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Author
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Topic: IRS Warns Churches to Avoid Campaigning
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WKUHilltopper
Advanced Member
Member # 5472
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posted
quote:
Originally posted by TEXASGRANDMA:
The IRS doesn't complain about the Democrates speaking in Churches before every election. Nor do they have a problem with these preachers who are pushing the gay agenda.
betty
You're exactly right.
Posts: 259 | From: KY | Registered: Feb 2006
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TEXASGRANDMA
Advanced Member
Member # 847
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posted
The IRS doesn't complain about the Democrates speaking in Churches before every election. Nor do they have a problem with these preachers who are pushing the gay agenda.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/mm (son-in-law)http://www.myspace.com/mireles
Posts: 4985 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jan 2003
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WKUHilltopper
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posted
Well...you can't speak your mind if you're tax exempt, eh? Well, why doesn't the IRS hammer the ACLU. They're tax exempt!
Posts: 259 | From: KY | Registered: Feb 2006
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TEXASGRANDMA
Advanced Member
Member # 847
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posted
David,
I know what you say is true. Yet, I have known to Churches where the Pastors out of their love for God worked a full time job, and took no salary from the Church in order for the Church to have time to grow. Yes, the Churches did grow and yes God provided. It would have been so much harder though if there had been no tax exempt.
I am glad that God has allowed the Churches to grow so that the Pastors no longer have to work. It is hard for the Pastor and the Church when the Pastor has to have an outside job.
None of us know what the future holds and unless the rapture takes place first things could get very bad.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/mm (son-in-law)http://www.myspace.com/mireles
Posts: 4985 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jan 2003
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KnowHim
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Member # 1
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posted
No true church body will be hurt as God will take care of them because they depend on Him and not on the goverment.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? - Matthew 6:25
Those who are in it for the mighty dollar SHOULD worry as there is more at stake then not being tax exempt.
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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TEXASGRANDMA
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Member # 847
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posted
Politicans only like the Church when they can use the Church to get themselves elected.
I do belive that there are so called churches who abuse the tax exempt, but the Churches who will be hurt the most are the little tiny Churches in small towns.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/mm (son-in-law)http://www.myspace.com/mireles
Posts: 4985 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jan 2003
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ahar
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Member # 5810
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posted
Interesting difference with the UK is that a charity organisation (such as a church) can have tax exempt status and campaign politically - Oxfam or Christian Aid are good examples.
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Cheers
Andy
Posts: 290 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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KnowHim
Admin
Member # 1
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posted
Most churches in America have organized as "501c3 tax-exempt religious organizations." This is a fairly recent trend that has only been going on for about fifty years. Churches were only added to section 501c3 of the tax code in 1954. We can thank Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson for that. Johnson was no ally of the church. As part of his political agenda, Johnson had it in mind to silence the church and eliminate the significant influence the church had always had on shaping "public policy."
http://hushmoney.org/501c3-facts.htm
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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KnowHim
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Member # 1
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posted
quote:
Originally posted by MentorsRiddle:
What I am upset about is the reason they are going to try to make the church non tax exempt. They are going to try because it will shut up certain churches from stating their opinion.
May be this will be a good thing as it will then be easy to tell who is in it for the money and who is in it to server God. The ones that are in it for the money will keep their tax exempt status and follow man, the ones that are true follower of Jesus Christ will forget about being tax exempt. I think the tax exempt mega TV false gospel evangelists are getting away with robbing the goverment and that is just plain wrong.
Is there a remedy? Yes! The church can be re-empowered and regain the former glory and influence she once knew in America. But in order to do so the church must stop acting as an underling, as a subordinate, as a dependent, of the State. The church must cease asking for State favors.
Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. (3 John 1:7)
“A more certain way to attack religion is by favor, by the comforts of life, by the hope of wealth; not by what reminds one of it, but by what makes one forget it; not by what makes one indignant, but by what makes men lukewarm, when other passions act on our souls, and those which religion inspires are silent. In the matter of changing religion, State favors are stronger than penalties.”
The Spirit of the Laws, Baron de Montesquieu (1748)
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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TEXASGRANDMA
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Member # 847
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posted
One thing to add, these were not Church members. I agree no Church member should ever go hungry. We also did not mind feeing our clients, either. I just think the government should not be talking about taking away the tax exempt when they admit they depend on Churches to take up the ball they dropped. We had alot of homeless clients. When you meet these folks you soon realize not to judge homeless people. I am not talking about people who put up signs for money on the side of the road. I am talking about people who are really homeless and are grateful for anything that we gave them to eat.
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/mm (son-in-law)http://www.myspace.com/mireles
Posts: 4985 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jan 2003
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helpforhomeschoolers
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Member # 15
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posted
I think that the church absolutely should be feeding the poor in the church and the elderly in the church, and the widows in the church, that are needy so that no church member should ever have to look to the government to care for the needy in the church.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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TEXASGRANDMA
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Member # 847
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posted
I think Churches should be tax exempt. Churches support many charities. When I was a volunteer for the food ministry, we had someone from the government come and give a speeech about how they "Expected" us to take over in feeding people who had lost their welfare and food stamps. The food ministy I worked for was ran by over 10 Churches. We had many senior citizen who would have gone hungry if we had not gave them food to tie them over each month.
I have no doubt Churches will one day lose this benefit but until then Churches should take adavantage of it.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/mm (son-in-law)http://www.myspace.com/mireles
Posts: 4985 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jan 2003
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
Who is yelling? YELLING LOOKS LIKE THIS IN CYBERSPACE I ALMOST NEVER YELL IN CYBERSPACE OR OUT OF CYBERSPACE.
Why is a post negative when it does not agree with another post? Who placed words in your mouth? No one quoted you and you did not write the article did you?
Here is the only thing that you have said that I saw as being your opinion...
quote:
To make them non tax exempt would be a bad thing for churches. Some small churches bairly get by as it is. God forbid they have to pay taxes on churches to take away even more money.
I totally disagree with that statement. That is not yelling and not negative, it is just not agreement.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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BrazilianMommy
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Member # 4787
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posted
I agree with those that said that the churches needs to pay taxes and I add: Any christian institution should NOT accept money from the governament. If the church is too poor to pay its bills , then send members to other buildings and close the doors. Meet at someone's house until there is enough money and enough reponsible members that pay the bills. Pretty radical , but if you owe someone anything they will think they can tell you what to do.
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Jesus loves you
Posts: 83 | From: United States | Registered: Jun 2005
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MentorsRiddle
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Member # 2108
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posted
um.... is there any particular reason that you are yelling at me on this thread?
I don't recall ever being anything but polite while posting this. The first comment I had was a negative post. Or atleast that is the way it came across to me.
I was not stating that we should not give the government what is theirs.
What I am upset about is the reason they are going to try to make the church non tax exempt. They are going to try because it will shut up certain churches from stating their opinion.
Again I don't see any reason to yell. You placed words in my mouth that never parted my mouth. I never said that we should not give the government what they are due. I am mad at the reason they are giving for what they are doing.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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helpforhomeschoolers
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Member # 15
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posted
Jesus said render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's. Taxes are Ceasars period!
Churches would have to think twice about buying up huge lots of land and building huge buildings of glass and stone and things earthly. But to say that a church could not pay their taxes and remain a viable entity places the health of the church on the ability of men. The church is not buildings and property and material assets... the Church is a people who are sojourner's here, and we ought live as sojourners here.
Tax exempt status binds the church to the whims of the government for whom you are in debt to that is your master!
Tax exempt status for churches is against the teachings of Jesus who said render unto ceasar!
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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MentorsRiddle
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Member # 2108
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posted
To make them non tax exempt would be a bad thing for churches. Some small churches bairly get by as it is. God forbid they have to pay taxes on churches to take away even more money.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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wparr
Advanced Member
Member # 891
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posted
I TOTALLY agree Linda.
I think they should do away with tax-exempt status for ALL orginizations.
Posts: 1203 | From: Eagle Nest, NM | Registered: Jan 2003
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
If the church would simply render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's then the IRS would not be able to dictate what the church does, and the church might have to think about how and what it spends its resources on in the first place!
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
IRS Warns Churches to Avoid Campaigning
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Internal Revenue Service has been warning churches and nonprofit organizations that improper campaigning in the upcoming political season could endanger their tax-exempt status.
In notices to more than 15,000 tax-exempt organizations, numerous church denominations and tax preparers, the agency has detailed its new enforcement program, called the Political Activity Compliance Initiative, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Under the initiative, the IRS plans to expedite investigations into claims of improper campaigning, no longer waiting for an annual tax return to be filed or the tax year to end before launching a probe. A three-member committee will make an initial review of complaints and then vote on whether to pursue the investigation in detail.
"While the vast majority of charities and churches do not engage in politicking, an increasing number did take part in prohibited activities in the 2004 election cycle," IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson said in a statement. "The rule against political campaign intervention by charities and churches is long established. We are stepping up our efforts to enforce it."
Since 2004, the IRS has investigated more than 200 organizations, including All Saints Church in Pasadena.
Two days before the 2004 presidential election, the Rev. George F. Regas, the church's former rector, delivered a guest sermon that pictured Jesus in a debate with George W. Bush and John Kerry. Although Regas didn't endorse a candidate, he said Jesus would have told Bush that his pre-emptive war policy "has led to disaster."
The church drew national attention when the Rev. Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, disclosed the IRS investigation and later said the agency believed the church had violated federal tax code barring tax-exempt organizations from intervening in political campaigns and elections.
Church leaders have not heard from the IRS since October, when the agency said the investigation was being taken to a higher level, according to Regas. The IRS has not confirmed whether the investigation is still ongoing.
Of the 62 organizations determined by the IRS to be in violation, three lost their nonprofit status and 59 received warning letters. The three who lost their status were not churches, and some of those warned were ordered to pay an excise tax.
Federal law prohibits the IRS from releasing the names of those under investigation, but the agency said it has more than 100 cases pending and 40 of them are churches.
This month, OMB Watch, a Washington-based nonprofit government watchdog group, issued a report criticizing the IRS enforcement program and said the program could prompt retaliatory and harassment complaints unless the agency develops clear guidelines.
"I don't think this is a case of bad faith," said Kay Guinane, author of the report. "I just think it's a poorly structured program."
**THOUGHTS** WHy don't they just outlaw Christianity? It would make it so much easier for them... After all we all know that is what the Government is trying to do any way... so pathetic.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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