IRS probes appearance by Obama at UCC convention (Barry Lynn, UCC member!, says NO PROBLEM)

The Christian Century Magazine ^ | March 25, 2008

[GodGunsGuts]

The Christian Century Magazine

News

March 25, 2008

IRS probes appearance by Obama at UCC convention

The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ that it has opened an investigation into possible "political activities" connected with Senator Barack Obama's speech at the denomination's national convention last year.

UCC president John H. Thomas termed the investigation "disturbing," but said that church officials took great care to see that Obama's appearance at the UCC General Synod meeting last June in Hartford, Connecticut, "met appropriate legal and moral standards."

Engaging in partisan political acts can endanger a church body's tax-exempt status. Thomas expressed confidence that no violations occurred at the convention. The UCC announced February 26 that it has received the IRS letter.

Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which frequently alerts the IRS to violations by liberal and conservative churches, said it had looked into the situation and "saw no evidence of UCC officials seeking to appear to endorse [Obama's] candidacy."

Lynn, who is a UCC minister, added that "public officials can appear at religious gathering to address issues even if they are candidates. However, the sponsoring group may not use the occasion" to endorse or support the candidate's campaign.

Obama, an active member of the UCC, addressed 10,000 people attending the 50th anniversary meeting on June 23. Before the Illinois senator spoke, a UCC official admonished the crowd that leaflets, signs, placards or other forms of electioneering would not be tolerated. Activity by Obama campaign supporters was barred inside the Hartford Civic Center, according to an article on the UCC Web site.

Don Clark, a Chicago attorney who is the church's special counsel, said the IRS investigation will give the UCC a chance to correct inaccuracies. "It's disconcerting," Clark said, "since the IRS did not communicate with us, or seek any facts from us, in advance."

[GodGunsGuts]

Funny how many of the “usual suspects” are connected to Obama’s parent denomination, the hard-left United Church of Christ (UCC).

[GodGunsGuts]

Dot connecting ping!

[Eurale]

Moral standards? What moral standards?

[Rome2000]

From left to right, Michelle Obama, then Illinois state senator Barack Obama, Columbia University Professor Edward Said and Mariam Said at a May 1998 Arab community event in Chicago at which Edward Said gave the keynote speech. (Image from archives of Ali Abunimah)

[Rome2000]

What Edward Said Knows

Did you know that the Chmielnicki pogroms of the 17th century that killed so many Jews were really very “progressive” events ? No, you didn’t know that ? Well, Edward Said knows.

And did you know that the Talmud teaches hatred toward Gentiles ? Edward Said knows.

Did you know that Jewish children are taught to utter a ritual curse when passing a non-Jewish cemetery? Edward Said knows.

Or that when orthodox Jews wash two hands, one is to worship Satan ? Or that Orthodox Jews frequently kill those with whom they disagree, for instance liberal rabbis ? Or that the Jews, spurred on by their religious traditions, oppress and kill the Palestinians ? You didn’t even know THAT ? Well, Edward Said knows all this, and more. The Arab-American professor of literature at Columbia University not only knows all these things but he also wishes to share them with you.

The outlandish assertions that I have listed, and many more that are even more preposterous, are contained in a scurrilous little anti-Semitic pamphlet by one Israel Shahak, entitled “Jewish Religion, Jewish History.” The French edition of Shahak was published in 1996 by La Vieille Taupe, a neo-Nazi sect in Paris that publishes books denying the Holocaust. And the French edition (but not the English) contains a remarkable eight-page introductory essay (”avant propos”) by Edward Said.

Shahak is an eccentric Israeli chemist who, aged fifty-three in 1988, retired to devote himself full time to plagiarizing Nazi and other anti-Semitic writers. I had occasion to review his “Jewish History” when it appeared in English. This English edition (but not the French) bore an urgent recommendation by Noam Chomsky (”Shahak is an outstanding scholar, with remarkable insight and depth of knowledge. His work is informed and penetrating, a contribution of great value”). Gore Vidal, outdoing both Said and Chomsky, contributed his Foreword to both editions.

Said’s essay in praise of Shahak, in the French edition, runs into a little problem. While the Holocaust never happened as far as La Vieille Taupe is concerned, Said has on more than one occasion spoken out against Holocaust-denying in the Arab world. So what to do when Said mentions, in passing, that Shahak is a survivor of the Holocaust ? La Vieille Taupe inserts a little footnote there, showing that Said is mistaken on this point (p. 12).

But for the rest, Said is right on board. He praises Shahak for the latter’s felicity in describing Israel as “Judeo-Nazi” (p. 11). He appreciates Shahak’s criticism of Arafat whenever Arafat showed himself conciliatory toward Israel (p. 13). And Said also approves of Shahak’s apposition to Peace Now, since Peace Now, according to Said, is “shameful” in demanding peaceful actions from Palestinians (pp. 13-4). In short, Said finds in Shahak a kindred spirit in demanding, in effect, the complete dismantlement of Israel.

But these political points are completely overshadowed by what can only be considered the bad faith of Edward Said when he praises Shahak’s “scholarship.” Said says that Shahak is the greatest scholar he has ever known (”le plus grand érudit que j’aie jamais connu” — p. 15). The book at hand, says Said, is a powerful study of Judaism, of its rabbinic and Talmudic traditions: “It is nothing less than a concise history of classic and modern Judaism insofar as these are relevant to the understanding of modern Israel” (p. 16).

So we see that Said of Columbia is at one with Chomsky of MIT : endorsing “scholarship” in fields in which he is not expert, in this case the “scholarship” of a shoddy, disreputable propaganda tract. It seems that two of the most distinguished American universities cannot guarantee the moral or indeed the intellectual integrity of what goes on within their walls.

Finally, it is an interesting fact that Said’s praise of Shahak and his “scholarship” is effectively hidden from the public. It is not mentioned in the fulsome bibliography of Said’s writings, nor is Said’s name mentioned in La Vieille Taupe’s own on-line catalog. The book cannot be bought from the American or French amazon.com, it is not listed in the Library of Congress catalog nor in other standard catalogs that are available to the public. I myself became aware of it only when I visited the neo-Nazi Librairie du Savoir in Paris, which in fact is the book’s distributor. It requires a professional librarian to verify the very existence of this item in the OCLC world catalog (not available to the public), or in the catalogue of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (which, to be sure, is available to anyone). It is here, in this official French source, that Said’s dirty little secret — his collaboration with the Nazis — is laid open for all to see. The item is duly listed, as is Said’s introduction to it.

[Rome2000]

Michelle Obama and Barack Obama listen to Professor Edward Said give the keynote address at an Arab community event in Chicago, May 1998. (Photo: Ali Abunimah)

[Mr. Mojo]

Michelle looking angry, as usual. Interesting that those closest to Obama have such enormous chips on their shoulders. No doubt she has his sac in a strong vice.

[bmwcyle]

Barry Lynn--AHOLE

[GodGunsGuts]

Isn't it amazing how Barry Lynn, “Mr. Separation of Church and State” himself, has publicly given Obama/Wright a free pass?!?! Actually, it isn't amazing at all, as it turns out Barry Lynn is a member of the UCC, the parent denomination of “Rev.” Wright's racist, Marxist, HATE AMERICA “church.”

[skeeter]

Lynn, who is a UCC minister, added that "public officials can appear at religious gathering to address issues even if they are candidates. However, the sponsoring group may not use the occasion" to endorse or support the candidate's campaign.

I hope Lynn's assurance is being taken with the same level credulity he himself typically displayed when he was the one leveling the charge.

[hsalaw]

"saw no evidence of UCC officials seeking to appear to endorse [Obama's] candidacy."

Tell it to the RevWright.

[Brilliant]

Well, Barry Linn is right that Obama did not violate the law by interjecting politics into a religious organization... Because the UCC is not a religious organization—it’s a political organization with a religious sounding name.

[Leisler]

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Favorite Way To Mollify Supporters:
Nodding solemnly while gripping podium

Issues:
Pro-hopes, also supports dreams

Political Experience:
(2005–) Junior Senator from Illinois. Working directly under Senior Senator Richard Durbin himself, duties included fact-checking and copyediting the 2006 highway appropriations amendment bill. Member, Illinois State Senate (1997-2004)

Difficulty Catching A Cab:
Moderate

Personal Best For Getting Digits:
32 seconds

Odds Of Pop-Locking During Inauguration:
1 in 12

See All Candidates

Key Issues

• Health Care
  Promises to reduce cost of health care by demanding private insurance companies stop liking astronomical profits.
• Iraq War
  Will have American soldiers tell the Iraqi soldiers that they're just going out for some smokes, and then sneak back home to America.
• Abortion
  Did some crazy shit in the '80's, not going to lie.
• Immigration
  Would refuse to allow Kenyans to come to America, father children, abandon children, attend Harvard PhD programs, and return to Kenya.
• Economy
  Will cut taxes, but occasionally hit up Oprah on behalf of treasury.
• Climate
  Has an extensive five-year plan to charm climate back to normal temperatures.
• Pakistaniran
  Guarantees improved relations with Kenya, Indonesia, Hawaii, and Illinois.

[Lizavetta]

I wonder what Mr. Separation of Church and State thinks about the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, named for the Muslim general who conquered medieval Spain, which is a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.

[GodGunsGuts]

Now that I know “Rev.” Barry Lynn is a member of the parent denomination of “Rev.” Wright’s HATE AMERICA church, all of his previous actions against our Judeo-Christian heritage suddenly make perfect sense. He is every bit as much a part of the “enemy within” as the Nation of Islam.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

Barry Lynn? I haven’t seen this sad chump on tv in a long time. Seems he used to pop up all the time.

[GodGunsGuts]

ping

[ARE SOLE]

Crazy Michelle. Ha ha. Can you imagine having to deal with that? She scares me.

(... and I ain't scared of nuthin'.)

[Reo]

"Because the UCC is not a religious organization—it’s a political organization with a religious sounding name."

Brilliant, Brilliant. I was just about to the same thought in different phraseology.