Author Topic: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches  (Read 953 times)

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rangerrebew

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Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« on: October 20, 2014, 12:33:38 pm »

Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Frank Camp — 123 Comments   
 
 
There are ways the tax code can be used to gag churches despite the First Amendment.

“I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means – except by getting off his back.” – Leo Tolstoy

It’s been said that the path to hell is paved with good intentions. Well, those allegedly good intentions are rarely that. Most of the time, the stones on the path to hell are markers drenched in the blood of others. The good intentions? Only good insofar as they allow for the forward momentum of liars, thieves, and crooks.

Several days ago, the wall of church and state was breached, and the content of sermons was questioned. According to Fox:

“The city of Houston has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. And those ministers who fail to comply could be held in contempt of court.“
 

Within hours of this story breaking, the pressure was mounting on Houston, and its mayor to step back, and rescind the subpoenas. Texas Republican Gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott weighed in, as did Texas Senator Ted Cruz, each condemning the actions of Parker; Cruz even calling the incident a “grotesque abuse of power.” However, Parker held on by her claws, sending out Tweets indicating she wasn’t going to let go:

“If the 5 pastors used pulpits for politics, their sermons are fair game. Were instructions given on filling out anti-HERO petition?”

Suddenly, several days after the issuance of the subpoenas, and the posturing, Parker backed off, telling reporters on Wednesday that the subpoenas were “too broad.”

“It’s not about what did you preach on last Sunday…It should have been clarified, it will be clarified.”

Obviously, Mayor Parker never expected the national media to pick up the story of her gross abuse of power. She thought she could do whatever she wanted within Houston, and walk away scot free. Thankfully, she was wrong. But her actions represent a very chilling trend in the way the government is beginning to oppress religion by circumventing the first amendment.

Because churches are 501(c)(3) organizations, and are tax exempt, they are prohibited from making specific endorsement in political races. According toIRS.gov: “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.‘”

That being said, churches can still discuss any religious issues that may also happen be political in nature. Many issues that are considered political are also moral issues that are studied in churches on a regular basis. Abortion, homosexuality, etc, are topics which have obvious relevance in politics, but are deeply rooted in theology as well, and as such, are sometimes examined in churches. In those examinations, abortion, and homosexuality are often condemned as going against the law of nature, as written by God.

The subpoenas allegedly targeted “sermons dealing with homosexuality, [and] gender identity.” Now, homosexuality, and gender identity are relevant moral topics which do not fall into the category of “political endorsements,” yet they were targeted under the subpoenas. And that is exactly how the government is going to use 501(c)(3) status to oppress religious liberty.

Because churches fall under the 501(c)(3) tax exempt category, the government has a certain authority over them; they can tighten restrictions, as has been done multiple times since the laws were written. Now that gay marriage has become a front-and-center national issue, left leaning politicians in positions of power will do everything they can to manipulate the rules of the 501(c)(3) status in order to silence all opposition. The same applies to abortion. They will do this all under the guise of good intentions, and with a manufactured sense of fairness. They will say that churches shouldn’t be allowed to preach against homosexual conduct because it is so closely tied to gay marriage. They will say that because gay marriage is clearly a political issue, any preaching against it, or against anything related to it constitutes specific endorsements of candidates who do not support it. They will call preaching against gay marriage an “intervention” into the foray of campaigns, designed specifically to sway congregants away from liberal candidates who support it. And because you cannot prove a negative, no church will be able to say that their preaching against gay marriage was not on behalf of a particular candidate. Once again, the same applies to abortion. There will be accusations of indirect interventions, which it will be argued are as bad as direct interventions.

These restrictions will become tighter, and more intrusive, until churches are essentially gagged.  The only option I see is for churches to give up their 501(c)(3) status. In time, that is what will have to happen, because the government—by which I mean liberals—will never stop taking inches where they can get them. They will never stop trying to silence those who oppose their agenda.

Read more at http://lastresistance.com/7931/government-use-irs-gag-churches/#A4tMUWFvcjIIqE4U.99

Offline EC

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2014, 02:15:40 pm »
Quote
The only option I see is for churches to give up their 501(c)(3) status. In time, that is what will have to happen, because the government—by which I mean liberals—will never stop taking inches where they can get them. They will never stop trying to silence those who oppose their agenda.

Dumb. The only option is to do an eye for an eye. They subpoena a church's sermons, we do the same to a black church. They are on far more shaky ground, being constantly used as political clubs and recruitment tools by the Dems.
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Offline alicewonders

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2014, 02:23:34 pm »
Dumb. The only option is to do an eye for an eye. They subpoena a church's sermons, we do the same to a black church. They are on far more shaky ground, being constantly used as political clubs and recruitment tools by the Dems.

Good!

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Offline GourmetDan

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2014, 02:34:03 pm »
Good!

I think a lot of these churches are black churches.  This is the City of Houston, after all.

The blacks are beginning to learn that the homosexuals hold more political power than they do...


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Offline alicewonders

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2014, 02:37:54 pm »
I wonder if the City's mosques received these subpoenas too?

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Offline GourmetDan

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2014, 02:51:06 pm »
I wonder if the City's mosques received these subpoenas too?

That group is ahead of both the blacks and the homosexuals in the Demonrat Party...


"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:2

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Offline GourmetDan

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2014, 02:57:07 pm »
“If the 5 pastors used pulpits for politics, their sermons are fair game. Were instructions given on filling out anti-HERO petition?”

Sad that we have accepted the notion that political speech is prohibited from the pulpit.

There is a reason that freedom of speech and freedom of religion are in the First Amendment together...


"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:2

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Offline mountaineer

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2014, 04:20:02 pm »
Bill Muehlenberg writes in his blog:
Quote
Revealed: Big Brother Is a Homosexual Activist

We long have wondered how the ultimate police state would unfold, and how an antiChrist sort of dictatorship would eventuate. Well, I think we are starting to get a pretty good idea about all this. Today the most likely candidate of this in the West is undoubtedly the militant homosexual lobby.

Whenever we find various freedoms and rights being taken away from ordinary citizens in the West, we can more often than not count on the homosexual brigade to be involved. As they demand special rights for themselves, they are happy to strip away the rights of everyone else.

My new book Dangerous Relations offers 165 examples from just over a two-year period of people being negatively impacted by the radical homosexual movement. For daring to oppose it, even in the most benign fashion, people are being jailed, fined, and losing their jobs.

This is happening on a regular basis now. Simply to say that marriage is between a man and a woman can result in a person being kicked out of his job or slapped with a heavy fine. This tells us just how far the homosexual lobby has progressed, and how far the rest of us have regressed.

And since the homosexual militants have long made known their aims to challenge the Christian churches especially, it is no surprise to see the Christian faith coming under increasing attack. Indeed, all this is not unexpected. Any recent coercive movement seeking dominance has always had to target the churches.

In the past century, for example, whenever totalitarian regimes took power, the normal practice was to shut down churches, to destroy churches, or at least closely monitor and control the churches. Even sermons were monitored, with only state approved ones allowed to be delivered.

Whether Nazi Germany or Maoist China or Communist Russia, this has always been the pattern. But we have failed to learn from the lessons of history, and we are seeing the very same things occurring in the West today. In addition to all the examples I provide in my book, we witness on a daily basis more such cases. ...
Rest of essay
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Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2014, 07:20:57 pm »
I think a lot of these churches are black churches.  This is the City of Houston, after all.

The blacks are beginning to learn that the homosexuals hold more political power than they do...

I'd be willing to bet you're wrong about this.  The Mayor is a screaming lezzie, and isn't about to perturb her pals in the Churches of Jesse and Al.  That's a lot of black voters in Houston.  Yes, I could be the one who's wrong, but my instincts say she's leaving those churches alone.  For now.

Consistency is not in the liberals' quiver of arrows.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2014, 07:21:26 pm by Cyber Liberty »
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2014, 07:31:37 pm »
I asked one of my favorite Christian apologists, Frank Turek, via Twitter what a church can do if a gov't entity tries to force on it to perform homosexual "marriages" as was done to the Idaho couple. He recommended the Alliance Defending Freedom, which describes its mission thus:
Quote
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

Recognizing the need for a strong, coordinated legal defense against growing attacks on religious freedom, more than 30 prominent Christian leaders launched Alliance Defending Freedom in 1994. Over the past 20 years, this unique legal organization has brought together thousands of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations that work tirelessly to advocate for the right of people to freely live out their faith in America and around the world.
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2014, 08:01:15 pm »
Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, comments (excerpted):
Quote
...   On Friday, city officials announced that papers had been refiled to avoid use of the word “sermon.” But the change in no way removes the offense, nor does it even exempt sermons from the subpoena. As Mike Morris of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier today: “Though the subpoena’s new wording removes any mention of ‘sermons’ — a reference that created a firestorm among Christian conservative groups and politicians, including Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who accused Parker of trying ‘to silence the church’ — the mayor acknowledged the new subpoenas do not explicitly preclude sermons from being produced.”

Once again, you have been warned.

The debacle in Houston can indeed be a catalyst for “hysterical allegations.” No ministers are yet in jail. No pulpit has been silenced. No church doors have been bolted shut.

But the reality is hysterical enough. This is the kind of intimidation that would be expected somewhere in secular Europe or perhaps in the former Soviet Bloc. But we are talking here about Houston, Texas.

This is the kind of scandal that would lead most elected officials to backtrack like crazy, but Mayor Annise Parker is standing her ground, even as she tries to escape the heat by a mere change in the coercive language. What she is doing amounts to raw political intimidation. ...
Entire article at The Aquila Report.
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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2014, 08:05:46 pm »
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Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches

Just one item on a VERY long list of reasons why we must rid ourselves of the Marxist income tax and the IRS!

http://fairtax.org
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rangerrebew

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2014, 08:29:48 pm »
I guess the FREE EXERCISE clause of the 1st Amendment no longer applies. :bullie smokin:

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2014, 08:40:51 pm »
Just one item on a VERY long list of reasons why we must rid ourselves of the Marxist income tax and the IRS!

http://fairtax.org

You don't think the government would find a different hammer if the IRS went away?  Secondly, what makes you think the IRS would go away if we had the "Fair Tax?"  I maintain they aren't going anywhere as long as their services are required.  (I don't mean tax collection, I'm talking about their true services, as exposed by the actions of the Obama bunch:  Destroying opposition.) 

My theory is the IRS would still be here if the Income Tax was repealed and replaced with a consumption tax, and they'd be every bit as destructive.
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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2014, 09:58:51 pm »
You don't think the government would find a different hammer if the IRS went away?  Secondly, what makes you think the IRS would go away if we had the "Fair Tax?"  I maintain they aren't going anywhere as long as their services are required.

My theory is the IRS would still be here if the Income Tax was repealed and replaced with a consumption tax, and they'd be every bit as destructive.

They probably would "find another hammer" but thy would have to work VERY hard to find another so effective!

As to what makes me think the IRS would go away, the Fairtax legislation (HR25) SPECIFICALLY does away with the IRS. You REALLY should take the time to read it!

You would be wrong about that!
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Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2014, 10:19:43 pm »
They probably would "find another hammer" but thy would have to work VERY hard to find another so effective!

As to what makes me think the IRS would go away, the Fairtax legislation (HR25) SPECIFICALLY does away with the IRS. You REALLY should take the time to read it!

You would be wrong about that!

You are correct, I haven't read the Fair Tax Act.  If it includes elimination of the IRS, it's DOA in Congress.  The incumbents do not want to get rid of it, only we do.  It's nice to think about though....
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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #16 on: October 20, 2014, 11:05:27 pm »
You are correct, I haven't read the Fair Tax Act.  If it includes elimination of the IRS, it's DOA in Congress.  The incumbents do not want to get rid of it, only we do.  It's nice to think about though....

We have known from the outset that the movement to pass the Fairtax was going to be bottom up rather than a top down for the exact reason you mention.  When the public demands that the income tax and the IRS be done away with it will happen! Not before!
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

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Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: Government to Use IRS to Gag Churches
« Reply #17 on: October 20, 2014, 11:30:14 pm »
We have known from the outset that the movement to pass the Fairtax was going to be bottom up rather than a top down for the exact reason you mention.  When the public demands that the income tax and the IRS be done away with it will happen! Not before!

Count me in.  I know what it's like to have a useless Rep:  I went from a reliable R to safe D district because of redistricting.  I have to laugh sometimes because the local (lib) paper calls it a "competitive district."
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