The IRS denied tax-exempt status to a Texas Christian non-profit last month. The IRS argued it was not eligible for 501(3) status in part because "Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the Republican party and candidates" Christians Engaged, an organization dedicated to educate and empower Christians to pray for the nation and elected officials, vote, and be civically engaged.
Interesting how nearly all of these “news” sources couch the IRS denial as an infringement or affront to Christian meddling in politics, the very thing that infringes on the establishment clause of the First Amendment. The value expressed by the Framers when separating church and state through the formation of a secular government and drafting a godless Constitution is not shared by today’s Republican Party.
A conservative Republican senator from a previous generation had this to say:
“I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism.'"
But Dixiecrats - those political preachers who told him he "must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D'" - switched parties in part by Goldwater's and Nixon's efforts through their Southern Strategy and now the party claiming to be of Lincoln is dominated by Southern Dixiecrat thinking. Southern Democrats became Republicans but didn't adopt traditional Republican values. They retained their Dixiecrat values and now dominate the party.
@RussRAB indeed! Goldwater and Nixon courted the Dixiecrats who felt abandoned by LBJ, due to Civil Rights legislation. And by the time Reagan ran for president, the GOP could count on southern white evangelical voters following Falwell’s “Moral Majority” endorsement of his candidacy over a conservative Southern Baptist sitting president.
The abandonment of Jimmy Carter by evangelicals was a harbinger of what we have today. Race has always played an underlying role, as the GOP has capitalized on fear and bigotry. But as much as I loathe racism and segregation, I despise the inculcation of religion in politics. And the Republican party today, rather than following the traditions of the past where church and state were strictly separated, literally welcomes religious meddling!
Lets hope this is just a start. The IRS needs to take a critical look at the Catholic Bishops that are telling Biden and others who support abortion to not receive communion. This oversteps the bounds of non-profit and should be taxed. Also, any church that shields pedophiles should also lose their tax exempt status. One thing that needs to be done immediately is to quite looking the other way when these religious groups fail to submit their 990 forms.
One problem, though religious groups are under 501 (c ) 4 which is a different category. [smallbusiness.chron.com]
That is a good start!!!!
Time to eliminate any Tax exemption on any religious individuals and groups posing as churches to get tax exemption!!!
Make christianity illegal to teach as truth just like in Sweden.
Love it!
@BirdMan1 I read an article about it maybe a decade ago. We put fucking men on the moon about half a century ago. This is no place for bronze age myths. Know how the KKK went around when slavery was abolished to make Black people think they were ghosts? Know the fact that we still keep people of color ignorant? We are doing the same shit to white people too. The xtians need to stop going to spread the word of jeebus to third world countries and it's brainwashing bullshit. There are still hunter-gathers in this world. They have no concept of an afterlife. They know the answer. The true answer. If them never hearing of god or gods, then what better proof that there is none? This will prevent violence, and in some cases severe trauma to those who find out it is false.
Christian churches backing political candidates NEED their tax exempt status removed.
That's the deal, that was always the deal, they broke the deal.
It's well past time for ALL tax exemptions for ALL "churches" and "faith based nonprofit groups" to be revoked.
While they're at it, charge them all retroactively for the taxes they SHOULD have been paying.
Hopefully, it'll bankrupt most of them out of existence.
Tax all of them especially the churches, then we can have a viable national health plan.
Holy Cow, with that kind of money we could have un8versal excellent health care, all new schools & equipment for them, and make a major dent in the infrastructure too!
@AnneWimsey And more! Imagine if we restored the corporate tax rate to the level 5 years ago and closed the tax loopholes for corporations. Wallyworld and others shouldn't be getting a free ride.