So, when a pastor gets up in a pulpit and breaks U.S. Law to endorse a candidate, and knows he’s doing it, how can christians justify this behavior from their clergy?
How come christians aren’t listening to one of their own, who says it’s wrong to endorse from the pulpit and doesn’t do it in his own megachurch?
Where’s the outrage from the christian church goers on this one?
11 responses so far ↓
1
ollie
// Oct 5, 2008 at 6:41 am
It really isn’t against the law; they just lose their tax exempt status.
2
BJ Stone
// Oct 5, 2008 at 9:32 am
Ollie, from the story I linked:
“It’s illegal for a tax-exempt organization like a church to endorse or criticize candidates, but the boundaries aren’t always clear.”
Senator Lyndon Johnson got the law passed in 1954 that made it illegal to endorse from the pulpit. Yes, all these entities lose is their tax exempt status, but it’s because they “broke a law”.
3
Pudge
// Oct 5, 2008 at 6:36 pm
can anyone tell me why churches are tax exempt?
talk about a scam….
4
postsimian
// Oct 5, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Pudge — George Carlin had a pretty good take on it.
5
pudge
// Oct 6, 2008 at 8:35 am
I’m am very familiar with Carlin’s take on religion. What I struggle with is the church is tax exempt – WHY? if they want to stick their nose in to the govt, pay taxes like everyone else.
6
postsimian
// Oct 7, 2008 at 8:58 am
“But that would break the wall of separation between church and state,” they say. But somehow, mandatory school prayer, putting religious doctrine in courthouses and teaching creationism in science classes isn’t.
Here’s the answer: religion is an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States alone. They’ve got power and they know it–not only with their influence over their collective congregations (that’s a lot of people!), but financially. Whenever there’s that much money involved, you can bet your ass something dirty is going on behind the scenes. That’s the best answer I’ve got.
7
Bungholio
// Oct 11, 2008 at 11:11 am
Wow, you non believers sure sound scared that you might learn something. There is no separation OF church and state, there is no forced religion(by the Government), get it right revisionists……….
8
BJ Stone
// Oct 11, 2008 at 11:19 am
Bung…prove there’s a “god”. Can you? And before you answer, no, I cannot prove there isn’t. So again, just answer the question and prove there’s a “god”.
9
postsimian
// Oct 13, 2008 at 10:31 am
Bung, virtually every Constitutional scholar would disagree with you. The First Amendment clearly states it: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Got it? No laws of establishment, no prohibiting free exercise. That’s a wall of separation. Get it right, revisionist.
10
Bungholio
// Oct 19, 2008 at 3:52 pm
What are they establishing? Jeez, my 7 year old can see the government isn’t establishing shit. And isn’t that invisible wall you want, prohibiting? Come on guys what are you so afraid of?
11
postsimian
// Oct 20, 2008 at 10:23 am
I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard that question repeated. “What are you so afraid of?” must be the Christian equivalent of Scientology’s “What are your crimes?”
I guess putting the Christian ten commandments in courthouses doesn’t affect an establishment of religion, BJ. Neither does teaching that the Christian god created everything, and that all science is wrong and made by the devil. What WERE we thinking?
Leave a Comment