IRS reinstates tax exempt status of religious liberty group after Lee, Owens raise concerns

[TexasTowelie]

The Internal Revenue Service reversed its decision to remove tax-exempt status from a religious values group after over a dozen Republican lawmakers raised concerns with the decision, including U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

The group in question is Christians Engaged, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose goals are “to awaken, motivate, educate, and empower ordinary believers in Jesus Christ to: PRAY for our nation and elected officials regularly, VOTE in every election to impact our culture, and ENGAGE our hearts in some form of political education or activism for the furtherance of our nation,” according to a letter written by Owens, Lee and 13 other GOP lawmakers.

The letter, sent to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig on June 25, says that IRS Director of Exempt Organizations Stephen Martin sent a letter stating that Christians Engaged does not qualify for nonprofit status because it is “engaged in prohibited political campaign intervention,” including using “bible teachings (that) are typically affiliated with the (Republican) Party candidates.”

“These issues have always been at the core of Christian belief and classifying them as inherently political is patently absurd,” the congress members wrote. “If the IRS applied this interpretation broadly, it would jeopardize the tax-exempt status of thousands of Christian churches across the country.”

Additionally, Martin raised issue with the nonprofit’s teachings regarding “freedom of speech, defense, … borders and immigration, (and) U.S. and Israel relations,” according to the letter.

-snip-

The other members of Congress who signed on to the June 25 letter include Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Rep. Louie Gohmert R-Texas; Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-South Carolina; Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Florida; Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona; Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado; Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida; Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado; Rep. Dan Bishop, R-North Carolina; Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-New Mexico; Rep. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina; and Rep. Bob Good, R-Virginia.

Read more: https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/irs-reinstates-tax-exempt-status-of-religious-liberty-group-after-lee-owens-raise-concerns/article_4c358a34-614b-53e1-9f11-898d7af692a1.html
(Provo Daily Herald)

[walkingman]

1. There is no reason to give tax exemption to religious organizations who

openly and proudly engage in politics.

[Thomas Hurt]

2. "...would jeopardize the tax-exempt status of thousands of Christian churches across the country."

They said that like it would be bad thing.

[abqtommy]

3. I find that I heartily agree with posts #1 and #2 here. There's a very good reason for separation

of church and state here in this country and giving tax exemptions doesn't fit with that.

[elleng]

4. ' goals are "to awaken, motivate, educate, and empower ordinary believers in Jesus Christ'

Sorry, not on my dime.