Posted on 06/30/2004 8:46:52 AM PDT by rface
Starting next month, the person seated next to you in church might not be there for the prayer, the fellowship or even the word of God.
Instead, about 100 volunteers will be attending services in Johnson County to look for overt election-year politicking from the pulpit, which could violate federal law.
It is the latest volley in an ongoing struggle between conservative and moderate political forces in Kansas. The issue of gays and marriage provided the trigger.
Upset at the Kansas Legislature for defeating a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, the Rev. Jerry Johnston, pastor of First Family Church in Overland Park, invited area clergy members to a meeting this month. About 100 came, he said. Churches, he said, must get more involved in politics. “God calls a minister to speak on moral issues,” Johnston said.
Concerned that religious leaders might stir up support for their favored legislative candidates, the Mainstream Coalition, a group that seeks to preserve the separation of church and state, decided to respond.
Volunteers were recruited. Letters are being mailed to more than 400 houses of worship in Johnson County reminding them of Internal Revenue Service rules on electioneering and telling them that their services may be monitored.
Johnston and other ministers should keep partisan politics out of the pulpit, said Caroline McKnight, coalition executive director. “His job is to lead his flock by setting an example … not by bringing the smoke-filled room into his sanctuary,” she said.
Mainstream Coalition volunteers, like all visitors, are welcome at First Family, Johnston said. The church, he said, will not endorse or attack individual politicians during services. “Are we going to violate the law? Of course not,” he said. “We're not rabid, crazy fanatics.”
The involvement of religious groups in politics has evolved into a heated issue. Many groups steer clear of electioneering. Many immerse themselves in issues and candidates, with their leaders speaking out and trying to motivate.
University of Kansas religious studies professor Tim Miller said churches used to avoid politics . That began changing about 25 years ago, he said. For ministers to hold meetings like the one in Johnson County, he said, indicates an effort to reach out. “Of course, you try to broaden your base,” Miller said. “That's part of politics.”
Some churches have become a campaign force for conservative causes and Republicans. First Family, which has about 3,000 members, is conservative and could be influential.
But churches oftentimes do too little, Johnston said. “Many preachers don't know anything about politics; many don't know who their representatives and senators are,” said Johnston, who added that he should have gotten more involved in the past.
Churches should encourage their members to act, he said. During July, he said, his church and others in Johnson County will hold forums for candidates, register voters and educate people on the issues.
“We have to lead the way,” he said.
Already Johnston has been distributing a pamphlet containing background information on incumbent state legislators from the area. If they supported the amendment against gay marriage, the word YES appears by their picture. If they voted against it, the word NO appears.
In Johnson County, where conservatives and moderates within the GOP have feuded for years, churches and clergy could potentially influence an election.
Consider the re-election campaign of Rep. John Ballou of Gardner, whose 43rd District covers the southwest corner of Johnson County and who voted against the gay marriage amendment.
Churches, he said, will help turn out voters against him. “They're after a number of us on this, they're motivated, and they're mad,” said Ballou, a Republican.
His Aug. 3 primary opponent, Mike Kiegerl of Olathe, favors the amendment and hopes for support from religious organizations. “I will talk to ministers if I have the opportunity,” he said.
But churches, he added, should not mention the legislative race during services. “I am a believer in separation of church and state,” Kiegerl said.
Under IRS rules, tax-exempt groups like religious organizations must not participate in political campaigns for or against a candidate . Some political activities are permitted, such as voter education or registration conducted in a nonpartisan manner. Alleged violations could bring federal scrutiny and possible loss of tax-exempt status.
The Mainstream Coalition will ask its volunteers to report their observations after each visit to a house of worship. If a serious breach of rules is found, a complaint might be filed with the IRS, the group said.
They won't find any violations at Westside Family Church in Shawnee, said its pastor, the Rev. Dave Cox, one of the clergy who met with Johnston.
“We're well aware of our restrictions,” he said. “We're also well aware of our liberties.”
In the past, the church has done “a little bit” to encourage involvement in politics, Cox said. Next month, he said, the church will do more. “We're going to try to ratchet up,” he said.
Voter registration will be one activity during July. But there will be no endorsements of candidates. “We're not a political church; we're never going to be a political church,” Cox said. “We have a mission to reach people for Jesus Christ.”
No, they won't. The KC Star will never print a well-written, solidly supported letter from a conservative. Their goal is only to make conservatives look like mouth breathers.
Are these 'concerned citizens' going to be attending any black churches where Democrat candidates are preaching from the pulpit, and where collections are taken up for their elections? Somehow, I think not.
Yes! Let's coordinate. Anyone interested can let one of us know, then I will plan a get-together. We MUST do this.
Hell no. Satan would not approve of their actions.
I work the graveyard shift so I get and read the paper 5 mornings a week. The problem is that as far as computers go I am as dumb as a stump. I tried to post an article from Rhonda lokeman on Ronald Reagan but alas I was too dumb.
You can ping me or FReep mail me anytime. A coordinated offensive would be better than what we're doing now.
"What about Democrats campaigning in black churches? Who's monitoring them? Hello? Hello?"
My sentiments exactly.
When it asks for article url you can back up to the printer friendly page again, highlight the url in your address box near the top of your computer screen, copy it, forward to your posting page and paste the address on the correct line. In fact, do that before you print the article just in case there is a problem. You can always just write the URL down on a piece of paper and type it in if you are having difficulty going back and forth between the pages.
I hope that makes some sense. Just experiment.
The only solace I get is that I double send the letters ensuring that the offending writer gets the message.
Have you been following the posts of myself and The Ghost Of Freepers Past?
thought police on patrol.
Perhaps some of these homo-aids-non-profits should be investigated and their grants evaluated for advocating homosexuality in public skools and homosexual marriage.
Which is why they will remove the words and ideas. In schools the forbid discussion of any sexual conduct as abnormal.
In Canada they seek to outlaw even preaching morality from the pulpit.
Eventually, any anti-pc, anti-communist, anti-democrat party words in a church will threaten tax status.
The ultimate goal is to remove even the ability/mechanics to express the concept of homosexuality as wrong.
No, I haven't followed them all the way through. Perhaps I should. :)
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