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Deeds makes his pitch at 11 area churches
The Virginian-Pilot ^ | October 26, 2009 | Bill Bartel

Posted on 10/26/2009 4:01:29 AM PDT by republicangel

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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
Where I live, people from various political organizations who put leaflets under windshield wipers are specifically advised that -- as long as they do NOT ask permission in advance and thus "involve" the church in any way -- they have a constitutional right to enter "public areas" like church parking lots (which, although private property, generally invite the public in) and leave flyers on cars just like any advertisement. This is based on federal case law, and people can not legally be arrested for trespassing up until the moment an employee or officer of the church comes out and demands they leave. Then they must leave or risk arrest for trespassing, but then at that point they can NOT be forced to remove existing flyers from cars.

Suppose, as a thought experiment, that a left-wing group decided to leave flyers advocating the election of a militant atheist and inviting churchgoers to think for themselves instead of listening to the pastor. How would the leaving of such flyers cause the IRS to be suspicious of the church for the actions of unknown persons contrary to its assumed interestss They would obviously be an expression of free speech by people who have a legal right to enter a "public area". Obviously, the IRS would have no cause.

On the other hand, suppose such candidate's opponents leave flyers exhorting the opposite. How could the IRS be suspicious of the church for the actions of unknown persons? They would obviously be an expression of free speech by people who have a legal right to enter a "public area". Obviously, again in this case, the IRS would have no cause.

Therefore, if the IRS were to take any action because some conservatives left pro-conservative flyers, that would be attempted censorship based on content, which would be found unconstitutional.

Hence, any pastor who comes out and shouts about your leafletting causing him to be threatened by the IRS literally does not know the settled law on this and is allowing himself to be used. Another possibility (of which I have seen examples here) is that such as pastor is using the supposed threat from the IRS for his own purposes since he is not pro-life and just wants them to go away, and this gives him perfect cover.

21 posted on 10/26/2009 5:40:03 AM PDT by wildandcrazyrussian
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
But separation of church and state is only for Christian principles, Christian values, and Christian morals.

And "white" churches. What isn't readily apparent from the article, unless you read carefully, is that these were "black" churches. Politicians can campaign in black churches and get away with it, but not in white ones.

22 posted on 10/26/2009 5:52:51 AM PDT by Hardastarboard (Maureen Dowd is right. I DON'T like our President's color. He's a Red.)
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To: Venturer
We can make history,” Cromwell said. “One time we were picking cotton in November.

"We"????

!!!???WE???!!!

Who's "We", Kemosabe?

I'll bet neither Mr. Cromwell nor any of his parishoners has ever picked so much as one fiber of raw cotton ... probably never even seen it.

23 posted on 10/26/2009 5:56:59 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: republicangel
Deeds acknowledged he was intruding. "I'm humbled to be on the pulpit," he told the congregation at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Portsmouth. "I know Sunday morning is not a time for politics. It's a time for worship."

And yet there you stood, *humbly* campaigning. Despicable, all of them.

24 posted on 10/26/2009 6:02:55 AM PDT by jla
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To: Rearden
I'm now thinking that must have been pre-hopenchange??

Indeed. It appears 'anything goes' in the black churches. The congregation and clergy might show an iota of shame... if they had any.

25 posted on 10/26/2009 6:12:53 AM PDT by jla
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

It’s not as if we weren’t told that that’s the way it would be.

Rejoice if you’re persecuted and hated by the world. It tells you you’re on the right team.


26 posted on 10/26/2009 6:16:10 AM PDT by MrB (The only difference between a humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: republicangel

sad, so sad...but we must be patient and know that God will sort it all out in the end, the goats and the sheep, the saved and the damned. These “churches” give Christianity a bad name when they allow politicians to speak from the pulpit. They don’t see it that way now; only God will be able to make that perfectly clear to them on the day that it all counts: Judgement Day.

I definitely agree that this should be investigated by the IRS; but I strongly doubt that it will happen...


27 posted on 10/26/2009 6:18:05 AM PDT by sassy steel magnolia (USAF life and Navy wife...God Bless the USA!)
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To: Hardastarboard

LEFTIST politicians, ie, democRats, can get away with campaigning in churches, and the pastors of those churches can openly endorse a candidate, with no repercussions at all.

Same principle is in effect when the honor student/eagle scout gets expelled on a “zero tolerance” violation, and the “at risk youth” gets a pass for bringing a real weapon to school to get back at someone who “dissed” him.


28 posted on 10/26/2009 6:19:11 AM PDT by MrB (The only difference between a humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

Can a citizen file a complaint with the IRS? Does it have to be a citizen who attended the service in question?


29 posted on 10/26/2009 6:19:13 AM PDT by nina0113
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To: republicangel

What is this love affair of the Baptists with baby-killing politicians?


30 posted on 10/26/2009 7:11:50 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan (In Edward KennedyÂ’s America, federal funding of brothels is a right, not a privilege.)
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To: Venturer

That explains it. All the Baptist churches I ever attended were overwhelmingly conservative, fundamental and largely white.


31 posted on 10/26/2009 7:46:02 AM PDT by thethirddegree
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To: Rearden

FOrget that. It used to be the people respected religion enough not to turn a holy worship service into a campaign stop, a stump speech, and to hand out bribes (tickets to see Obama) instead of worshiping the Lord.

It’s not just about “tax-exempt status”, it’s about mocking God.

Of course, a pastor at a black church telling his parishioners: “I want you to understand that not voting is a sin,” is simply using the fear of God to get more democratic votes.

Meanwhile, our church also will not put any voter guides in our church, because we don’t think people coming to worship God should feel like they have to support a political position to be accepted.


32 posted on 10/26/2009 7:54:20 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: ArrogantBustard

He’s obviously a racist, since “we” doesn’t mean white people, it means “black people”.


33 posted on 10/26/2009 7:56:49 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: CharlesWayneCT

I hadn’t caught the racist angle ... just the historically dishonest one.


34 posted on 10/26/2009 8:15:48 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: republicangel

http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/ for Governor

http://www.billbolling.com/ for Lieutenant Governor

http://www.cuccinelli.com/ for Attorney General

I’d like to invite the entire Republican ticket to speak at my church this Sunday. What do you think the Washington Post would say about that??


35 posted on 10/26/2009 1:48:30 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

All I can say is that:

If God led us to it,
God will see us through it.


36 posted on 10/26/2009 1:50:08 PM PDT by Rearden (Deo Vindice)
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