Mr. Pweisdent . . Wou .. Would You Pwease Pwotect Hour Famiwies?
Posted on 08/14/2004 3:39:58 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Arkansas Church's Partisan Politicking Needs Irs Investigation, Says AU
Baptist Pastor Promotes Bush In Nationally Televised Sunday Sermon
An Arkansas church that intervened in partisan politics on behalf of President George W. Bush should be investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Americans United says the July 4 sermon by Pastor Ronnie Floyd at the First Baptist Church of Springdale, Ark., crossed the line into inappropriate partisan politicking.
"Pastor Floyd's presentation seemed more like a Bush campaign commercial than a church service," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "His sermon was clearly intervention in the campaign on behalf of Bush."
In a July 20 letter to the IRS, Lynn argued that Floyd's sermon, which was posted in video format on the church's website and broadcast nationwide via television, was clearly intended to motivate voters to support Bush by portraying him in a positive light while disparaging Democratic contender John F. Kerry.
Floyd's bias in favor of Bush was evident throughout the sermon. He projected large pictures of the two candidates on a screen and described Bush as a committed Christian who lets his religious beliefs influence his policy decisions while characterizing Kerry as keeping his faith private. He also twisted their stands on key social issues to make Bush more appealing to the evangelical Christian audience.
All of this was done, AU noted, in the context of Floyd's complaint during the sermon that Bush got 4 million fewer votes from evangelical Christians in 2000 than Dole did in 1996.
"Why would evangelical Christians stay at home and not practice the responsibility of Christian citizenship," asked Floyd, "when God's word, which we say we believe, calls us to stand up in our citizenship?"
Floyd urged congregants to visit voter registration tables in the back of the church.
Floyd called the 2004 race "one of the most critical elections in U.S. history" and added, "Rarely have we seen two candidates so diametrically opposed in their convictions."
Floyd praised Bush for fighting terrorism, signing a bill banning late-term abortions and opposing same-sex marriages. He criticized the stands taken by Kerry on these issues.
He continued, "One candidate believes that the United States is at war with terrorism. The other candidate believes we're not at war at all, but in a lawsuit. One candidate believes in the sanctity of an unborn life, signing legislation banning partial birth abortion and declaring that human life is a sacred gift from our Creator. The other believes in abortion on demand, voting six times in the United States Senate against the ban and insisting there is no such thing as a partial birth. One candidate believes that marriage is a God-ordained institution between one man and one woman and has proposed a constitutional amendment protecting marriage. The other was one of only 14 U.S. senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. One candidate publicly and unashamedly confesses faith in Christ and acknowledges that, 'My faith helps me in the service to people.' The other encourages private belief and argues that religious beliefs need not influence his decisions as a public official."
In a letter to the Internal Revenue Service July 20, AU's Lynn wrote, "It is clear that Floyd's message was intended to intervene in the election on behalf of Bush. The pastor's description of the candidates' stands and their personal religious beliefs was obviously aimed at encouraging congregants to cast ballots for Bush. The church is known for its stands on social issues and its opposition to legal abortion and gay rights. By lauding Bush's stands on these and other issues and attacking Kerry's, Floyd was plainly telling his congregation to be sure to vote for Bush."
Don't forget the black churches in Arkansas in 2000 that were caught redhanded bussing their worshippers to vote for Algore the Sunday before the election.
The "Reverend" Lynn has made lying an artform. One can't believe anything he says anyway. But even if this pastor spoke of the differences in conviction of both candidates (with no evidence that he told congregates who to vote for), what of it?
Note: This pastor would go to jail if he did this in Canada.
Licorice: "The IRS has been run by Clinton and DNC operatives since 1992.
They are all loyal and will LIE to protect their masters, the DNC and Clintons.".
But when Kerry himself weaves in and out of every liberal church that will open it's doors up to him and he (and the pastors of those churches) preach STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC PARTY-LINE TICKET, not a peep. Not a single word of separation of church and state is to be found - anywhere.
There are two Americas. One with FReedom.
The other, "run" by Kerry-Clintons-DNC-IRS within America
as they attempt a coup d'etat.
It is okay for the Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to preach on behalf of the Democrats...
I'm so confused... Since when were black people more equal that white people?
I'm not even white and I think this unfair.
GOOD MORNING HAPPY,
fine article,filled with truth.
unfortunately,i'm afraid we are all preaching to the choir here.
the key is the "liberal" church,no matter what the denomination will vote their interests and not the teachings of God.
The foundation of the dark side (Clinton / Gore / Kerry / etc.) is the ability of government to manufacture fake money. Take that away -- and we must -- the dark side's power will collapse.
The Chinese got American technology to kill Americans.
The EU was horrified that any of the money they allocated to murder Jews
went to America.
There are two Americas. One with FReedom.
The other, "run" by Kerry-Clintons-DNC-IRS within America
as they attempt a coup d'etat.
Pic by PhilDragoo .....
The Houses of Worship Political Protection Act: House H.R. 2357
As an aside, reading that article again, I really get a chuckle out of this RAT statement about what Huckabee said:
"We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting the image of Arkansas nationwide. In that five minutes, he tore that down, and it'll take us years to repair it."
I think it was more like millions, maybe billions, of dollars, and I really don't think Clinton did much to promote the image of Arkansas, at least not a positive one. In fact, I expect it will take generations to live him down, and only then if we can get this RAT infestation in check.
That's different, because they are so much smarter and more enlightened that than those of us who take God at His word, so they know what's best for you and it just wouldn't be right to deprive the church of their superior wisdom. < /sarcasm >
It was his intent. You know how RATs have the gift of divining intent. More like a craft of judicial extortion.
I think the real reason for that is that it is they who spend a large portion of their time and and resources trolling churches, communities, schools, businesses or whatever for any infraction, real or imagined, that they can concoct to gain more power. Conservatives just want to be left alone. By and large, we mind our own business and expect others to do likewise. We have more important things to do with our time than plundering in other peoples' affairs. It is counterintuitive to us. It is second nature to them. They operate from an entirely different frame of reference. We may be the ones with the common sense and the guns, but they have all the lawyers.
God is the one we look to for strength and power and victory, and they know that He is the one "problem" they have no clue how to deal with. So, as usual, they attack those who believe in Him and furthur demand that God stay in the closet "where He belongs." Ironic, isn't it?
Then obviously you are a sellout. < /sarcasm >
Everybody know there are no non-whites at FR. Just ask the DUhmmies. I guess nobody warned you that we are a bunch of rabid racists. 
LOL!
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.
