Evangelical pastor leads voter drive - AP story in Tacoma paper:

[progressivebydesign]

This AP story has me wondering HOW these churches are keeping their tax-exempt status? Can anyone tell me? Can anyone tell me HOW Rove and Bush were able to con the Christians into thinking that a dry-drunk, foul mouthed, non-church attending, phoney Christian like Bush is worthy of that type of support?

BOTHELL - Joseph Fuiten, senior pastor of the Cedar Park Assembly of God church, has no qualms about devout Christians running the country.

"God wants us to be involved in government," says Fuiten, 54, who's leading a statewide effort to rally social conservatives to re-elect President Bush. "Along with the church and family, it's an institution God created which ought to be under the will of God."

MORE.... http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/story/5317974p-5255859c.html

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. And how is he different from Osama? n/t

[MetaTrope]

2. Bush promises them the End Times

And I'm sure the Evangelicals are going to have as much fun running rampant in Iraq as they did in Ambassador John Negroponte's Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.

[Jack The Tab]

3. skirting the line...

god, if I ever saw a church group doing it, I would certainly be asking them some very pointed questions.

[havocmom]

4. I believe it is OK for churches to push voter registration and involvement

but if he utters one word in his position as a member of clergy to advocate a particular candidate or proposition, he should be turned into IRS because he would be in violation of the rules governing tax free status for church activity.

Makes me think we should be going to church regularly, and taking recorders with us!

[Spangle]

5. I agree

Also, no "party politics". Churchs are the center for small town groups. This would be the only way to get their local issues pushed on a county level. And Churches might be the only place to gather. Churches have/are used as polling places in some areas.

Supporting a single party or single canidate, that is what I have issues with on so many levels. For one thing, they are pushing people of their faith away. If they do not agree with the church leaders, they have to be silent or leave.

And yes, I think that electioneering should be reported. But an honest discussion of what that means should take place first. Other wise, they will just say "others" do it to. But the activity and the intent isn't the same. The focus isn't the same.

Example, the black churches. Black leaders are trying to teach the fellowship to get involved for their childrens future. This is a community that has long been attempts to keep them from the polls. That have been told over and over again that their views don't count. Alot of them have stopped trying. The first step is teach them that their view does count and there is a reason for voting. Not all blacks are democrats. However, they are learning that if they don't get involved, then there will be no black leaders that are elected, no matter the PARTY. This lack/shortage of black leadership faces is what enforces the belief that Blacks shouldtn't even try, that they are out of the loop.

NAACP has been promoting this and the posters, etc I have seen do not represent a single party or canidate. Their involvement have been more about getting voters to vote and disfrancisment of voters. (civil rights)

Big difference from other reports were candidate cards are passed out showing who to vote for. Where who to vote for is preached and one party is being labled as "sinners" from the pulpit.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. I see these churches as no different than any other 'hate' group,

including the KKK. They hate everyone and anything that is different from what they believe...and yet they are tax exempt!