I hope the Catholic bishops don't bow down in order to keep their tax exempt status (but, unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath)
ping
File a complaint against Homosexual organizations. Don’t be intimidated fight back.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Gays are such.... sissies.
Sore losers ping.
Could it be a flash-point for CWII?
I mean that would be a clear violation of the 1st Amendment, it seems to me: Government mandating church docterines via the extortion of tax-exemption.
Mark, the state cannot establish a religion, nor can it restrict free exercise.
I believe that the loss of non-profit status would mean that individuals from that church would be unable to deduct donations to their religious group.
For the state to say that this diocese cannot, but this diocese can is for the state to determine that the Maine diocese is separate from the Catholic church.
Individual’s donations are to the Catholic Church, and the state would have to impose some arbitrary percent that the state would determine as Maine’s percent of the Catholic Church.
That sure sounds like imposing a state authorized organizational chart on the Catholic Church.
The IRS just recently said that Churches have every right to engage in activities that mimic their believes.
This threat is just nonsense, and is going nowhere.
A church has every right to campaign on behalf, or against any issue it wants to. It is only prohibited from endorsing specific candiate.
It can, however campaign for ‘the candiate that best respresents the Christian ideals of our church’ for example. It just can’t name names.
This is simply harassment, and is unlikely to even get to any court.
Time to be rid of the “tax exempt status” if it’s being used as blackmail.
This will put your mind at ease:
“Pastors win challenge to political involvement”
IRS rules voter education on moral issues, registration permissible
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97938
WND has many other articles on the same subject.
“The power to tax is the power to destroy.”
Here is another one, nearly identical, that involved MT and the 9th circuit: “Court: State trashed church’s 1st Amendment rights”
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=90178
A San Diego-based homosexual activist group has filed a formal complaint with the Internal Revenue Service charging the Roman Catholic diocese of Portland, Me., with violating federal tax rules by taking part in a referendum campaign aimed at repealing the state's new same-sex marriage law.