Posted on 12/14/2006 11:48:10 AM PST by jodiluvshoes
Members of the congregation at Saddleback Church, the church led by Rick Warren, are evidently being ushered right out of membership for voicing any concern over the idea of Barack Obama being allowed to speak at the church recently.
I received a lengthy letter from a member of Saddleback this morning that confirmed as much:
(Excerpt) Read more at kevinmccullough.townhall.com ...
Now that's a good church. My brother graduated from The Master's Seminary
I posted it as insight into the rearing of one Barack Hussein Obama, and how skepticism of religious faiths and lack of a father may have shaped him.
Why are politicians being allowed to use a church pulpit to make ANY kind of speech? Where is the IRS squad when we need them?!!
My thoughts, exactly. He's campaigning, make no mistake.
FROM THE IRS WEBSITE: Charities, Churches and Politics
The ban on political campaign activity by charities and churches was created by Congress 52 years ago. The Internal Revenue Service administers the tax laws written by Congress and has enforcement authority over tax-exempt organizations. Here is some background information on the political campaign activity ban and the latest IRS enforcement statistics regarding its adminstration of this congressional ban.
In 1954, Congress approved an amendment by Sen. Lyndon Johnson to prohibit 501(c)(3) organizations, which includes charities and churches, from engaging in any political campaign activity. To the extent Congress has revisited the ban over the years, it has in fact strengthened the ban. The most recent change came in 1987 when Congress amended the language to clarify that the prohibition also applies to statements opposing candidates.
Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."
The IRS has published Fact Sheet 2006-17, which outlines how churches, and all 501(c)(3) organizations, can stay within the law regarding the ban on political activity. Also, the ban by Congress is on political campaign activity regarding a candidate; churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in a limited amount of lobbying (including ballot measures) and advocate for or against issues that are in the political arena. The IRS also has provided guidance regarding the difference between advocating for a candidate and advocating for legislation. See political and lobbying activities.
Earlier this year, the IRS released the results of its Political Activity Compliance Initiative (PACI) which investigated allegations of political campaign activity by 501(c)(3) organizations during the 2004 campaign season. Out of 87 completed audits involving churches and charities from the 2004 election cycle, political intervention was substantiated in 71 percent of the cases. No political intervention was found in 23 percent of the cases, resulting in a “no change” finding.
Politics plays absolutely no role in audits. A team of career IRS employees review complaints submitted by the public and determine which allegations merit further review. An independent review confirmed that political considerations played no role in IRS decisions to further investigate allegations of political campaign activity. You can read the report here.
Each election cycle, the IRS reminds 501(c)(3) exempt organizations to be aware of the ban on political campaign activity. The IRS published its most recent reminder in a public news release which you can read here.
The division within the IRS responsible for overseeing churches and charities is the Tax Exempt and Government Entitities Division. TEGE has created a Web page entitled Charities, Churches, and Educational Organizations - Political Campaign Intervention. It is dedicated to the IRS most recent activities related to 501(c)(3) and political activity.
A definitive court case on the issue of free speech and political expression is Branch Ministries Inc. versus Rossotti. In that case, the court upheld the constitutionality of the ban on political activity. The court rejected the plaintiff church's allegations that it was being selectively prosecuted because of its conservative views and that its First Amendment right to free speech was being infringed.
The court wrote: "The government has a compelling interest in maintaining the integrity of the tax system and in not subsidizing partisan political activity, and Section 501(c)(3) is the least restrictive means of accomplishing that purpose."
Unfortunately, some non-Christians have more discernment and insight than believers.
to deal with in the next year.
Should read " next Church"
Huh?
Certainly plausible.
Don't see good horse sense as automatically unBiblical, however.
From my perspective, that perspective contains major portions of hogwash and wholesale narrow bias.
Definitely not my reality.
RW is very clear about Salvation. His position is very Biblical. Asserting otherwise is askew of THE FACTS.
Thanks.
Perhaps you'd be willing to shut down all the liberal churches hosting Shrillery et al first before a church full of mostly rather conservative folks.
I think I'll take comfort in God's judgment about how I respond to false doctrine; what I consider false doctrine as I compare things to His priorities and standards
AND how weak I am. Thankfully, He knows quite well my host of utter weaknesses.
I pray often that I have His Passion for His priorities vs my own for my own.
Nancee
AMEN!
A writeup of the "good" Delphi technique is here
A writeup of the "dark side" Delphi Technique is here.
The latter technique is a way to bring a group into acceptance of a pre-determined idea, by identifying, isolating, and ridiculing any potential leaders for other points of view
It makes a lot of sense if Obama is not really a Christian, but thinks it good for his career to have some people THINK he is a Christian. Personally, I think he's a Muslim clothing himself the the pelt of the Lamb
Again, I have only experienced the "dark side" version in both work places and at local churches.
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.