I drove past a Baptist church last night (in Tennessee)

[Tanuki]

and the marquee sign urged everyone to vote for the anti-gay marriage state consitution amendment. Would that alone jeopardize their tax-exempt status, or would they have to actually endorse one party or candidate? (Many of us believe that the only reason that issue got on the ballot in the first place was to bring the evangelicals to the polls in a midterm election so they would then vote for the Rethug candidates). I would be happy to drive by again with a camera and turn them in! I was raised as a Southern Baptist and it breaks my heart that they have turned into little more than a right-wing PAC. At a certain point in my life I realized I could either be a Democrat or a Southern Baptist, and the choice was easy.

[me b zola]

1. Turn them in

:grr:

[WCGreen]

2. Turn 'em in....

Take pictures...

[alfredo]

3. Photograph it with a visible time/date stamp. Take several

photos to show context. (the sign, pan back to show the church, then the church and surroundings.) Then send it to the IRS.

[NashVegas]

4. I Believe That Would Be Legal

As they are not endorsing a candidate.

[pat_k]

17. Could require change in status from 501(c)(3) to 501(c)(4) or. . .

Not sure if there are penalties involved in going outside the bounds of your registered IRS status.

From http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2907314&mesg_id=2910014

* 501(c)(1) - Corporations organized under acts of Congress such as Federal Credit Unions
* 501(c)(2) - Title holding corporations for exempt organizations
* 501(c)(3) - Various charitable, non-profit, religious, and educational organizations (see below)
* 501(c)(4) - Various political education organizations (see below)
* 501(c)(6) - Business league and chamber of commerce organizations (see below)
* 501(c)(7) - Recreational club organizations
* 501(c)(8) - Fraternal benefiary societies
* 501(c)(9) - Voluntary employee benefiary associations
* 501(c)(10) - Fraternal lodge societies
* 501(c)(14) - Credit Unions
* 501(c)(19) or (23) - U.S. Veterans' posts and auxiliaries

[Donkeykick]

5. I'm Not Sure.

:shrug: You can only try it. In my opinion, I see it as church and state coming together--especially when you see the word vote!

It would be different if they would have said, "This church does not believe in same sex marriages."

Once again, only my opinion. ;)

[nickinSTL]

6. According to a local Catholic paper in St. Louis

churches are allowed to support initiatives and such without losing tax-exempt status, but not candidates.

Believe me, if that wasn't true, 80% of churches (which might be a bit of an exaggeration - just seems like that many) in MO would lose their tax-exempt status over the stem-cell initiative. :mad:

[Toots]

7. They can promote issues just not people.

Once they start promoting candidates they have entered the political arena.

[Moochy]

13. Theocratic Party

That's just a distinction without a difference, IMO.

If you motivate someone to vote on an issue, are they going to ignore the candidates? Religious institutions should be kept out of the political process entirely, including initiatives.

[spoony]

21. If you open that can of worms

A whole lot of churches around here (Detroit) are going to go belly up for having Democrats visit and having rallies about ballot proposals.

Hell one was just this last week, about an affirmative action proposal. I'm just saying you're going to be spiting your face with efforts like this.

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Yup. Although obnoxious and hateful, that sign is

legal.

[undeterred]

8. The problem with Baptists is - they don't hold them under long enough.

No offense meant to American Baptists. :evilgrin:

[Donkeykick]

10. None taken.

Our family knows what goes on with them too. ;)

[spanone]

9. When you have a faith-based govt. what can you expect.

Bush* would break the church/state barriers in a heartbeat if it meant one more vote for his anything but religious policies.

They should pull this 'chuches' tax exempt in a heartbeat.

[Nozebro]

11. Sign outside Baptist church in Muleshoe, Texas (West Tex.) reads:

"You Think It's Hot HERE".

[Odin2005]

23. I bet it's hotter in Texas then it is in Hell.

:evilgrin:

[johnfunk]

12. Notify CREW -- they have filed two complaints against other churches...

... with the IRS:

Watchdog Group Accuses Churches of Political Action
By Stephanie Strom, New York Times
October 26, 2006

A nonprofit group has filed a complaint asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the role that two churches may have played in the re-election campaign of Kansas’ attorney general.

The complaint by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonpartisan legal watchdog organization, cited a memorandum from the attorney general, Phill Kline, a Republican, directing members of his campaign staff to recruit churches to distribute campaign literature and serve as the sites for events.

“This is the top law enforcement official in the state who is encouraging everyone to break the law,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the watchdog group. “He’s either abysmally unfamiliar with the law, or he’s deliberately violating it.”

[UTUSN]

14. I think it has to be about endorsing a specific candidate by name

That said, isn't the o.p.'s example endorsing a specific ISSUE by name? Last year I called the IRS asking this same question about a wingnut preacher who lambastes "Liberals" on the radio. Penetrating the IRS labyrinth was a trip in itself, but that's another story. When I finally got to talk to somebody who said she KNOWS the policy, she was wishy washy about my example, said the IRS does not pursue "free speech" matters, blah blah. Bottom line, "reporting" is only so good as who GETS the report.

[gratuitous]

15. Churches can't endorse candidates

They are free to speak out on ballot initiatives, and thank God for that. In certain circles in Oregon, we still say "Thanks Lon" as a greeting or a benediction. It's a reference to Lon Mabon and his defunct Oregon Citizens Alliance, which sponsored Measure 9 in 1992 and Measure 13 in 1994, two remarkably discriminatory anti-gay measures. A lot of people organized and campaigned against them, including churches believe it or not, and discovered a rather startling thing: Progressives have a great deal of power, maybe even more power than the wealthy corporate interests.

If churches hadn't gotten involved in a big way against Measure 9 and particularly Measure 13, it's possible that Measure 13 would have passed in the 1994 Republican juggernaut. But the oomph of religious opposition gave some people in Oregon the permission or the courage to vote against a ballot measure they knew was wrong, but perhaps couldn't square with some amorphous belief that "the Bible says . . ."

[JRob]

16. TAKE the PHOTO and report them!!! Send to the media KO etc.

[johnaries]

18. Is it in Mid-TN? If so, let me know where & I'll get a pic, too.

I'll back you up. We'll both turn them in.

[Tanuki]

19. Yes, in Donelson

on Lebanon Road on the stretch between Donelson Road and the Briley Parkway ramp. I will drive by tomorrow and will p.m. you the name and more exact location. :hi:

[johnaries]

22. Cool! I used to be a member of Two Rivers Baptist on Briley

back in the 70's when Jim Henry was Pastor. He was excellent, and I swear he was a Liberal. Then he went to Florida and they went bat-shit crazy fundie.

I'm a Taoist, now. :-)

[brentspeak]

20. Bill Clinton is a Southern Baptist

There's a lot of Southern Baptists who are also Democrats. Was the church you saw a Southern Baptist church, an independent one, another Baptist denomination?

[bluedogyellowdog]

24. Same in Virginia

Church in Harrisonburg with a "Yes on 1 for Marriage - one man, one woman" sign and I'm sure there are plenty others. I've wondered if we can file a request that the IRS revoke their tax exempt status.

My understanding is tax exempt institutions can make endorsements on ballot measures, but not endorse candidates. Believe me, if I could turn in every church that campaigns for anti-gay amendments and demand the IRS revoke their tax exempt status, I would.