Fundies: Group supporting "false philosophy of separation of church/state" going after preacher

[marmar]

:crazy: notice the Fundie spin from OneNewsNow, the American Family Association's "news" service:



Pastor becomes IRS target
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 10/26/2008 5:00:00 AM


A group that supports the false philosophy of separation of church and state has filed action against another pastor for having his say about politics.

Bishop Robert E. Smith is senior pastor at Word of Outreach and Christian Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has lodged a complaint against him for endorsing John McCain for president from the pulpit on October 12.

"Bishop Smith knowingly and flagrantly violated the law and has even dared the IRS to investigate him for it," says Americans United leader Barry Lynn in a press release. "I hope the federal tax agency promptly takes him up on that."

But Smith contends the law upon which the complaint was filed with the Internal Revenue Service is unconstitutional.

"Congress cannot make any law that prohibits the free exercise of my faith," the pastor explains. "So a part of my faith as a minister is not only to deal with issues, but to deal with the people who are making the laws that affect the issues -- because I preach a two-sided gospel: the gospel of Christ for salvation, and the gospel of the kingdom for the political stability of its people. So that gets into politics."

The Arkansas pastor remembers a time when pastors could speak freely from the pulpit -- and did. "Well, that's the way it has been," he laments, "but since it's coming out in the form as it is now, a lot of the pastors are getting cold feet and they're backing up."

Smith is one of 33 pastors around the country who have spoken from the pulpit on political candidates and issues as part of Alliance Defense Fund's project to challenge the law and generate a lawsuit to take the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. Complaints have been filed with the IRS against seven churches so far.


http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=298802 (if Rick-rolled, find the story at the AFA homepage www.afa.net in the OneNewsNow section)

[Solly Mack]

1. "the gospel of the kingdom for the political stability of its peopl"e

"false philosophy of separation of church and state"

Snort

[BrklynLiberal]

2. "the false philosophy of separation of church and state" !!!???

My reaction to this kind of crap alternates between nausea and rage!!!

I hope that this does go to the Supreme Court..but not until Obama has had a chance to replace one of the RW hacks that sit on it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. You took the words right outta my mouth

[GodlessBiker]

3. He's right. He can talk about politics from the pulpit. Just not tax free.

[FLyellowdog]

4. Exactly. Tax 'em.

[DBoon]

5. I pay taxes. I'm free to endorse a candidate.

This preacher has exactly the same freedom I do

[LibertyLover]

6. As a private individual who pays taxes, you are correct that this preacher

has the same right as you do to freely endorse a candidate. What he does not have is the right to endorse a candidate as a preacher, whether while preaching in his church or otherwise. The preacher pays taxes as an individual and may endorse as an individual. The moment that he does so under the color of being a preacher, whether from the pulpit, in a church newsletter or in a message written on church letterhead, he looses that right.

[GodlessBiker]

7. He doesn't lose the right per se. He loses the right to do it tax free. It's his choice.

[LibertyLover]

9. Not exactly

I just re-read Piety and Politics by Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. A preacher may not endorse or support a specific candidate or political party from the pulpit or in any other way when he or she is acting in their capacity as a "preacher" or "minister" or "priest" or "rabbi" or "imam", etc. They may preach for or against something, for example abortion, or urge their flock to consider voting for people who support or oppose whatever the church supports or opposes, but they may not specifically say vote for X party or vote against Jim Smith. As a private individual, a minister or priest or whatever may endorse whomever they want. If they do it in writing it may not be on their church's letterhead, but rather their own private stationary. If they do so verbally it may not be from their church's pulpit, or anybody else's church's pulpit. If he or she is asked in their ministerial capacity to endorse or support a candidate they may not. If as a private individual he or she is asked if they will support or endorse a candidate they may, but only in their private capacity.

[GodlessBiker]

11. Is that a church rule? Because the First Amendment applies in the pulpit.

The government cannot prevent a preacher from endorsing a candidate from the pulpit. The government can only decide if an organization gets to speak tax free.

If you are reciting a church rule, then that's just a condition of employment. My employer can fire me for what I say at work, too.

[LibertyLover]

14. No - it's an IRS rule

If a church wants to keep its tax-exempt status, its minister may not endorse a candidate by name or may not tell his or her parishioners to not vote for a candidate by name. So, Rev. Smith may not preach a sermon in which she says that she is endorsing Barrack Obama and wants all her congregation to go out and vote for him. Nor may she take out an ad in the local paper saying that she, Rev. Smith wants everybody to vote for Obama. Father John may not say that he is voting for John McCain and if his flock does not want to commit a sin they will vote for John McCain also. Nor may Father John write a letter to the local paper on St. Francis of Assisi RC Church letterhead saying that he is voting for McCain and anyone who doesn't is a sinner. At least they may not and keep their tax-exempt status if such actions are reported to the IRS and an investigation proves they did. As an example, see what happened to Branch Ministries, who in 1992, close to Election Day, took out ads in two newspapers that were anti-Clinton.

http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/200005/99-5097a.txt

Per the First Amendment Center: "Under the IRS code, places of worship can distribute voter guides, run nonpartisan voter-registration drives and hold forums on issues, among other things. However, they cannot endorse a candidate, and their political activity cannot be biased for or against a candidate, directly or indirectly."

[GodlessBiker]

15. Yes, there are only limits to keep tax-exempt status. Otherwise, a preacher can say whatever ...

s/he wants.

Perhaps the preacher should care more about his principles and say what he wants to say, instead of focusing so much on money and keeping the church's tax-exempt status.

There is no doubt, however, that the preacher can say what he wants in the pulpit. The First Amendment extends to the pulpit, but so does the tax code.

[DBoon]

13. He should be able to endorse a candidate from the pulpit

as long as he doesn't mind his church losing ALL its tax exemptions.

The reason for the IRS code is to prevent "laundering" political contributions through tax exempt organizations, thereby allowing political campaigns to benefit from their tax exempt status (meant to support educational, charitable, or artistic endeavors).

[depakid]

8. It's long past time to hold these scofflaws accountable

They're been basically thumbing their noses- knowing that the Bush aministration would never enforce the nations laws against them.

Time fo a little personal responsibility across the board.

[TWiley]

10. Tax the FunDAMNmentalists

Why should my tax dollars be spent subsidising their filth? I want tax free Science, Math, Logic, and Liberal Politics Mega Churches. I want them to have charter schools that teach evolution, birth control, and tolerance 24 hours a day

[pleah]

12. Tax'em! Then they spout off on anything they want.

[Mari333]

16. money talks, b.s. walks...the minute they think they will lose tax exempt status

and a visit from the IRS, they will reconsider.