Pastors Openly Defy IRS Law With McCain Endorsements

[ccharles000]

Yesterday, 9/28, over thirty Pastors challenged the IRS by endorsing John McCain, directly or indirectly, during Sunday sermons. Today, Megyn Kelly reported that a group of Pastors violated the IRS law by preaching about the "moral qualifications" of the candidates. Kelly, looking pleased with herself, opened an interview with Pastor Jodi Hice, a participant in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday", by showing a clip, frequently shown on FOX, of a Jeremiah Wright's sermon about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

Kelly and Hice talked around the fact that this group of Pastors are either openly endorsing McCain or openly condemning Obama from their pulpits which threatens their tax-exempt status.

The Christian Science Monitor reports :

"The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a conservative legal group based in Arizona, recruited the pastors for "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" to press their claim that the IRS tax code violates the free speech of religious leaders."

"I have a First Amendment right to say whatever I want to say, and I've never thought it was appropriate that as a pastor I could not share my political concerns with the congregation," says the Rev. Gus Booth, pastor at Warroad Community Church in Warroad, Minn.

Mr. Booth will endorse Sen. John McCain on Sunday, and has already told his congregation that as Christians, they could not vote for Sen. Barack Obama due to his position on abortion."

http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/29/pastors_openly_defy_irs_law_with_mccain_endorsements.php#more

[trueblue2007]

1. Hope the IRS nails them

If my church did this, I would find a different church.

[Mz Pip]

2. I suppose some people

will vote on the abortion issue no matter what. But I think the majority of Americans have more pressing concerns now.

[DesertFlower]

5. my granddaughter is a born again christian

and she's voting for obama. fortunately she can think for herself.

[Massacure]

3. The pastors are correct in claiming that they have a first amendment right to endorse who they wish

Unfortunately for them, the first amendment does not say anything about taxes.

[Tallison]

4. DING, DING, DING - Winner! n/t

[AzNick]

10. Exactly. But you know, if God exists...

God will defeat the IRS. When the tax auditer shows up, krrsccch! the sky will open and lightning will strike and it will be like at the end of Indiana Jones - Riders of the Lost Ark, the auditer will melt and any Law Enforcement agent accompanying him will either explode or age very fast, just like in the movie I am telling you.

Or not, and they will lose their tax exemplt status.

[provis99]

6. fine. they can submit to taxation of their churches then.

When the congregation figures out 30% of their collection plate money is going to the government, they'll shut their fool pastor up pretty quick.

[quakerboy]

19. Course, if they can use the pulpit to propel

Ms Churchy Spice into power, They won't mind paying that money, because it will all be coming right back to them anyway. Or so they will believe.

[Miss Chybil]

7. Of course they have the first amendment right

to mix church and state and they also have the right to pay taxes.

[Heather MC]

8. Code Pink should stage a protest inside one of these churches, if they want to participate in the

political process so bad
they deserve a protest interuption

[the Kwap]

9. double edged sword

What about Father Pfleger and his support of BO from the pulpit?

[ccharles000]

11. No preacher should use the pulpit for politics...

unless they pay taxes.

[Marsala]

12. He did more harm than good

Tax everybody who speaks politically from the pulpit. It'll hurt the Repukes much more than us.

[and-justice-for-all]

13. Report them to the IRS: [e-mail]

[Princess Turandot]

21. They've probably already reported themselves..

they want to litigate the IRS regulations. This was a planned and publicized effort on their part.

[Dinger]

14. Here's Another One In Wisconsin, A Battleground State:

West Bend:
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/306887

[Dinger]

16. Here's Yet Another:

http://www.romingerlegal.com/newsviewer.php?ppa=8oplo%5F%5ClrniptrVUok%27%40%3E%20bfen%5F%21

"Pastor's Sunday endorsement of McCain may get him in IRS trouble
Sep 25, 2008 - McClatchy Tribune Business News
Author(s): Stephen J. Lee

Sep. 25--It appears that a Warroad, Minn., pastor is going to be in the national spotlight this Sunday when he plans to endorse Sen. John McCain for president from his pulpit as part of his challenge to federal rules against churches engaging in politic l campaigns.

The Rev. Gus Booth, pastor of Warroad Community Church, said he's heard from about 20 media organizations across the nation just today. CNN and the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, as well as the Bill Moyers show on National Public Television, have all told him they plan to cover his church's worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday, Booth told a Herald reporter today, adding, "Can I put you on ho d?" A few moments later Booth was back on the line: "That was a radio show in New York. I put them on hold." Booth garners attention because of his bold -- or outrageous, depending on one's own views -- stand he took last spring to publicly and loudly flout rules of the Internal Revenue Service in place for a half-century proscribing politicking by churches an clergy, or other nonprofits enjoying tax-exempt status.

He made big news last spring when he spoke out, from the pulpit against Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, citing their positions favoring abortion rights as unbiblical, making it wrong for any Christian to support them in their bid for the preside cy. In the past year or so, Booth got involved politically like he never had before, he said, and ended up a delegate to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul three weeks ago. "I was able to talk to John McCain, just shortly," Booth said. "I just s id I was a pastor in a church in northern Minnesota and want you to know we pray for you consistently.

And he said, 'Thank you very much.'" Booth says his big beef is that what is known as "the Johnson Amendment," after LBJ got it passed in the Senate in 1954 restricting tax-exempt nonprofits, such as churches, from engaging in political campaigns. That violates his freedom of speech, simply because he's behind a pulpit, Booth argues. And he's willing to face whatever the IRS throws at him, he says. Many, especially the group Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, are trying to get Booth stopped, and have lobbied the IRS to yank his church's tax exemption, which typically involves not paying local property taxes or church income taxes."

[Dinger]

17. More In-Depth Article On This Asshole:

http://www.startribune.com/local/29862889.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsA


WEST BEND, Wis. - Pastor Luke Emrich prepared his sermon last week knowing his remarks could invite an IRS investigation. But he forged ahead anyway with his message: Thou shalt vote according to the Scriptures.

Emrich, 38, told about 100 worshippers Sunday they should make their own voting decisions, but urged them to cast their ballots in favor of an anti-abortion platform.

"I'm telling you straight up I would choose life. I would cast a vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin," he said, referring to the Republican ticket. "But friends, it's your choice to make, it's not my choice. I won't be in the voting booth with you."

[TexasObserver]

15. The IRS can revoke their 501(c)(3) status.

Here's what these religious nuts don't understand: The thing the IRS controls is their charitable status. The Church is always free to do whatever it pleases. That is not the issue. The issue is whether their church activities fall within the requirements of IRC 501(c)(3).

The failure to meet IRS requirements is likely to result in their 501(c)(3) status being revoked, and that means that the church members will no longer get a charitable deduction on their tax returns for their contributions to support the church and its ministry.

[eshfemme]

18. A good argument about this situation:

Sure, we will protect these pastor's free speech but we sure as hell ain't protecting them from taxes!

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that churches or religious institutions (or corporations or big industries for that matter) deserve a right to be free of taxes.

So yeah, go right ahead, you Republican pastors, and exercise your right to free speech. Just don't expect to be paid for it in the form of a tax-free giveaway from the federal government.

Seriously, IRS, you guys are crazy motherfuckers who nailed AL FREAKING CAPONE for TAX EVASION despite all the murders, robberies and fucked up shit he did. Don't let these pastors get away with their own scam!

[Riff Raff.]

20. What happened to free speech?? What the hell!

I will definitely be voting Obama, but this is beyond wrong. Pastors should have every right to endorse a candidate.

This--- "Mr. Booth will endorse Sen. John McCain on Sunday, and has already told his congregation that as Christians, they could not vote for Sen. Barack Obama due to his position on abortion." ----is obviously taking it too far. It was very wrong of him to insinuate that it was a "sin" of some sort, to vote Obama.

But as long as the pastor makes it clear that it's only his opinion and gives Obama credit where it's due, I see no problem with relating politics to religious concerns.

[Spider Jerusalem]

23. Tax exempt organisations don't have that right under IRS rules.

They want their church to pay taxes, they can endorse away.

[HughMoran]

24. Not if they want to keep their tax-exempt status

Don't you know this?

[1corona4u]

25. Apparently, they didn't know that....

I said earlier, after Obama is in office, we need to push this religion tax exempt shit hard. It would be a great source for revenue. It needs 'reforming'.

[knixphan]

30. YES!

[snake in the grass]

33. They have free speech!

He can endorse whomever he wants. The issue here is the tax-free status of charities. According to the law you can't be both. Period. I say, tax the fuck out of these coprophages!

[vaberella]

22. Great, get rid of their church. n/t

[WinkyDink]

26. "I have a First Amendment right...." True, very true. But there IS NO RIGHT to TAX-EXEMPTION.

[PBS Poll-435]

27. I K AND R this post because Florida was stolen last "go-round"

Rove claimed that the "heart" of Florida contributed to Bush's success.

Um. No.

[rateyes]

28. Pastors, if you want the right of everyone else to "free speech" then

don't accept privileges no one else gets. PAY TAXES.

[RTFirefly]

29. Time to pay unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, IMO

I probably butchered that quote, but yeah. These churches know what the law is. And they broke it. Tax-exempt status should be removed.

This is, of course, what they want. The Alliance Defense Fund organized all this. I cannot say what the exact result they want is, but I'm certain they want the Supreme Court to review this. Scalia I'm sure will find some way to interpret the Constitution so that they can politicize the pulpit and keep tax-exempt status...

However, I believe the philosopher Carlin said it best: "If churches want to play the game of politics, let them pay admission like everyone else."

[mwooldri]

31. As a Christian, I can't vote for McCain based on his stance on everything else.

So do I listen to this crazy pastor or what?

Mark.

[moriah]

32. They're more than free to endorse McCain.

They will just have to pay taxes, just like the rest of us.