Posted on 07/18/2004 10:56:29 AM PDT by Kuksool
Dennis Slavens thinks he now has a better understanding of how far he and his fellow clergy can go when talking politics.
“I think we have more rights than what we recognize,” the pastor of the Antioch Family Worship Center said after a meeting Wednesday in Overland Park.
The issue has been contentious in Johnson County, where some ministers are calling on churches to participate more in politics and a political group has begun monitoring church services to look for possible legal missteps.
And it has been contentious across the nation, amid reports that Bush-Cheney re-election workers are seeking campaign help from religious groups.
So Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline held a seminar Wednesday at Johnson County Community College to discuss the do's and don'ts of politicking among churches and tax-exempt organizations. About 100 people, not all of them ministers, attended.
“There's been a lot of confusion,” said Thomas J. Miller, technical adviser in the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the Internal Revenue Service. Miller came from Washington to address the group.
One problem, he said, is that not every question about church involvement in politics has a clear yes or no answer.
But for the most part, according to the IRS, churches and other tax-exempt organizations cannot participate in any campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Those organizations cannot endorse candidates, make donations to their campaigns, engage in fund raising or become involved in any other activities that may be beneficial or detrimental to any candidate, the IRS says.
But, as Miller pointed out, the law doesn't prohibit ministers from speaking out. They can address political issues from the pulpit, he said. And, as individuals, they can endorse candidates away from their church, such as in advertisements, he said.
Here are some examples of what churches can and cannot do, according to the IRS:
• Speaking from the pulpit about issues such as same-sex marriage is acceptable. But during a church service, a religious leader cannot urge the congregation to vote for a specific political candidate.
• Inviting a candidate to speak at a church is OK. But the church must provide an equal opportunity to other candidates seeking the same office.
• Holding a forum at church and asking candidates to speak is fine, but not if the forum is operated to show a bias for or against any candidate.
Tax laws lie behind the IRS standards. Organizations such as churches that benefit from their tax-free status face certain rules that do not apply to taxable groups. One of the laws, about a half-century old, pertains to politicking.
Several weeks ago the Internal Revenue Service sent a letter to major political parties, including the Democratic and Republican national committees, advising them of the law and the role groups such as churches can play in political debate.
“Organizations may encourage people to participate in the electoral process by sponsoring debates or forums to educate voters, distributing voter guides, or conducting voter registration or get-out-the-vote drives,” the letter said.
If those activities show a preference for or against a certain candidate or party, however, “it becomes a prohibited activity.”
Churches that violate the law face penalties, including the potential loss of their tax-exempt status. That happened several years ago to a church in New York.
Miller, the IRS representative, said the issue of politicking by tax-exempt groups arises continually. He estimated that each year, 15 to 20 organizations lose their tax-exempt status. But on average, he estimated, fewer than one of those organizations is a church.
Complaints about alleged violations, he said, may come from any source and are evaluated to see if they are legitimate. But federal officials need evidence before proceeding with an investigation.
“The IRS,” he said, “is not out searching the streets.”
Ping!
Kudos to KS Attorney General Phil Kline for setting the record straight on IRS rules regarding churches. The media would have the public believe that Barry Lynn's word is law.
If you are pro-family, pro-life, pro-military and especially PRO-BUSH/REPUBLICAN then you cannot speak about politics from the pulpit because of fear of the IRS and losing your tax-exempt status.
However if you are on the opposite side and especially if you are a mainly black population then the rules do not apply.
Move along, noting to see here.
Target the liberal 527 groups, not our God given rights.
Sure you can. Our pastor's homily this morning was on examples Christians must set for each other and the Christian experience. He cited celebrities, POLITICIANS, and entertainers, not by name, but by actions that are diametrically and unequivocally opposed to Christ and Christian life.
That's what the left is trying to silence. Their stand is for everything that is anti-Christian, anti-Law and even without mentioning names, political affiliation, or denomination, the difference between those who believe and those who do not is glaringly obvious.
As for the left's co-option of giving, not the concept of Christian Charity which is above all and beyond their comprehension, money and materials and aid are not given at the threat of jail from an IRS audit nor are they given in taxes to the government. Taxes taken are a function of the state and not a function of tithe.
Giving money so you look good, or demand it from a captive populace is not Charity. Charity comes from the heart and spirit and is God-given and involves things like poverty of spirit, a quiet tongue and mind, a voice that would not speak ill or think ill of another, will not slander. "Charity hopes all things."
The Church can speak without fear. What has it to fear? Death, the end of its tax status, offending someone?
I guess Domitian was offended, too.
But for the most part, according to the IRS, churches and other tax-exempt organizations cannot participate in any campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Those organizations cannot endorse candidates, make donations to their campaigns, engage in fund raising or become involved in any other activities that may be beneficial or detrimental to any candidate, the IRS says.
With the exception of the NAACP.
Politicians have the "no do nothing FEC" to monitor them. Anti-church groups have the IRS to sic on them and the IRS takes pride in its attacks.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
"Being Black and Democrat allows a church to ignore the rules."
This rule must be in the IRS book somewhere.
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.