City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons

You are correct - in order for these institutions to maintain their tax exempt status under IRC 501(c)(3), they must remain apolitical.

 

That's not the issue here. IF it were....then ALL the churches that Al Gore and Hillary Clinton and other liberals go into to get votes just before elections would have taken them down already.

What this is about is the U.S. Constitution.....free speech and freedom of religion. And I am really, really surprised that no Democrat in this thread seems to be speaking out against what this Houston Mayor is doing. That is scary!!

 

How do you share beliefs and not discuss politics?

 

As an outsider I understand you do not know how our constitution and freedoms work.

 

Hmm......good point. The next thing you know, the Mayor and others LIKE her will be demanding copies of everything we say here on PF and elsewhere. And they'll be doing it for purposes of trying to shut us up.

Wonder how Dems will feel then? Will they be silent and defend someone like this Mayor if it becomes about them?

 

You don't know much about free speech then do you? You should probably reread the first amendment and do a little research as to what it means. The city has not passed any law abridging that right. The preachers can shout to the heavens all they want about the evils of gays. Nobody has said they can't. If the government has, point it out. Otherwise, educate yourself.

Btw, they can and may attend any future services. The pastors may well behave there. It's the past ones that were not attended that the city is interested in.

 

So you are saying anyone in a government facility cannot have free speech because they pay no taxes? Does that apply to the President?

 

He claimed it was his atheism that enabled him to murder people. The Koran is all about murder, genocide, extortion, and implementing a caliphate, and not even remotely comparable to Christianity. Don't be stupid, pastors and churches have every right to express theological and moral views any time and anywhere they please.

 

You're still trying to divert from the topic at hand. Here is the pertinent IRS code. Read it yourself.

Regulation 1.501(c)(3)-1(c)(3)(iii). Churches can violate the campaigning ban through the written or spoken word.

 

Come on JP both sides have their sheeple. Don't you remember the preacher in Florida tossing people out of his Church who wouldn't vote for Bush?

The fact is they want it both ways. They want the tax exempt status and they want to campaign/finance for or against particular candidates. They are free to do anything they want politically. If they want to endorse a political party and their candidates then they need to relinquish their tax exempt status and nobody is stopping them from doing that. Or they can stay with the issues that effect their friends, families, and neighborhoods without endorsing or attacking the candidates and they are still in the money. If they can't or won't play the game this is more about the money than anything else IMO.

This is something together all different sounds like. If they are standing up for their beliefs and discussing issues that concern the community, that is one thing, but if they are endorsing/promoting, or attacking a candidate they have crossed the line as far as their tax exempt status goes. They know this. The problem is it has become completely subjective and hypocritical, when it shouldn't be. You only hear about it when it goes against a particular candidate who has the authority and power to retaliate, and you never hear about them using that same authority or power when it is in their best interest to ignore it.

What it shows is how morally bankrupt the two parties are, and unethically motivated they have become.

 

The "re-education camp" is your laughably hysteria-ridden description of a few hours of training on workplace law.

 

Pretty obvious don't you think? If it is in their best interest to act or ignore, that is what they will do. Same as their republican counterparts.

 

The disease is spreading.

 

That might be a valid argument IF the mayor went to court to lift their tax exemption.

Tax exempt or not anyone and everyone has every right to peacefully involve themselves and speak about political issues.

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Government has no right or authority to interest itself in anything people discuss

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WHich the government has no business in questioning.

 

I don't support all the perks churches have gotten away with for years. Their "special status" (that's a term the bigots use frequently, so they must be familiar with what it means). Specifically, their ability to skirt their tax exempt status by becoming involved in campaigning. It's forbidden to do so and retain that status. And it has nothing to do with their religious or speech rights. It has everything to do with their tax status. Don't wish to retain the handouts from government? Great, go for it! Want to keep the free stuff government allows you to have? Then play by the rules. And here is the rule in the IRC: Regulation 1.501(c)(3)-1(c)(3)(iii). Churches can violate the campaigning ban through the written or spoken word.

Hello free speech and religion. Bye-bye tax exemption.

Not all that difficult, is it?

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Another absurd and fictional response

 

Their words were never in the dark but always expressed in the light of public scrutiny.

A subpeona is not exposing something to the light a subpeona is an instrument of force demanding compliance which is a horse of a different shade.

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First amendment rights are not contigent upon paying taxes.

Try again

 

Real slippery slope here that can, one day, come back and bite those agreeing with Houston demands in the arse.

 

You're wrong there. It has every authority to determine whether you are adhering to certain caveats attached to your tax exempt status.

You are correct on the other statement. But everyone does not have a right to tax exemption, do they? Gotta play by the rules for that, pal!

 

You're just trying to ignore the same from your own side.

 

Ignore what? That the churches are likely involved in campaigning and attempting to influence legislation while still maintaining their special status? They know the rules. They just have to learn to play by them

 

and you have just demonstrated that anytime government gets involved equates to the lose of freedom. so big government liberal agenda is lose of freedoms and liberty

 

Talking about politics in church is not against any law or tax-exempt status.

The only way they are "involved" in politics is by being forced to hand over the things they discuss in private.



The separation of church and state is just another right the left want trampled.
Added to the First Amendment itself.


.

 

they pay income taxes, where did you get that gov employees paid no taxes?

but the gov should not be endorsing any one religion over another
.

 

It's crazy how militant and intolerant those gay bullies get.

What's crazier is all the Christian-hating left that are ok with this trashing of the Bill of Rights.


In fact this is a two-fer. Freedom of Speech and Sep. of Church and State.... in one fell swoop.


As the liberals applaud and wipe the drool from their chins.

 

and Americans said they had a God given right to own slaves, they tried to convert or kill the Indians... and long before that they burned witches, tortured non-believes... their history is not pretty either

if they do it on behalf of the church they can lose their tax credit

but off duty outside of the church, they can say what ever they want

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