Here is my opinion on any religious organization and respective "church" representatives who feel compelled to state political views in public and expect the american public to be receptive:
You should first WILLINGLY ABANDON your tax-exempt status and ONLY then do you get to moan on about politics.
Hicks like Jerry Falwell and gloryhounds like Pat Robertson need to acknowledge that their money is the result of tax free donations so why the hell are they whining about the government ?
Ironically TWI heavily criticizes any and all organized religions yet they (TWI) owes a huge debt to them for keeping "churches" expempt from tax. VPW,LCM, and RFR have all moaned about the US government yet its the US tax policies towards churches that has faciltated TWI's accumulation of wealth !
Tell you what. Lets elect some officials who recognize that churches make millions and don't kick a dime back to Uncle Sam.
These "churches" turn around and invest in real estate, the stock market, and whatever else they want without concern that the IRs
is gonna get some of it. Yet these are the same people who complain that recipients of welfare shouldn't be able to vote.
Its the same thing.
Its cool if you express your political views as an INDIVIDUAL
but the moment some designer suit wearing, capped tooth, manicured "preacher" starts trying to express political views of "the church" then he becomes a TOTAL HYPOCRITE ! Pay taxes as a church and THEN you get the "right" to be politically active.
sorry lorna here is my humble opinion.. the biggest terrorest in the world is sitting in the oval office! he said the war is over we have accomplished our mission. why have so many of our kids died sence that statement?
I disagree diazbro. There's a free speech issue you haven't addressed.
The free expression of religious and political views is a false dichotomy. Both concern the affairs of man, and are often in conflict. If a religion isn't free to express its values in a political context then it is no longer "unregulated." In effect, it's been silenced by the state.
Every church today is a non-prophet organization. I'd like to see them taxed anyway, because they use tax-funded services.
I disagree diazbro. There's a free speech issue you haven't addressed.
Well perhaps I was coming down a little heavy handed. I realize that churches discuss politics all the time and that its only natural for a given church to seek government which is as congruent as possible with the tenets of that church. And members of these various churches will take an interest in the spiritual direction of the country.
As far as I know (though I'm not completely sure) the IRS forbids non-profit groups and churches from making campaign contibutions though churches can certainly encourage individual donations via its members. How often someting like this done I don't really know.
I suppose what concerns me about churches being politically active as a collective is that they could very well fight for legislation and policies that make it difficult for other (perhaps competing or niche) churches to emerge or flourish.
I suppose what concerns me about churches being politically active as a collective is that they could very well fight for legislation and policies that make it difficult for other (perhaps competing or niche) churches to emerge or flourish.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;.." -- First Amendment --
This one would be hard to get around. It's why we now have witchcraft covens in the military, and similar fringe groups asserting their rights everywhere.
I don't believe the 1st Amendment alone should entitle them to be tax-exempt, but maybe it's guaranteed somewhere else.
sorry lorna here is my humble opinion.. the biggest terrorest in the world is sitting in the oval office! he said the war is over we have accomplished our mission. why have so many of our kids died sence that statement?
Preposterous statement...although I am sure you believe it. Freedom has a price and sometimes the price is very high. We have liberated over 40 million people from oppression, terror, and tyranny. Our kids have died since "that statement" because there are still evil people there and, until they are eradicated, there will be deaths. Unlike our cowardly extraction from Vietnam, which resulted in over 2,000,000 people being exterminated, we must prevail until the new Iraqi government can stand on its own feet and secure the country. Which won't be long.
Free exercise of religion is very different to free exercise of political clout.
Even our "established" religion the Church of England is still liable for taxation upon some of its activities.
By not taxing inappropriate religious activities it is a discrimination against the non-religious bodies because it is giving them an unfair establishment.
So I don't believe the 1st amendment in itself give them special taxation rights. As satori says - it is somewhere else?
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Be careful.. the "lefties" (and righties for that matter) might take that kind of statement as a compliment, heh heh.
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satori001
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houseisarockin
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diazbro
Here is my opinion on any religious organization and respective "church" representatives who feel compelled to state political views in public and expect the american public to be receptive:
You should first WILLINGLY ABANDON your tax-exempt status and ONLY then do you get to moan on about politics.
Hicks like Jerry Falwell and gloryhounds like Pat Robertson need to acknowledge that their money is the result of tax free donations so why the hell are they whining about the government ?
Ironically TWI heavily criticizes any and all organized religions yet they (TWI) owes a huge debt to them for keeping "churches" expempt from tax. VPW,LCM, and RFR have all moaned about the US government yet its the US tax policies towards churches that has faciltated TWI's accumulation of wealth !
Tell you what. Lets elect some officials who recognize that churches make millions and don't kick a dime back to Uncle Sam.
These "churches" turn around and invest in real estate, the stock market, and whatever else they want without concern that the IRs
is gonna get some of it. Yet these are the same people who complain that recipients of welfare shouldn't be able to vote.
Its the same thing.
Its cool if you express your political views as an INDIVIDUAL
but the moment some designer suit wearing, capped tooth, manicured "preacher" starts trying to express political views of "the church" then he becomes a TOTAL HYPOCRITE ! Pay taxes as a church and THEN you get the "right" to be politically active.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
sorry lorna here is my humble opinion.. the biggest terrorest in the world is sitting in the oval office! he said the war is over we have accomplished our mission. why have so many of our kids died sence that statement?
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satori001
I disagree diazbro. There's a free speech issue you haven't addressed.
The free expression of religious and political views is a false dichotomy. Both concern the affairs of man, and are often in conflict. If a religion isn't free to express its values in a political context then it is no longer "unregulated." In effect, it's been silenced by the state.
Every church today is a non-prophet organization. I'd like to see them taxed anyway, because they use tax-funded services.
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diazbro
Well perhaps I was coming down a little heavy handed. I realize that churches discuss politics all the time and that its only natural for a given church to seek government which is as congruent as possible with the tenets of that church. And members of these various churches will take an interest in the spiritual direction of the country.
As far as I know (though I'm not completely sure) the IRS forbids non-profit groups and churches from making campaign contibutions though churches can certainly encourage individual donations via its members. How often someting like this done I don't really know.
I suppose what concerns me about churches being politically active as a collective is that they could very well fight for legislation and policies that make it difficult for other (perhaps competing or niche) churches to emerge or flourish.
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satori001
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;.." -- First Amendment --
This one would be hard to get around. It's why we now have witchcraft covens in the military, and similar fringe groups asserting their rights everywhere.
I don't believe the 1st Amendment alone should entitle them to be tax-exempt, but maybe it's guaranteed somewhere else.
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TaylorCompany
Preposterous statement...although I am sure you believe it. Freedom has a price and sometimes the price is very high. We have liberated over 40 million people from oppression, terror, and tyranny. Our kids have died since "that statement" because there are still evil people there and, until they are eradicated, there will be deaths. Unlike our cowardly extraction from Vietnam, which resulted in over 2,000,000 people being exterminated, we must prevail until the new Iraqi government can stand on its own feet and secure the country. Which won't be long.
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Trefor Heywood
Free exercise of religion is very different to free exercise of political clout.
Even our "established" religion the Church of England is still liable for taxation upon some of its activities.
By not taxing inappropriate religious activities it is a discrimination against the non-religious bodies because it is giving them an unfair establishment.
So I don't believe the 1st amendment in itself give them special taxation rights. As satori says - it is somewhere else?
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