Tuesday, September 30, 2008
(Weekly Column)Earlier this month, I went to Alaska to counter Focus on the Family's sexual engineering festival, Love Won Out, where they claim to help people pray away the gay. The event became national news after Sarah Palin's church was caught promoting the event. Everywhere I went, including her hometown of Wasilla, people were talking politics. The excitement of the election reached a fevered pitch when Palin made her long-awaited journey home. (presumably to check up on Russia to make sure they weren’t up to any funny business in her absence)
Yet, when I went to the Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage to speak, I refrained from endorsing political candidates. Now, as a political animal, I had the desire to bark out my choice for president. However, because I represented Truth Wins Out and spoke in a church that was also a tax-exempt organization, I refrained from engaging in illegal political activity.
As an individual, the first amendment gives me the right to speak my mind, including whom I will vote for president. And, in my weekly column I have repeatedly expressed my preference for Barrack Obama. However, I have never posted such columns on the Truth Wins Out website because I respect the law. In order for donors to get a tax break for giving to our charitable work, I make a pact with the government that I will not abuse this privilege by having taxpayers subsidize my political opinions or ambitions.
On Sunday, a band of radical churches brazenly decided they are owed special rights and don't have to play by the same rules. Sponsored by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, 33 pastors in 22 states loudly trumpeted their support for John McCain within their church walls. In doing so, they defiled the law and openly defied the Internal Revenue Service.
According to the
Associated Press, the ADF provided these renegade pastors with "legal assistance" to "ensure maximum effectiveness in challenging the IRS." Armed with his legal brief, a suburban Milwaukee pastor, Rev. Luke Emrich, thundered to his New Life Church, "I'm telling you straight up, I would choose life...I would like to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin."
The IRS responded by saying that it "will monitor the situation and take appropriate action." Well, the preachers have spoken and now their churches must be stripped of their tax-exempt status. To flout the rules so flagrantly can only be met with the maximum punishment. Letting these churches get away with such audacious behavior while forcing other non-profits to abide by the law is far worse than inequality. It is a gross violation of the constitution because it essentially establishes a state church with supremacy over civil society.
Now, I can understand why these holy men thought they could get away with such lawlessness. Under the Bush administration, religious organizations have been showered with undeserved faith-based money. And, thanks to ambitious politicians (Obama and Mccain) pandering for "values voters," the wall between church and state has become rather porous.
I can also understand the allure of politics and gaining the ear of powerful leaders in Washington. It is certainly more enticing than speaking to the same flock each week and dealing with their marital problems.
Indeed, former Los Angles Lakers basketball star Magic Johnson once commented on the movie stars that would flock to watch his team by saying that they wanted to be him and he dreamed of being them. In much the same way, it seems politicians want to be preachers, while the preachers want to be politicians. So, they make periodic forays into each other's universes.
But, this is a nation of laws. If these reverends are dissatisfied with their careers, they can run for office – as did former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. However, they have no right to transform their churches into crass political machines at the expense of the taxpayer.
The American Bar Association ought to also consider slapping down lawyers at the ADF who are aiding and abetting this criminal activity. It is one thing to defend a client and quite another to organize this stunt less than two months before a presidential election. In my view, it seems that the ADF is urging churches to break the law to give McCain a last minute boost. Sure, these churches might get in trouble, but they figure it would be worth it to put McCain and Palin into the White House. This outrageous political ploy is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately.
In America, there should be no special privileges given to elitist clergy who think they are better than the rest of us. If they can't play by the rules, they should be taken out of the game. The IRS should move swiftly to ax the tax exemption from these political action committees posing as churches.
15 Comments:
I've been calling for all removing religious denominations' tax exempt status for years. If there is separation of religion from state, then why does government grant them exemption anyway? Religion is a choice, a lifestyle, even a hobby for some. Many of them own real estate, have investments, so why should they be treated differently than any other commodity. Why should our tax dollars support faith-based organizations many of which discriminate against us? This is beyond hypocrisy. Let the parasites and their cults pay their share of taxes once and for all if they want to have their say in politics, just like the rest of us.
posted by , at
9/30/2008 5:38 AM
What these simpletons can't seem to understand is that everyone, including these pastors themselves, is entitled to free speech, but NOT tax-payer subsidy of that speech. It's very simple.
posted by , at
9/30/2008 1:21 PM
Hi! Writing from Latvia (American ex-pat). If the radical right "Christians" in America believe that they can ignore science, logic and common sense and "conclude" that the earth is 7,000 years old, and dinosaurs helped to build the Egyptian pyramids ("No, Dino! Down! Down, Dino!"), then it is absolutely no surprise that they also feel that they can ignore American law. I would like to hope that they will be prosecuted vigorously and that their tax-exempt status will be withdrawn (and, for that matter, that they will be put in stocks and pelted with vegetable matter), but in Bush's America I don't believe it. And that is why I have trumpeted my support for Obama from every hill and in every valley. McPander would be a third term for the absolutely worst president the United States has ever had. Shrieking Christian Fascist Palin would be an utter disaster for a country in which church is still at least theoretically separate from bloody state. I recommend that readers go over to www.economist.com/vote2008 and see what the world thinks of the presidential race. This is a poll which gives the world's countries "electoral college" votes in accordance with their size -- five for Latvia, 1,990 for China, etc. Right now Obama is leading McCain by 8,414 electoral votes to ... three. Yes, three. I know that the Bush/Darth Cheney administration doesn't give a flying fig about what the rest of the world thinks of it, but God save America if McPander is elected.
posted by Kārlis Streips, at
9/30/2008 1:21 PM
This is nothing new, these fundo churches have been getting away with this since bush took office; and any time a progressive *real* Christian church spoke out against the war, violence and bloodshed (what Christ would have taught), the republican goon squads swooped in and threatened their tax exempt status. (BTW, I know more than a few churchgoers who think they *should* pay taxes). I dont know why these evangelical ministers think they need to do this anyway, dont they know the mindless drones in their congregations will vote republican anyway!
posted by , at
9/30/2008 1:27 PM
http://www.thoughttheater.com/2008/09/bailout_imbroglio_politics_power_pulpits_profit.php
I suggest looking at this for the best thoughtful analysis of the subject
posted by , at
9/30/2008 2:33 PM
Churches should be separate and support themselves. Politicking from the pulpit is just wrong and what idiot goes to church to hear that??
posted by , at
9/30/2008 3:17 PM
Churches need to stay the hell out of politcis, conservative or liberal. The fundies seem to be the worst at this, though, and they need to lose their tax exemption for meddling where they have no business being.
posted by cf-ioan, at
9/30/2008 4:34 PM
I agree with Robert. Churches should pay their fair share in taxes. Since churches are profit oriented businesses, the money that they collect shouldn't be tax exempt.
posted by libhom, at
9/30/2008 9:07 PM
What gets me...?? Is - who is the fool who goes to church for pol.itics instead of salvation?
posted by , at
9/30/2008 9:07 PM
This reminds me of something comedian "George Carlin" said in one his stand up rutines is there should be seperation of Church & state, one or the other f**ks you up and if you put them togather you have certain death.
posted by , at
9/30/2008 10:08 PM
Mmmmmm. State affairs are important and so is religion but keep in mind that when you protect the constitution and serve the public welfare - that means everyone - not just those who see things your way. Religion or faith is a private matter.
posted by , at
10/05/2008 6:16 PM
徵信社,案件討論,男女專區,法律諮詢,相關新聞,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣精品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,威而柔,自慰套,自慰套,SM,充氣娃娃,充氣娃娃,潤滑液,飛機杯,按摩棒,跳蛋,性感睡衣
威而柔,自慰套,自慰套,SM,充氣娃娃,充氣娃娃,潤滑液,飛機杯,按摩棒,跳蛋,性感睡衣,視訊交友90739,情人視訊網,情色交友,視訊交友,辣妹視訊,美女視訊,aio交友愛情館,情色論壇,成人論壇,免費視訊聊天,辣妹視訊,視訊交友網,美女視訊,視訊交友,成人視訊,情趣用品,成人聊天室,情趣,情趣,視訊聊天室,視訊聊天,視訊聊天室,情色視訊,情人視訊網,免費視訊聊天室,aio交友愛情館,色情遊戲,寄情築園小遊戲,情色文學,一葉情貼圖片區,室內設計
posted by sex, at
10/15/2008 3:01 AM
情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,按摩棒,震動按摩棒,微調按摩棒,情趣按摩棒,逼真按摩棒,G點,跳蛋,跳蛋,跳蛋,性感內衣,飛機杯,充氣娃娃,情趣娃娃,角色扮演,性感睡衣,SM,潤滑液,威而柔,香水,精油,芳香精油,自慰套,自慰,性感吊帶襪,吊帶襪,情趣用品加盟AIO交友愛情館,情人歡愉用品,美女視訊,情色交友,視訊交友,辣妹視訊,美女交友,嘟嘟成人網,成人網站,A片,A片下載,免費A片,免費A片下載愛情公寓,情色,舊情人,情色貼圖,情色文學,情色交友,色情聊天室,色情小說,一葉情貼圖片區,情色小說,色情,色情遊戲,情色視訊,情色電影,aio交友愛情館,色情a片,一夜情,辣妹視訊,視訊聊天室,免費視訊聊天,免費視訊,視訊,視訊美女,美女視訊,視訊交友,視訊聊天,免費視訊聊天室,情人視訊網,影音視訊聊天室,視訊交友90739,成人影片,成人交友,美女交友,微風成人,嘟嘟成人網,成人貼圖,成人電影,A片,豆豆聊天室,聊天室,UT聊天室,尋夢園聊天室,男同志聊天室,UT男同志聊天室,聊天室尋夢園,080聊天室,080苗栗人聊天室,6K聊天室,女同志聊天室,小高聊天室,上班族聊天室,080中部人聊天室,同志聊天室,聊天室交友,中部人聊天室,成人聊天室,一夜情聊天室,情色聊天室,寄情築園小遊戲,情境坊歡愉用品,情趣用品,成人網站,情人節禮物,情人節,AIO交友愛情館,情色,情色貼圖,情色文學,情色交友,色情聊天室,色情小說,七夕情人節,色情,情色電影,色情網站,辣妹視訊,視訊聊天室,情色視訊,免費視訊聊天,美女視訊,視訊美女,美女交友,美女,情色交友,成人交友,自拍,本土自拍,情人視訊網,視訊交友90739,生日禮物,情色論壇,正妹牆,免費A片下載,AV女優,成人影片,色情A片,成人論壇,情趣,免費成人影片,成人電影,成人影城,愛情公寓,成人影片,保險套,舊情人,微風成人,成人,成人遊戲,成人光碟,色情遊戲,跳蛋,按摩棒,一夜情,男同志聊天室,肛交,口交,性交,援交,免費視訊交友,視訊交友,一葉情貼圖片區,性愛,視訊,視訊聊天,A片,A片下載,免費A片,嘟嘟成人網,寄情築園小遊戲,女同志聊天室,免費視訊聊天室,一夜情聊天室,聊天室
posted by 情趣用品, at
10/20/2008 2:24 PM
情趣用品
40元DVD..買10送2
辣妹視訊..
情色論壇..
情惑用品性易購..
紅煙論壇..
高雄轉角情趣用品<
性感睡衣
免費視訊聊天..
視訊交友網..
美姬圖影...
紅煙論壇...
交友聊天室..
海角七號..
美姬圖影..
紅煙論壇..
成人視訊交友..
40元DVD..買10送2..
上班族聊天室
情人節禮物
高雄轉角情趣用品
同志聊天室
情書..
聊天室交友
中部人聊天室
40元DVD..買10送2
posted by qwertyuiop8520, at
10/22/2008 1:59 PM
I got to play Assassin's Creed which kind of disappointed me. There is some great work in there, great work. The art is fantastic...the levels in that game are huge. The free running things works really well and feels wow power leveling great to control, though after awhile the joy and awe kind of wares off. I hated the story...the whole setting kind of frustrated me. I was so completely looking forward to playing as an assassin during the Crusades. When I first heard the wow powerleveling concept for the game and awe the screenshots I was pretty jazzed. That excitement was quickly smothered when I found out I was a descendant of Altair and I was in a simulation. Great...a game within a game. That really kind of spoiled the whole thing for me. I played about halfway through the game before I completely stopped. I think the wow gold sequel that is inevitably going to get made will be pretty good...though I think they have kind f locked themselves into the whole genetic memory story thread. There is some really great stuff in that game, but the story, and combat really kind of killed it for me. The combat is still not that great of an improvement over the POP stuff. It is decent, but it feels like it could be so much better if they would just give the player more control over the character.
posted by lijialefw, at
12/09/2008 4:07 AM
<< Home