[Izzy Dunne]

Last summer, the tax agency said it was reviewing complaints against 44 churches for activities in the 2006 election cycle.

Last summer = 10 months ago.

2006 election cycle = ~24 months ago

"reviewing complaints" = no action

[pnh102]

While I do agree with this law, the fact that it has only been enforced against conservative Christians and not others, particularly certain black anti-USA pastors and certain priests who knowingly harbor illegals, it should be declared unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.

Oh wait, we've been waiting for hate crime laws to be nullified under that amendment too. I guess that amendment is irrelevant too.

[Saundra Duffy]

The IRS stinks. If ALL churches would defy them, they would not be able to investigate and prosecute ANY of them. Therefore, I support this move. Everyone is afraid of the IRS and the so-called changes Congress made a while back to make the IRS more “kind and gentle” were a bunch of meaningless nonsense. The IRS is as mean and cruel as ever. We all have our stories.

[evad]

It also comes as the IRS has increased its investigations of churches accused of engaging in politics.

Those evil mormons again?

[Rudder]

...defying a tax law that bars churches from engaging in politics.

Except that there is NO LAW barring churches from political activity.

[2banana]

With exceptions, of course, for ALL black churches...

[DBrow]

I seem to remember seeing pictures of Kerry adressing a congregation or two.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/rednecktexan/KerryChurch3.jpg

This pic was originally part of an AP story about IRS’s interest in politics and churches, but the article has expired from their archive.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp2.blogger.com/_F2xmLAzQ8Ho/Rb6lplXcY8I/AAAAAAAAAag/CYf_MxTm4EI/s320/kerry-church-inside.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.one-eternal-day.com/2007/01/who-is-more-likely-to-mix-religion-and.html&h=180&w=180&sz=9&hl=en&start=19&tbnid=ONkBpAUFMD4NRM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=101&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkerry%2Bchurch%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26suggon%3D0%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

Here’s a couple of good pictures.

[John Leland 1789]

Earlier than 1951, the churches all across America should have been able to see all of this coming. If just the newly founded churches from that time would have declined to file for 501c3, the codes would not have stood.

The churches should have made the protest at that time. I doubt many of them ever stopped to read the IRS codes coming out.

We continue to recommend to new congregations that they NEVER incorporate or file for 501c3. Operate as a Biblical church with the Bible only as the church “constitution and bilaws.”

[gobucks]

perhaps you have heard of www.hushmoney.org?

[MNJohnnie]

Want to explain to us, IRS what all those Democrat Politicans are doing speaking at Black churchs every election season if this is the law?

[Recovering_Democrat]

It also comes as the IRS has increased its investigations of churches accused of engaging in politics.

Yes, let's investigate Jeremiah Wright, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Hussein Obama...all of these charlatans have addressed churches with political messages. They are definitely mixing religion and politics, so let's have at it: put these race card playing hoaxters under the microscope.

[djf]

Gummint can’t put up with churches talking about politics.

Can’t stand the competition.
Or the moral authority.

[Malsua]

Can anyone imagine Thomas Jefferson enacting fines on a church if it were preaching against his rival? In fact, does anyone think that Jefferson would have supported the federal government pointing a gun at the head of any citizen who refused to pay tribute to the federal government? Refuse to pay your taxes, resist the arrest, the federal government will kill you. This is not freedom, it’s tyranny.

[SmithL]

I do not agree with the law, and I strongly dislike the unbalanced enforcement that allows liberal and/or minority preachers being allowed to campaign from the pulpit while conservatives are required to obey the law.

[freedomfiter2]

A conservative legal-advocacy group is enlisting ministers to use their pulpits to preach about election candidates this September, defying a tax law that bars churches from engaging in politics.

The IRS law does not bar churches from engaging in politics. It only bars 501c3 non-profit organizations from engaging in politics. Churches need to decide if they want to be churches or 501c3 organizations, they can’t be both.

[BlueNgold]

Inviting politicians and politics into your church is like inviting bears to a picnic.