Posted on 09/07/2004 7:37:08 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Bill Clinton bashed President Bush in a speech delivered from the pulpit of a prominent Manhattan church on the Sunday before the Republican National Convention began.
Yet, Americans United for Separation of Church and State does not view Clinton's pulpit-based diatribe a violation of tax laws.
Ever since then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson (D.-Tex.) slipped a provision into a bill back in 1954, federal law has prohibited tax-exempt churches from engaging in partisan political speech. Every election season, Americans United files complaints against churches that it alleges have violated this law. The group also opposes the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act (HR 235), sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones (R.-N.C.), that would repeal Johnson's amendment and allow full freedom of political speech in all American houses of worship.
"It didn't cross the line," said liberal Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United, in an interview on September 1 about Clinton's August 29 speech at Riverside Church in upper Manhattan. "If you don't cross the line, if you don't advocate the defeat of a person, if you just criticize a candidate's policies . . . there is some legitimate free speech there."
'Offends My Values'
Clinton in his speech explicitly targeted the Republican Party in general and President Bush specifically. He also expressed his preference for Democratic candidate John Kerry.
"We couldn't fund the school programs, but I got my tax cuts," said Clinton. "This offends my values that I learned in my church."
"I don't know why the Republicans hate me so much," he said. "It is because I'm a white Southern Baptist, and they wonder why I'm not Republican, especially since I'm getting all these tax cuts."
On the about-to-be-convened Republican convention he said: "Once every four years the Republican Party puts on its compassionate face," then it returns to Washington and "goes right back to its powerful private lobbying groups and private interests."
Speaking from the pulpit, Clinton even tried to tie Bush to the TV ads run by the independent Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. "I believe President Bush is a good Christian," said Clinton. " . . . But that doesn't mean that he doesn't see through a glass darkly. It doesn't mean that you can have a bunch of people acting on your behalf and pretending like you don't know them, to say that the seven people who were on John Kerry's Swift Boat don't know what they're talking about when they say he deserves the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts."
At the end of his partisan sermon, Clinton said: "I like John Kerry."
Lynn said Clinton's speech, while not illegal, was not "appropriate in the broader sense." He noted that Americans United has filed a complaint with the IRS against a Miami church that hosted Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe the same day as Clinton's speech. "It was basically a Democratic pep rally in the church," he said. He said that historically, Americans United has filed 40% of its complaints against churches whose activities lean Democratic and 45% against those whose activities lean Republican.
Lynn also said he has taken action against spiritual leaders who restricted themselves to discussion of the issues. He filed an IRS complaint against Catholic Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs after Sheridan wrote a pastoral letter that said that Catholics who vote for anti-life candidates should not receive Communion. Lynn said what Sheridan did was really electioneering. "His life issues were only about abortion and similar topics," said Lynn. "He didn't include opposition to the Iraq war, the death penalty, and other life issues important to the Catholic Church. Only one presidential candidate fit his criteria."
Tinoa Rodgers, director of media for Riverside, told HUMAN EVENTS, "The church does not endorse any candidates or political parties but welcomes a vigorous debate on all of the issues of the day. All voices are welcome to address the congregation." He said that Republicans, including New York Gov. George Pataki, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former President George H.W. Bush, have spoken at the church recently.
In contrast to Lynn, Colby May, an attorney and director of the Washington office of the American Center for Law and Justice, said that Clinton's speech could be a violation of tax laws and could jeopardize the church's tax exempt status. "IRS rules state that speakers do not have to endorse or oppose a candidate in order to be in violation," he said. "The IRS rules say that churches 'may not intervene in' an election." He said that there is no way to tell how many churches have gotten into trouble with the IRS for politics because such proceedings are typically kept secret. But, he said, there are only two known cases of churches losing their tax-exempt status due to political activity.
The IRS itself admits its rules are vague. "In situations where there is no explicit endorsement or partisan activity, there is no bright-line test for determining if the [church] organization participated or intervened in a political campaign," says the IRS' Election Year Issues publication for tax-exempt groups. "Instead, all the facts and circumstances must be considered."
"I feel that the houses of worship in this country, whether I agree with what [Clinton] said or not, should have their 1st Amendment rights restored," Rep. Jones told HUMAN EVENTS. "Not all churches are treated the same. Catholic and Evangelical churches are targeted by Barry Lynn and other people. They are trying to stifle these churches." Jones also cited a group of liberals in Kansas that has revealed it has 100 volunteers monitoring sermons and speeches in conservative churches in order to detect violations of tax-exempt status rules. Jones said that the House leadership supports his bill and hopes for a vote on it later this year.
That stuff does not count when a Rat does it.
Barry Lynn is a very unusual person. Ugh.
What is Bill Clinton doing in the pulpit of a Christian church?
clintoon and the dems are above the law doncha know?
Hell, there's no 1st-Am rights for soldiers in uniform, so why should there be any for the pious, as well?
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It is well known in these parts that Riverside Church is not Christian or even religious, it is a town hall venue for the Democrats.
Solution:
Fine this church the amount it would pay in property tax for a year. That would prevent them from allowing Clintax back to the pulpit ever again.
This type of politics-from-the-pulpit is wrong and anti-American, regardless of party.
Of course it's not illegal. Contrary to what some seem to think, there's NOTHING illegal about endorsing a candidate from the pulpit. All it does is put the church's tax-exempt status in jeopardy. And, when that goes, so does the charitable contribution status of any donations it receives.
Some view that as "silencing" churches. However, those churches who don't mind rendering to Caesar and have faith in the Lord's ability and willingness to provide for His church can say whatever they want.
Barry Lynne IMHO is one who is talked about in the NT as a wolve in sheep's clothing. He claims to be a "Rev."...of what church?
As it is already been stated, Conservative politicans do not take pulpits for preaching political messages. What Barry Lynne has been trying to snuff out with his Religous Left goon squads visiting conservative churches is PASTORS who speak out from a biblical context on the happenings of today. It used to happen all the time. If you've seen a presentation by David Barton from Wallbuilders, you'll know that there are sermon texts on all kinds of social topics from welfare to tax policy that have been preached over the years.
Don't get caught in going tit for tat on Dem politicans in Religious Left pulpits. It's a non-starter. The attempt is not to silence conservative politicans in the pulpit (which RARELY happens if they are not an ordained minister to begin with) but to silence conservative clergy by threatening their tax status.
Btw, if this was Canada, preaching from Romans on homosexuality could get your tax status revolked.
This is news??? The Dims do it all the time in Black Churches. The Sunday b/4 election day, black pastors don't even have to prepare a sermon. Politicians will be lined up in the vestibule to speak. Just don't try it in a white, conservative church. They'll scream "Separation of Church and State" and threaten you with losing your tax-free status.
I'm so glad there's no double standard here. How my black brothers and sisters can go to church on Sunday and praise The Lord, shout, dance, clap and sing and then vote for baby killers and gay marriage advocates on Tuesday will always be a mystery to me.
There's nothing anti-American about preaching politics from the pulpit. The only things wrong here are (1) different treatment of the churches because of their differing political persuasions -- if anything smacks of establishment of government religion, that does! -- and (2) churches who think it's always better to be politically silent than to pay taxes. Owing to their lack of faith, they effectively silence themselves.
Come on Billy Graham told us in the midst of Monica that Bill Clinton would make an excellent preacher, and nobody said a word.
"different treatment of the churches because of their differing political persuasions -- if anything smacks of establishment of government religion, that does! "
Exactly. Which is why all action of this sort should be avoided, for this very principle. This church should be as 'hammered' with negative publicity, fines, whatever as any 'GOP'-supporting church would be.
If you mean churches (preachers) should be silent on political matters, I wholeheartedly disagree. Whenever issues make it necessary for a church to take a stand for or against a candidate or a party, it should take the stand and let the chips fall where they may. Preach it and pay your taxes. "Render to Caesar" and all that. The Lord will provide, right?
Before tax exemption (and/or faith in the Lord's provision) became a stumbling block, election day sermons were commonplace: 
Lynn said Clinton's speech, while not illegal, was not "appropriate in the broader sense." He noted that Americans United has filed a complaint with the IRS against a Miami church that hosted Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe the same day as Clinton's speech. "It was basically a Democratic pep rally in the church," he said. He said that historically, Americans United has filed 40% of its complaints against churches whose activities lean Democratic and 45% against those whose activities lean Republican.What a surprise, a 40/45 split. Where'd the other 15 per cent go?
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
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