Posted on 07/18/2006 6:51:34 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside
Today: July 18, 2006 at 6:30:28 PDT
IRS Warns Churches to Avoid Campaigning
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service has been warning churches and nonprofit organizations that improper campaigning in the upcoming political season could endanger their tax-exempt status.
In notices to more than 15,000 tax-exempt organizations, numerous church denominations and tax preparers, the agency has detailed its new enforcement program, called the Political Activity Compliance Initiative, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Under the initiative, the IRS plans to expedite investigations into claims of improper campaigning, no longer waiting for an annual tax return to be filed or the tax year to end before launching a probe. A three-member committee will make an initial review of complaints and then vote on whether to pursue the investigation in detail.
"While the vast majority of charities and churches do not engage in politicking, an increasing number did take part in prohibited activities in the 2004 election cycle," IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson said in a statement. "The rule against political campaign intervention by charities and churches is long established. We are stepping up our efforts to enforce it."
Since 2004, the IRS has investigated more than 200 organizations, including All Saints Church in Pasadena.
Two days before the 2004 presidential election, the Rev. George F. Regas, the church's former rector, delivered a guest sermon that pictured Jesus in a debate with George W. Bush and John Kerry. Although Regas didn't endorse a candidate, he said Jesus would have told Bush that his pre-emptive war policy "has led to disaster."
The church drew national attention when the Rev. Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, disclosed the IRS investigation and later said the agency believed the church had violated federal tax code barring tax-exempt organizations from intervening in political campaigns and elections.
Church leaders have not heard from the IRS since October, when the agency said the investigation was being taken to a higher level, according to Regas. The IRS has not confirmed whether the investigation is still ongoing.
Of the 62 organizations determined by the IRS to be in violation, three lost their nonprofit status and 59 received warning letters. The three who lost their status were not churches, and some of those warned were ordered to pay an excise tax.
Federal law prohibits the IRS from releasing the names of those under investigation, but the agency said it has more than 100 cases pending and 40 of them are churches.
This month, OMB Watch, a Washington-based nonprofit government watchdog group, issued a report criticizing the IRS enforcement program and said the program could prompt retaliatory and harassment complaints unless the agency develops clear guidelines.
"I don't think this is a case of bad faith," said Kay Guinane, author of the report. "I just think it's a poorly structured program."
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Smokescreen we know that
Better hope no more icons of the civil right movement pass away. Then the lefties won't be able to use the funerals to preach hate and attack the right, as they did when Coretta King and Rosa Parks died.
Yeah right, like that will ever happen.
The IRS may go after a token Bush basher, but it really does not mean much when they ignore stories in the Washington Post and Christian Science Monitor stating that the pastor endorsed a Democrat from the pulpit and tells the congregation to "get the cowboy out of the White House."
Or when black churches pass the plate to help Jesse Jackson raise money for his presidential candidacy.
You're the only one who read the story. This is a "pile-on" thread, not a "read the story" thread. ;-)
Seriously though, the majority of these cases favor the Dems' candidates and hurt Conservatives.
Between the IRS, CFR, and the rest, everything gets screwed up when Money meets the First Amendment.
What about Clinton's bi-monthly forays into black churches? They probably don't count. Just the Republican churches, I bet that's it. Some animals are more equal than others.
Question of the Day: Can anyone quote the scripture that gave the IRS it's yes or no authority over Gods people? I have been looking (in vain).
1 of 100,000 just for it to "look" good for the readers...whoopie. It's meant to target conservative candidates and give DUmocrats a pass, nothing new.
IRS is getting too big for their britches.
But..but the Clintons are compassionate and..and love minorites..and
No, it only applies to churches who do not support the progressively correct candidates.
1: Currently it seems 1st amendment protection does not apply to Christian Churches even though there are 2 protections in the amendment, one for free speech and one for freedom of religion. Regardless of the winners/losers in church sponsored political debate, our fricken government should STFU.
2: Given #1 it is amazing that the government has chosen to give 1st amendment protection to a group falsely claiming to be a religion that calls for killing nonbelievers, killing converts out of the religion and killing those who would draw cartoons. Come on folks, how much more of this crap are we to take from OUR government?
DUring election time, I preach a message I call "Seven Abominations".
The text is Proverbs 6:16-19
16: These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18: An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19: A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
I do not mention the name of any candidate, but explain how God wants us to refrain from supporting those who are prideful and feel they are above the rest of us, those who lie. We are to oppose those who support abortion, those who are conspirators, those who are immoral, those that divide people with nonsense.
I then throw in 1 Kings 12 and show how higher taxation will caused division in a nation.
I finish with, "I am not telling you who to vote for. But, who would God want you to vote for?"
Wierd thing was that it seemed that Clinton used the Seven abominations as a check list, "Done that...done that...done that...did that but didn't get caught, yet..."
"Read the story. The one example given is the IRS going after a church after a preacher because he made it clear he would vote for Kerry."
That is correct. Now, do you really expect the IRS to put a stop to Democrats pandering to blacks? They almost always go straight to their churches to campaign.
The IRS may try it ONCE but after that will be cries of racism, voter disenfranchisement, intimidation, etc. We get called "the religious right" while Democrats go to churches to campaign. You really think this will be applied fairly?
I agree with you. But I don't want to see the IRS going after conservative churches while turning a blind eye to what goes on in liberal churches.
Its a dream you and I will never see.
I would like to see the IRS, as it is currently configured, cease to exist.
Warnings sent to all,
enforcement only to conservative groups
Perhaps since this is LA, enforcement only against illigal alien immigration.
So the IRS is really a secret enclave of leftist radicals?
And you know, of course, what church supports Mitt? Can you show your proof of that support from the top church authorities? Don't even try it! There is no such support.
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