Pastors pledge to defy IRS, preach politics from pulpit ahead of election

[donnay]

Pastors pledge to defy IRS, preach politics from pulpit ahead of election

By Cristina Corbin

More than 1,000 pastors are planning to challenge the IRS next month by deliberately preaching politics ahead of the presidential election despite a federal ban on endorsements from the pulpit.

The defiant move, they hope, will prompt the IRS to enforce a 1954 tax code amendment that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, from making political endorsements. Alliance Defending Freedom, which is holding the October summit, said it wants the IRS to press the matter so it can be decided in court. The group believes the law violates the First Amendment by “muzzling” preachers.

Continued...



There is a simply solution to this, stop taking the 501 c3 tax exemption.

 

[Danke]

Churches are already exempt, no need to become a 501(c)(3) organization.

 

[Smart3]

This is precisely why religious businesses (churches, mosques, temples, shrines, ashrams, etc) should not be tax exempt.

 

[fr33]

As long as taxes exist, the last persons that should be exempt are churches.

 

[RonRules]

As long as taxes exist, the last persons that should be exempt are churches.

Agreed, especially when tax exempt church funds are used for activities like this:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/scient...ivate-investigators-millions-to-trail/1252846

"Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige ordered surveillance on one of his former church rivals in a secret operation that lasted 25 years and ate up millions in church funds, a Texas lawsuit alleges.

Their attorney, Ray Jeffrey, said the church paid the men a total of $10 million to $12 million over the 25 years. That works out to between $33,000 and $40,000 a month.

Said Jeffrey: "You have a completely secret operation that only a small handful of people knew about, with nothing ever in writing: no contracts in writing, no invoices, no anything."

Jeffrey said the church paid the men for years by depositing cash into their bank accounts each month. Later, they were told to start a corporation, and the payments were sent to the corporate account."

 

[awake]

Tax "exemption" used as a state control.

 

[awake]

Their sermon should be from the book of Rothbard: "The state is a gang of thieves writ large". That sermon would make me want to go to church again.

 

[awake]

This is precisely why religious businesses (churches, mosques, temples, shrines, ashrams, etc) should not be tax exempt.

Actually, this is a good case for why everyone should be tax exempt.

 

[cindy25]

the black churches bus their members to the polls.

 

[erowe1]

This is precisely why religious businesses (churches, mosques, temples, shrines, ashrams, etc) should not be tax exempt.

Everyone should be tax exempt.

 

[Philhelm]

And the million dollar answer is:

Everyone should be tax exempt.

 

[RonRules]

the black churches bus their members to the polls.

The Scientologists bus they captive members to the polls.

 

[fr33]

Tax "exemption" used as a state control.

I agree with you on abolishing all taxes but as long as they exist, churches should be the last place such exemptions should exist. Thier whole premise is based on politics.

 

[Professor8000]

I help run a 501(c)3 Not for Profit Corporation and let me be perfectly clear when I say... Everyone Should Be Tax Exempt.

 

[LibertyEagle]

I agree with you on abolishing all taxes but as long as they exist, churches should be the last place such exemptions should exist. Thier whole premise is based on politics.

What? No, they're not.

 

[Weston White]

Well let’s not forget that next to bank buildings, churches are always the most elaborate appearing buildings around town (with exception to those oddly creepy all concrete Freemason and Latter-Day halls-slash-tabernacles).

 

[Smart3]

What? No, they're not.

1. ( functioning as singular ) the practice or study of the art and science of forming, directing, and administrating states and other political units; the art and science of government; political science
2. ( functioning as singular ) the complex or aggregate of relationships of people in society, esp those relationships involving authority or power

 

[RickyJ]

The state has no business making a law restricting the freedom of speech or religion. These pastors want to talk about politics, that is fine with me. I hope they all talk about Ron Paul, though I doubt they will.

 

[erowe1]

I agree with you on abolishing all taxes but as long as they exist, churches should be the last place such exemptions should exist. Thier whole premise is based on politics.

I don't buy that. But let's say it's true. What does being based on politics have to do with the duty to pay taxes? The two things strike me as unrelated, unless you accept the status quo, which is to use tax exemption as a way of quelling political dissent.

 

[Sonny Tufts]

Churches are already exempt, no need to become a 501(c)(3) organization.

No, there is no constitutional tax exemption for churches, any more than there's one for newspapers. While it's true that the Internal Revenue Code exempts churches from the normal requirement that an entity must first apply for tax-exempt status before it's recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization, the exemption from taxation is entirely statutory. Accordingly, Congress can limit the kinds of political activity such organizations can engage in.