Churches and Politics

[twistedredbird]

This is surely going to really elevate the debate about separation of church and state with pastors making noise and daring the IRS to revoke their nonprofit status. What they better watch out for, is a lot of legislators are looking for ways to investigate nonprofits now, and they may be inviting a pandora's box of scrutiny on their financials.

Personally, I don't ever want to hear my pastor tell me who to vote for, and don't want to turn my place of spiritual education into a place of politics. I am sure it is being this political race is being discussed in both sides of the fence in various places, I just haven't ever encountered it personally.

Pastors prepare to take on IRS over political endorsement ban – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

 

[TXCyclones]

This is surely going to really elevate the debate about separation of church and state with pastors making noise and daring the IRS to revoke their nonprofit status. What they better watch out for, is a lot of legislators are looking for ways to investigate nonprofits now, and they may be inviting a pandora's box of scrutiny on their financials.

Personally, I don't ever want to hear my pastor tell me who to vote for, and don't want to turn my place of spiritual education into a place of politics. I am sure it is being this political race is being discussed in both sides of the fence in various places, I just haven't ever encountered it personally.

Pastors prepare to take on IRS over political endorsement ban – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

This is one of the best stated comments related to the issue. Nicely done. The miracle of faith, especially in the face of scientific advances, is a very personal journey filled with self-awareness and hopefully mutual understanding. I enjoy pointing out the hypocracies of religions (including my own) as well as placing the teachings of each in their own context relative to the time of their rise in history. Religion and politics have always been intertwined throughout history. I've often wondered if politics could have ever existed without religion being used to cajole people in one direction or another. The great U.S.-experiment toward religious freedoms was interesting for it's time. But we may be seeing yet another test yet again testing boundaries between the two.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Although the group highlighted in the article above plans to take it further, I feel this seems an appropriate balance:

No church can be prohibited from exercising free speech rights or the free exercise of religion. In fact, the tax-exempt status of a church has been revoked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) only once for engaging in overtly political activity (and that revocation was merely temporary). Churches and non-profits are free to be involved in political issues as long as no candidate or party is endorsed.

AdvanceUSA | The Law on Church Involvement in Political Activity

 

[Cyclonepride]

Step one to opening up a new revenue stream.

 

[kingcy]

Taxing churches will have a big impact at the local level and guess who will end up paying for those taxes.

 

[3TrueFans]

Taxing churches will have a big impact at the local level and guess who will end up paying for those taxes.

Churches?

 

[HFCS]

I have no problem with any church of any religion having any sort of non profit tax status as long as they don't use their money and influence for blatant politics and they can prove their church is doing charitable work. The amount of money the Mormon church recently poured into a California election, in my opinion, makes it completely different than anything that can be considered an efficient charitable organization like the Red Cross. They surely do significant charitable works, and if they were to quit spending millions of dollars fighting for discriminatory laws I'd be fine with them being considered a charitable organization.

They're obviously not the only example, but the most visible right now for plenty of reasons.

 

[terryleebr]

I have no problem with any church of any religion having any sort of non profit tax status as long as they don't use their money and influence for blatant politics and they can prove their church is doing charitable work. The amount of money the Mormon church recently poured into a California election, in my opinion, makes it completely different than anything that can be considered an efficient charitable organization like the Red Cross. They surely do significant charitable works, and if they were to quit spending millions of dollars fighting for discriminatory laws I'd be fine with them being considered a charitable organization.

They're obviously not the only example, but the most visible right now for plenty of reasons.

Unfortunately, many people have allowed themselves to be fooled into believing that one of the parties has the same social concerns that they do. Even if that we're true, (it is not), government is much more likely to cause those problems than solve them. The best you can realistically hope for is a "do no harm" outcome.

If our Pastors start politicking from the front, I will be gone and they will know why.

 

[ThatllDoCy]

This is one of the best stated comments related to the issue. Nicely done. The miracle of faith, especially in the face of scientific advances, is a very personal journey filled with self-awareness and hopefully mutual understanding. I enjoy pointing out the hypocracies of religions (including my own) as well as placing the teachings of each in their own context relative to the time of their rise in history. Religion and politics have always been intertwined throughout history. I've often wondered if politics could have ever existed without religion being used to cajole people in one direction or another. The great U.S.-experiment toward religious freedoms was interesting for it's time. But we may be seeing yet another test yet again testing boundaries between the two.

The Greeks began separating the governance of their city from the cults/religions they had. So not an American invention neither is democracy. Old Testament religions are based on a Monarchy in heaven, in early Christianity the religion was designed in the fashion if a king's court. God as the judge/king, Jesus as defense and the devil as prosecutor. This is why medieval churches are designed like a kings court. In the Middle Ages the church filled a political void and governed. Not a bad thing. The real issue comes when you believe the kingdom of heaven is a monarchy and live in a Republic. All men are created equal in our constitution that just doesn't jive with believing that God passes authority to Men. You revert back to god/kings which even the Greeks outg grew as the society became more complex.

So hopefully both Christianity and Islam can grow out of fundamentalism. The Old Testament is not a good model for modern government.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I have no problem with any church of any religion having any sort of non profit tax status as long as they don't use their money and influence for blatant politics and they can prove their church is doing charitable work. The amount of money the Mormon church recently poured into a California election, in my opinion, makes it completely different than anything that can be considered an efficient charitable organization like the Red Cross. They surely do significant charitable works, and if they were to quit spending millions of dollars fighting for discriminatory laws I'd be fine with them being considered a charitable organization.

They're obviously not the only example, but the most visible right now for plenty of reasons.

I have no problems with this statement whatsoever. Then again, every single church I've ever attended did significant amounts of charitable work (ran food pantries, served Salvation Army dinners, did community service projects ranging from cleaning port-a-potties during RAGBRAI to assisting AIDS Project Quad Cities in any way they can, to flat out giving significant amounts of cash to those that needed it, whether jobs were lost and help was needed in staying afloat to those that had been victims of violent crimes and needed help with medical bills) and stayed out of politics (well, at least, not endorsing any candidate, even though issues have been brought up).

I absolutely agree - churches should be serving the community, and if they're not I question how much that particular church is following the Bible since it's commanded to be serving the community (faith without works is dead - James 2:20). I also have a problem calling a particular church a nonprofit if all they're doing is internalizing their money - that's not what a nonprofit is supposed to be doing. I have no problem with churches having nice facilities - but churches in some places around the world operate more efficiently operating out of a home's basement.

 

[capitalcityguy]

I think we'd all agree it would be within the current tax code and also Biblically correct for any church to funnel funds to, as well as preach about, needy causes such as the SEZ. I'm having trouble sourcing it at the moment, but I'm sure it can be validated in both places.

 

[kingcy]

Churches?

The people going to those churches.

 

[kcdc4isu]

The people going to those churches.

And if that church is preaching from thr pulpit for a specific party/candidate and the people of the church agree then TAX them.

 

[clonedude]

Tax them. Period. Pretty simple.

 

[terryleebr]

Tax them. Period. Pretty simple.

Exactly. Along with the Elks, Lions Club, Rotary, COC, animal shelter, Goodwill, Salvation Army.....

 

[kingcy]

Exactly. Along with the Elks, Lions Club, Rotary, COC, animal shelter, Goodwill, Salvation Army.....

Along with colleges and universities.

 

[Bigman38]

If they want to get involved in politics then they need to pay taxes. Leave it up to the organization, i don't we need a blanket rule.

 

[capitalcityguy]

And if that church is preaching from thr pulpit for a specific party/candidate and the people of the church agree then TAX them.

So if everyone listening disagrees with the message from the pulpit, then you don't tax them? I'm confused.

 

[LivntheCyLife]

I don't completely understand this. Aren't PACs and super PACs also tax-exempt? Seems a church or any other organization would be free to form one of these.

 

[kcdc4isu]

So if everyone listening disagrees with the message from the pulpit, then you don't tax them? I'm confused.

I knew you would be confused so I will make it simple for you. If your pastor wants to preach that you should vote for a specific person/party then tax the church. If you are a member you have to decide do I agree wiuth him/her so I will continue to stay with the church and thru my donations help pay the taxes or find a church that does not want to be the political arm of a candidate/party. It is the same as when a company has a PAC you can join and pay or not join.