[Patton@Bastogne]

.



Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham,


Jesus Christ taught in parables.

Using a parable that touches both baseball and Christian missionaries in China ...

I will explain why Houston's Lesbian Mayor is LEGALLY CORRECT ...

in wanting the IRS / Federal Government to "Shut-Down" or "Financially Destroy" ALL Houston-area Christian Churches that are "politically" fighting the Gay-Agenda.




You are a STAR athlete who's a member of the New York Rebels baseball team.

You had to APPLY for your position with the New York Rebels. You sought after them because the New York Rebels had sometime YOU wanted DESPERATELY:


MONEY, "Beyond the Dreams of Avarice" (Hans Solo, Star Wars).

Millions and millions of dollars, but ONLY if You agreed to VOLUNTARILY sign for the New York Rebels.



The New York Rebels said "yes" to your "voluntary" request to join the team.

Condition-1 : Be a useful TOOL to help the New York Rebels win the World Series.

Condition-2 : NEVER, NEVER criticize the New York Rebels, their coach, their owner, their sponsors, their players. EVER.



Violating either of these "contractual conditions" would result in Your FINANCIAL PAYMENTS being canceled.



Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham (nothing personal here) ...

YOU wanted that MONEY so BADLY (to buy bibles for Christian missionaries in China), that you ...

VOLUNTARILY signed the CONTRACT with the New York Rebels.



Years go by, and SUDDENLY you discover that the New York Rebels are doing VERY BAD THINGS.

Your Christian conscience COMPELLS you to speak out.

However, your attorney warns you that IF you speak-out about these evils, you are violating Condition-2 of your VOLUNTARY "employment contract" with the New York Rebels baseball team.



Sadly, you decide NOT to criticize the New York Rebels ...

because you DESPERATELY NEED that MONEY to buy bibles for the Christian Missionaries in China.



Now ... in the midst of your conflicted decision, Jesus Christ shows up for a chat.

Jesus Christ advises "Just Do the Right Thing, don't worry about the Money."

Jesus Christ promises to handle everything (financially), and you'll be "right as rain".



But like all of us ...

you SECRETLY DOUBT that Jesus Christ can make the deal work.

So ... in the end ... you KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT about the evil New York Rebels ...

and continue spending your ten-million salary on buying bibles for the Christian missionaries in China.


============================================


Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... that's EXACTLY where America's tax-exempt Christian churches are today in 2014.


Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... church tax-exempt status is a "Federal Contract" ... all VOLUNTARY

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... church tax-exempt status puts your church on the FEDERAL PAYROLL ... vis-a-via "income tax deductions (gifts) for your congregation"

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... the "contract" DEMANDS that your church NOT ENDORSE CANDIDATES for public office (i.e. criticize Uncle Sam)

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... the "contract" DEMANDS that your church NOT ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATION (i.e. change Uncle Sam's evil ways)



Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... if your church VIOLATES EITHER of THESE TWO RULES ...

then the "Federal Contract" you FREELY WANTED says that Uncle Sam can "properly" sue you in Court ... and Win.




Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... IRS 501-C3 is a "Covenant" just as binding and legal as the "Covenant" THE LORD made with Abraham.



So ... what does Christ's American Christian Church do in 2014 ?

KEEP Uncle Sam's MONEY ... and Shut-The-Heck-Up about Uncle Sam's evil ways ...

or "SPEAK GOD'S TRUTH without RESERVATION" ...

and TRUST Jesus Christ for the money needed to buy all those bibles for the Christian missionaries to China ?







Muster up the courage to do the free IRS download of "Pamplet P1828" which specifies the legal details of your tax-exempt church's servitude to it's U.S. Government Masters.

Heck, I'll even do you the favor of providing the internet link:

IRS Legal Obligations of Tax-Exempt Christian Churches and Pastors" - (click)









.




IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)



America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ...

.America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ... - (click)




Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)




Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)

.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.

The pictures below say it all.

Ted Cruz has something special and Thursday in his hometown of Houston Texas it was clearly on display.

The Brody File saw it up close. He came to his home church here (Houston’s First Baptist Church) to hold court about the Houston pastors who have come under a vicious religious liberty attack by city officials, led by the mayor.

As Cruz was speaking, he was in his element because what he has is not a political skill. Nor is it an intellectual one. When it comes to his relationship with evangelicals, he has a spiritual connection. He is one of them. He gets them and they get him. And one thing’s for certain: He’s not ashamed of the Gospel. Far from it. Cruz wears his faith on his sleeve and is proud of it. This press conference was heartfelt. This was no political stunt. Look folks, his father has been a traveling preacher for years.

Cruz is well versed in the Bible. It’s at the core of who he is. In my many interviews with him over the years, he loves to talk about Jesus but hey, I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday. I know when politicians bring up faith for political reasons. Cruz doesn’t do that.

This Houston Pastors story will fan the flames of the religious liberty issue in America. Ted Cruz is well positioned to lead on this issue because he lives it and breathes it.

It’s at the core of his being. Other possible presidential candidates believe just as much in the religious liberty issue and in 2016, they’ll discuss it with fervor. But Cruz comes from a different place. Not only has he defended religious liberty cases in court, he defends it in public with the word of God.

He has the “street cred” to make this a signature issue in his bid to strongly woo the evangelical vote. Watching him in action Thursday, in front of a passionate overflow room gave me pause.

It made me realize that this is the issue that could set him apart from others with the evangelical audience. If Mike Huckabee runs, he’ll be right in the mix too but at this point, Cruz seems to be leading the way on this. It looks to be his evangelical calling card and a heartfelt one at that.

And here are some Brody File pictures showing Cruz in rare form.

[Pollster1]

“In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, Senator Ted Cruz says pastors being hauled off to jail by the government for preaching against homosexuality is a “real risk” in the future”

We all know that’s not a real risk; the Bill of Rights is an unambiguous legal guarantee of our God-given rights. Pastors facing the courts over the content of their sermons would be no more likely than:

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/12/Christian-Baker-Willing-to-Go-to-Jail-for-Declining-Gay-Wedding-Cake Jack Phillips is a baker who declined to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because his Christian belief is that marriage exists only between a man and woman. Now a Colorado judge has ordered him to bake cakes for same-sex marriages, and if Phillips refuses, he could go to jail.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/elane-photography-v-vanessa-willock_n_3798948.html New Mexico’s state Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision, ruling that Elane Photography’s decision to refuse photographing a 2006 commitment ceremony violated the state’s Human Rights Act.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/3/christian-farmers-fined-13k-refusing-gay-wedding-g/ Christian farmers fined $13K for refusing gay wedding

What could go wrong?

[Paulie]

Yes, all churches and organizations of (true) faith should voluntary give up their tax-exempt status. That is the way it always should have been I recon.

But the question is: Even if they do this, how long before the pink mafia comes up with another bogus reason to shut them down?

Point being the war is coming to the Christian community regardless; best to recognize it and prepare now.

[P-Marlowe]

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... church tax-exempt status is a "Federal Contract" ... all VOLUNTARY

No, a Tax Exempt status for a Church is a natural right under the Constitution. As the Constitution guarantees the free exercise of Religion, and the power to tax is the power to destroy, Religious institutions are naturally exempt from taxes as a condition of their guarantees under the Constitution.

A contract or agreement with regard to incorporation of a religious institution that interferes with a religious institution's right to free exercise of religion is void as being an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment.

I for one will not surrender to the argument that simply because a Church is granted tax exempt status that it gives up the right to express doctrines that are either against the political winds or the politically correct winds.

Churches have an inherent right to advocate not only for political positions consistent with their doctrinal beliefs, but also to advocate for candidates who share those beliefs and to advocate against candidates who don't.

Labor Unions do not lose their status for such advocacy, but Churches seem to have surrendered on this issue. They need to fight to restore it.

[trubolotta]

I understand this position and its relation to Romans 13 but there is a severe flaw to the reasoning.

Unalienable rights, such as freedom of religion, conscience and speech, are not government’s to give or rescind. It is tantamount to government saying “I will not punish or tax you if you agree to be silent about government. I will reward you for your silence by not taxing you.”

Government is not constitutionally authorized to barter for rights, so either it taxes all equally or it taxes none.

[Mark17]

Ping

[marron]

Your argument assumes that your money belongs to the government, and they let you keep some of it. And we don’t have the right to push back when our government is in the wrong, such as when our government violates that “other” agreement, the constitution.

In any case, this is a fight that is coming. It has already happened to pastors in Canada, and Germany, and Sweden. It will happen here. Pastors and Christians had better be expecting it. Most pastors will find ways to finesse it as long as they can because normal people don’t want to be sued or face jail time. And when your pastor faces it many Christians will try to blame them for their troubles instead of backing them. Its human nature.

[ifinnegan]

Why are you spamming this?

[boycott]

” ......... pastors being hauled off to jail by the government for preaching against homosexuality is a “real risk”.

---

If they start doing it in Alabama, my pastor wouldn’t last a week before going to jail. He just speaks the truth.

The left needs to continue to push this. They will find out it’s a war they’re going to LOSE. I say bring it.

Republicans need to start calling it liberals “WAR ON RELIGION.” They need to repeat it over and over. But in this case, it is true.

[BeadCounter]

Secular Humanism as a Religion too is a point made by some people.

[jonrick46]

Hint: “The power to tax involves the power to control.”

[I want the USA back]

But no problem if you are a bearded savage and HANG gays!

[newnhdad]

I hope they arrest the black pastors first because they’re usually responsible for electing democrats.

[rrrod]

Any church members across this country that do not stand with these Texas clergy/churches need to be sold to arab slavers!

[Lockbar]

Fag Nazis.

[SaraJohnson]

It’s very important for many Christians and ministers to join in the arrest if that is what Caesar chooses to do.

[trubolotta]

This has been a very lively thread but I have yet to see comments address practical actions and consequences. While it appears that most if not everyone here agrees that certain taxes infringe on religious liberty, there is great division on how that should be corrected. One school of thought says that churches should not apply for 501.3(c) tax exempt status because it is basically a deal with the devil to silence religious freedom in exchange for a tax break. Others say that provision of the IRS code is unconstitutional and should be ignored and challenged in court if necessary. This is the type of victory big government is looking for where it splits the opposition into fighting each other.

It should also be apparent why we are having this debate today and did not have it 12 years ago. When Republicans had the opportunity to reform the IRS code they were too busy spending money and expanding government, but were also unwilling to undo the carrot and stick they had to use for or against their friends and enemies.

For me, the fight is against the IRS and big government types that want to destroy all opposition to their elitist rule. I have no problem with a church that has a 501.3(c) tax exemption that ignores the unconstitutional provisions of the tax code. I have no problem with a church that does not have a 501.3(c) tax exemption. My problem is with any church that fails in its duty to preach the Word of God, but that is not for government to police.

The only right thing to do is get the government entirely out of the business of rewarding and punishing by way of the tax code. We have laws to punish wrong doing and speaking against the evils of government is not wrong doing. Any church that speaks against wrong doing deserves our support regardless of its IRS status. Those churches that remain silent in the face of wrong doing regardless of their tax status deserve our scorn.

We need to work hard to elect people that agree that taxes are to pay for the legitimate costs of government and not as a reward or punishment for government approved and unapproved behavior.