church and State

http://www.au.org/site/PageServer

[havocmom]

10. thanks for this site link

looks to be a keeper in my favorites

[The Zanti Regent]

7. TAKE THESE BIBLE THUMPING LIARS OFF OF WELFARE!

It is time to tax ALL churches. If they wanna play, they gotta pay!

[central scrutinizer]

9. The GOP was in town yesterday

exhorting local pastors to get out the vote.

http://www.registerguard.com/

The article won't be available online until noon, PDT, but you can use that link now to view a PDF of the front page and the headline and see the photo of the protestor with the sign "Who Would Jesus Bomb"

[jmcgowanjm]

11. Was in Springdale last nite

Doing my part to spread vice and sin.

[dbt]

16. Thank you!!

Sometimes, we get Purified to death around here!

:evilgrin:
dbt
Little Rock

[readmylips]

12. Hope someone gets my Catholic Priest too.....

the guy is a bush lover and every chance he gets, makes demeaning comments and jokes about democrats and Kerry. Already,he had McCain come to our church to speak to the people. I didn't attend, but I did send a note to the church requesting a democrat come to speak.

I stopped giving money to the church. Fok that a$$hole priest.

[havocmom]

13. Why wait for 'someone' to file a complaint?

Why not do it yourself? Government by, for and of the people only works when We The People participate!

If comedians and singers lose their jobs for exercising their right of speech on the job, why should members of the clergy/churches be allowed to keep tax exempt status when they cross over the limits set for that tax exempt status? At least comedians and singers have to pay taxes!

We will make this nation better when we stop waiting for 'someone' to do what we as citizens need done.

Go call the IRS and inquire as to just what the rules are. Get in touch with the organization deep modem mom provided a link to. It is your country and your church. Go for it if the two get confused. :D Try it. Rabble rousing can be great fun and is mighty empowering.

peace & strength to you!

[Classical_Liberal]

15. It's about time someone started challenging the tax exempt status

of the religious right.