Warroad (MN) preacher vows to put politics in his pulpit

StarTribune ^ | 6/11/08 | Pat Doyle

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

The Rev. Gus Booth of Warroad Community Church wants to "open a dialogue" on political preaching.

He'll probably get his wish.

Booth, a delegate to the Republican National Convention, alerted Americans United for Separation of Church and State to a recent sermon warning followers to oppose Barack Obama for his stance on abortion rights. Booth advised the group that defends church-state separation that he's challenging federal prohibitions on political advocacy from the pulpit.

On Wednesday, Americans United asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate whether the evangelical church with a following of 150 violated its nonprofit, tax-exempt status with Booth's sermon.

The IRS forbids churches "from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office."

Booth was picked as a GOP national delegate during the Seventh Congressional District convention in April, about a month before he gave his sermon urging followers not to vote for either Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton. The pastor said he originally supported former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister who had sought the Republican nomination, but will support the presumptive GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Good luck with that.....

[svcw]

Good for him
The tax codes keep churches under the thumb of the government.
I know several churches who have removed their tax exempt status so they can preach and be involved in what they want to do.

[DManA]

The tax codes keep churches under the thumb of the government.

Only if they accept Cesar's lucre. Give up the tax exempt status and they loose their grip on you. Trust God will make up the difference.

[MplsSteve]

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[devistate one four]

Amen!

[svcw]

Ok, it could just be early but when you say “they loose their grip” do you mean the church or government?

If you mean the church, it is a sad commentary that people tithe because they get a tax deduction. People should tithe because we are commanded by God to do so.

[rhema]

The IRS forbids churches "from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office."

Translated: "If Barack Obama gives an overtly political message in your pulpit, Mr. Pastor, we'll bestow a benign governmental benediction upon you. If you so much as intimate that your parishioners should vote for pro-life, moral values-friendly candidates, prepare for an audit."

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The tax codes keep churches under the thumb of the government.

Only if they accept Cesar's lucre. Give up the tax exempt status and they loose their grip on you. Trust God will make up the difference.

Exactly - and agitate from the pulpit for a flat tax or Fair Tax which isn't burdensome even without the charitable (as defined by the government) deduction.

[DManA]

I mean the only excuse the Feds have to monitor what’s going on inside a church is tax exemption bait which the churches freely accept. If you accept the benefit you accept the strings attached. If you don’t follow the rules you agree to when you accept the money then you are not being a faithful witness.

[DManA]

The whole issue would evaporate if we adopted a fair tax. This is another example who the income tax corrupts the very fiber of the country.

[DManA]

who = how.

[Reaganesque]

The IRS forbids churches "from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office."

And yet, black churches do it all the time. Democrats routinely go to black churches to campaign. Its only a problem when Republicans do it. And, of course, we have the whole Rev. Wright as the most recent example of the mingling of politics and religion.

For my part, politics does not belong at the pulpit. Teach correct, eternal principles and let parishioners make their own political decisions. If they understand themselves and their relationship with God, they will make good decisions. Religion should inform politics, not the other way around.

[holden]

People should tithe

It's well-known that only the Democrat supporters find exemption under the IRS rules. TUCC even got $15M in government funds (interestingly, after Obambi was in a place where his help could have influenced such direction of funds).

We need to trumpet how the US government actually supports Christianity! Er, uh, TUChurch of Christ! Ooops, well, you know. That's probably because one can be an unrepentant, un-baptized Muslim and still be a member in good standing there.

HF

[RJL]

Warroad (MN) preacher vows to put politics in his pulpit

Sorry, that's reserved for Democrats.