Electioneering Bill so that pastors can tell congreg how to vote

[chomskysright]

One DU'er made a comment re: the NC church wherein people had been 'excommunicated' that something was behind it: well; HERE IT IS:

FROM aMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE:


http://www.au.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr003=2u49khp...


Church Split In North Carolina Shows Dangers Of Partisan Politics In Pulpit, Says Americans United
Friday, May 6, 2005
Church Electioneering Bill In Congress Would Invite More Disputes Over Politics In Houses Of Worship, Says AU's Lynn

A bitter controversy over partisan politics at a North Carolina church shows the danger of electioneering in the pulpit, according to Americans United of Separation of Church and State.
According to news media reports, the Rev. Chan Chandler of East Waynesville Baptist Church in Haywood County told members that they must vote for President George W. Bush. Nine members who did not do so have since been told to leave the congregation. An additional 40 members have reportedly left in protest.
“This is an outrage,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Houses of worship exist to bring people together for worship, not split them apart over partisan politics.
“I think there is an important lesson here for the whole country,” Lynn continued. “Americans do not expect to be ordered to vote for certain candidates by their religious leaders.”
Religious Right groups have been pressing evangelical churches to get deeply involved in partisan politics, Lynn said, and this kind of controversy is the natural outcome.
Lynn said matters will become even worse if a bill now pending in Congress becomes federal law.
H.R. 235, a measure introduced by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), would allow clergy to endorse candidates from the pulpit and still retain a tax exemption of their house of worship.
“Introducing partisan politics into our churches is a terrible idea,” said AU’s Lynn. “I hope this incident in North Carolina will cause our members of Congress to reject Rep. Jones’ bill.”

[DanCa]

1. Red and Blue Churches

Whatever happened to purple mountains majesty?

[Erika]

2. Theocratic government on the march

I hope our republican friends know that by their votes and supporting Bush, that they are killing the dream of a free America. They need to realize they are instrumental in destroying this country and replacing it with a theocracy.

Everyone should contact their D.C. reps and Mr. Jones and let them know your taxes are not be spent on partisan politics.

[NVMojo]

3. We need to shut this bill down and Bush's stupid "faith-based"

federal grant programs...

[PurityOfEssence]

4. My property taxes at work...

Well, not there, but here in L.A.

(My sister lives in NC, though, and her property taxes go to save the faithful from having to pay for police, fire, sewer and other services.)

Religious organizations are POLITICAL ENTITIES, they always have been and they always will be. If they want to influence society while sucking off the benefits of it like parasites, they should be TAXED. This isn't too hard to understand, is it?

I pay a big chunk of our combined income into the County for the thrill of having streets blocked off for Catholic holidays, extra police for other religious days and the general support of BUSINESSES that claim to not be businesses. Is there no line that can be crossed without redress?

Organized religion in this country is abusive, parasitic and filled with a need for more subsidies. This is wrong on every moral, ethical and business level. It's a drain on society. It's destructive to the communal well-being, and it's getting worse.

This is why small toe-holds shouldn't be tolerated: they're taken as justification for larger ones. After all, since we say "in god we trust" on our money, why should non-believers even be allowed to vote?

[Eloriel]

5. And here's some info re tax exempt status

Not a lawyer, either, but I know a little about this
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1766967&mesg_id=1767177
Churches are incorporated as 501(c)(3) organizations -- a term from the IRS regs. Other 501(c)(3)s include charities and "educational" organizations -- United Way, N.O.W., Sierra Club, NARAL, etc. (Now, many of these ALSO have 501(c)(4) lobbying organizations and 501(c)(5) PAC affiliated organizations as well, but tax handling for these is very different. The funds between the 3 types for each organization MUST be kept very separate.)

But all these 501(c)(3)s are specifically prohibited from advocating for or against any candidates or party or they could be forced to become a lobbying arm or a PAC witout the same tax advantages (and PACs are the only type or org which can advocate for or against individual candidates and/or political party(ies).

Since I learned about all this (by serving on a state N.O.W. PAC some years ago), other types have been developed, including the hot new 527s, and I frankly don't know all that much about any of them.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Now obviously, the U.S. is using the tax code to implement one aspect of the separation of church and state. So this is an extremely important thing to look at (as well as other social policy we may be implementing via the tax code) any time any revisions -- especially wholesale sweeping changes like a flat tax -- are being advocated. While it would be nice to make the tax system "more fair," we don't want to get rid of some of its provisions without making sure they're provided for elsewhere.


also see addendum to this I added in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3610341&mesg_id=3611038
NOW, how do you go about getting the IRS to do its thing? One good way, IMO, is to take your EVIDENCE and contact Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, run by Rev. (Presybterian minister and attorney) Barry Lynn. You've actually probably seen him now and then on some of the cable stations. Nice guy. Very measured, thoughtful, and most of all RIGHT. AU files complaints with the IRS all the time. Here's AU's website: www.au.org

and this is great info:

TWriterD Response to Reply #1
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3610452#3610498
4. That's good to hear.
I called the IRS to let them know that we are out here AND paying attention. To report suspected tax fraud, the number is 1-800-829-0433. The number for tax-exempt inquiries is 877-829-5500.

That mega-church from Justice Sunday needs to be on the IRS's hit list as well.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

6. If a church is a branch of the GOP and doesn't lose tax exempt status

then you can get around the $2,000 campaign contribution limit by "tithing" an unlimited amount to your church (which will use it to support the right (sic) candidate) -- and you get a tax deduction, to boot! Sweet.