1,500 Pastors Defy IRS Ban on Preaching Politics

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: NavyDoc

Well thanks, but ... you and I were talking specifically to each other about this particular subject ... so how does the 'broader picture' fit in with something I haven't stated?

The broader picture is quite obvious--that people have no problem with violations of the rules if they agree with said violation and those who do that violation. For some people, Unions and Planned Parenthood, mentioned only because they are the sacred cows of the left ,could do the exact and have done the exact things, even worse with union violence, but soundly ignored. Hypocrisy abounds and will abound and will never change as long as the rules are myriad and subject to interpretation

a reply to: windword


Oh, you mean like THESE?

A quick review of just eight of those leftist, tax-exempt activist groups demonstrates the IRS's hypocrisy. Americans United for Change Americans United for Change enjoys 501(c)4 tax-exempt status. The organization exists, according to its own website, “to amplify the progressive message--to contribute to a grass roots groundswell for progressive policies. Progressives need to redefine ‘common sense’--by reasserting the primacy of the traditional progressive values that resonate with most Americans.” The group spent $4.7 million in 2009 “redefining” common sense and, according to their IRS form 990, on “advocacy and education about public policy issues.” Americans United for Change directly engaged Republican senators facing reelection in 2008, running television advertisements against them. Naturally, no Democrat complained. Nor did the IRS revoke its 501(c) status. Ruckus Society The Ruckus Society (photo above) is part of the Occupy Movement--and donations to this 501(c)3 organization are tax deductible. The George Soros-funded organization’s purpose reads like a parody of the modern Left. The Ruckus Society provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training, and support needed to achieve their goals through the strategic use of creative, nonviolent direct action. Ruckus also evidently organizes criminal trespass: The Brass Liberation Orchestra accompanied a second round of the “I Will Survive…Capitalism” flashmob before leading the crowd of over 1,000 people onto the Bank of America, and deployed a giant balloon banner with our friends at [Rainforest Action Network] reading “Defend Human Dignity: Challenge Corporate Power”...The day of course culminated in the truly mass marches to the Port of Oakland to shut down all operations at the Ports for the night. Some reports say 50,000 people marched and danced the three miles to the ports from Camp, and it was truly an unforgettable experience, marching in a sea of thousands at sunset. None of this seems to attract any IRS attention. Ruckus's 2011 IRS Form 990 indicates that it has maintained undisturbed 501(c)3 status. The form states Ruckus “provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training and support needed to achieve their goals.” The Ruckus training offers the manual “Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution” and provides suggestions for direct action such as “take over intersections and use for community activities,” give “fake parking tickets on SUV’s,” “Occupy Bank Foreclosed Homes,” and “rip out rancher’s fences” to free livestock. Planning illegal acts is incompatible with 501(c)3 status. Ruckus is run by Megan Swoboda. Women’s Action for New Directions Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) is another leftist organization funded by George Soros that engages in activity designed to transform politics and America. It dates back to the era when the KGB was funding anti-nuclear movements in the West, and was involved in the effort to block installation of Pershing II missiles in West Germany. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the organization continued to oppose America’s national defense.WAND enjoys 501(c)4 tax-exempt status. The organization also boasts a “Students Action Network for New Directions” that encourages leftist students “to become politically active, to vote, and to network with other WAND members.” Despite the overt political mission and anti-defense militancy, the 990 Forms submitted by WAND to the IRS whitewash their mission in one short sentence: "Empowering women to stop violence through the legislature." New World Foundation The New World Foundation, like so many others, uses the money from industrialists who built America to help reduce America. Cyrus McCormick’s daughter formed the NWF to help transform the world, starting with America. The foundation enjoys 501(c)3 tax exempt status and exists, according to its IRS Form 990, to support “community activists across America and around the world.” The IRS Form 990 also states that the NWF seek to “build stronger alliances for social justice, environmental justice...while encouraging democratic participation to achieve real and lasting [sic].” The form details the mission of “mobilizing of the least enfranchised in working class and people of color communities.” In 2010, NWF spent over $15 million. It funnels money to a variety of activist leftist groups like the Coal River Mountain Watch, Colorado Progressive Action and National Peoples Action. Fierce Fierce is a New York-based organization that employs the Saul Alinsky organizing model toward activist gay issues. Its website unapologetically proclaims that it is “building the leadership and power of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color,” and “We develop politically conscious leaders.” Looking toward the future, as always, “FIERCE is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of social justice movement leaders who are dedicated to ending all forms of oppression.” This unapologetic political mission is also included in the IRS Form 990 submitted by Fierce, so it should not surprise the IRS. Fierce also provides a chart showing its organizing model is dedicated first to “Build our Power,” then “Exercise our Power,” and finally “Sustain our Power.” Fierce! has 501(c)3 status, making contributions to the overtly political organization tax deductible. Last tax year it spent $529,713 on stipends for activists, travel and other expenses. Black Alliance for Just Immigration The Black Alliance for Just Immigration enjoys 501(c)3 status. The organization “advocates for administrative changes to visa, detention and deportation regulations” according to the IRS Form 990 it filed with the IRS. For whom does it advocate these changes? The Black Alliance webpage states: Historically and currently, U.S. immigration policy has been infused with racism, enforcing unequal and punitive standards for immigrants of color. African Americans, with our history of being economically exploited, marginalized and discriminated against, have much in common with people of color who migrate to the United States, documented and undocumented. Executive Director Gerald Lenoir told me by telephone that the IRS has never questioned the tax status of the organization. After providing this information, Mr. Lenoir also asked: “is Breitbart a progressive news publication?” Brennan Center for Justice Few organizations have worn nonpartisan sheep’s clothing while behaving like a partisan wolf better than the Brennan Center for Justice. Enjoying 501(c)3 status, the Brennan Center’s stated mission on its IRS Form 990 barely scratches the surface. They merely “focus on fundamental issues of democracy and justice,” they claim. The Brennan Center also told the IRS that it is engaged in “the study and solving of intractable problems of social justice and implementing those solutions by coordinating strategies.” What Brennan didn’t tell the IRS was that those “coordinating strategies” involved bare-knuckle attacks on election integrity laws around the country. The IRS probably doesn’t know that Brennan is hip deep in the effort to derail public policies such as photo voter identification laws. Both the effort and the results of the effort are bathed in politics. Brennan’s executive director Michael Waldman isn’t above publishing outright falsehoods or phony social science data about election integrity measures in order to advance the group's agenda and enable voter fraud. Voto Latino Voto Latino is dedicated to mobilizing Hispanic voters into powerful political coalitions. It also enjoys 501(c)3tax exempt status. The group holds an annual “Power Summit.” The April 2013 Power Summit included panels entitled “Activism Everyday--I’m Hustling,” “We Voted, Now What?,” “How to Run for Office,” and “Field Operations for Beginners.” Voto Latino also has a webpage dedicated to the 2012 Democratic National Convention (click while it still exists). Some on the left are defending the IRS attacks on the Tea Party by falsely claiming the Tea Party is a political organization. These charges sound like projection when considering the descriptions of Voto Latino on itsown webpage: “We firmly believe that the quality of our future depends on our ability to mobilize and vote....Texas and Florida, two states with the largest Latino populations, passed restrictive voting laws that intimidate people from going to the polls. There's never been a more pivotal time for us to flex our collective power and move our country forward. Despite our economic difficulties and educational needs, Latinos profoundly believe in America....The quality of our future depends on our ability to mobilize today.” When contacted, a representative at Voto Latino told me its IRS 501(c)3 tax status had never been challenged. Voto Latino receives money from the Soros-affiliated Open Society Foundations. These are a mere eight groups dedicated to activist political outcomes. Many, many more exist. Under the law, anyone can demand a copy of the IRS 990 form filed by a tax-exempt organization. All you need to do is pick up the phone and call whatever leftist organization you wish and demand its “IRS 990 form.” If they don’t send it, call the IRS.

www.breitbart.com...

originally posted by: NavyDoc

originally posted by: Tangerine

originally posted by: NavyDoc

originally posted by: Logarock

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: Hefficide

Has politics become the new "church"?

Modern day political theory is the political church. Made and funded by a people that are no longer "jealous for their rights". Their priests are the new robber barons, their prophets prophesy for gold and their seminaries dot the land like a fast food chain that produced debt and ignorance tossed up from the bowels of its visionaries.

Wow. That had almost a C. S. Lewis ring to it.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”

And that is a valid point. Some of my atheist brethren and sisteren have really just replaced their former religion with a new religion of statist politically correctism with a strict ideology, a cannon of beliefs and positions you MUST hold, and an intolerance of views that go outside that strict cannon.

Note that a single direct question of whether or not leftist politically active groups should also lose their taxpayer exempt status for doing the same thing was dodged every single time. Not a single personal opinion was given. Certainly the tax code was quoted multiple times, but not a single opinion was given. I wonder what said people will be saying the next time we discuss a corporation using the tax code to hide money offshore given this. Will they be consistent or will they opine that this "loophole" should be stripped from corporations?

I'll give an opinion: Any organization with 501(3)(C) tax exempt status that engages in political activities should lose its tax exempt status, period.

You are misusing the word religion and making it meaningless. Religion is the performance of ritual on behalf of or in obeyance to a supernatural deity or deities. Ascribing other definitions to it makes the word meaningless. Besides, we're talking about churches not religion, per se.

That would include Planned Parenthood, although they have a (4)(c) arm as a loophole. You willing to apply the same standard? The unions?

I already stated my position quite clearly.

originally posted by: infolurker

The best way to ensure that no one will read a long-winded rant is to post it in a thousand-word block of print with no paragraphs. Thank you for doing so.

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: Hefficide

Has politics become the new "church"?

And a ridiculously sweet carrot cake for desert, Beez.

Think about the whole construct of a belief system...
total faith in something (or of course Somebody)
based on what's legally called a fiction. Unproven or
physically unsubstantiated.

There's the thing we call government, another totally
substance-less construct and legal fiction, except for
its physical force of the government's collective will.

Take away the force of arms and the force of unjust
law will collapse on itself. Government is the "other"
religion which requires the governed or ruled to
believe it exists at all. We let ourselves be increasingly
ruled by the will of unjust men, and you get this.

With Congress' approval rating commonly at under 10%--
halos should be long ago have been painted as horns.

originally posted by: Tangerine

originally posted by: infolurker

The best way to ensure that no one will read a long-winded rant is to post it in a thousand-word block of print with no paragraphs. Thank you for doing so.

There have been a lot of positions bantered about. Yours in particular would be?

a reply to: infolurker

I CAN'T get past that wall of text, (paragraphs are your friend, even when you're cutting and pasting) but I'm betting that it is listing organizations that have found a LEGAL way to lobby, and otherwise politicize their chosen agendas. I didn't see anything that addressed any representative of any said group "Defy(ing) IRS Ban on Preaching Politics" as the groups of pastors in the OP.

The Catholic Church hasn't had any problem organizing political action groups that conform to IRS regulations.

After all, obeying the law is in the Bible and is a part of Christianity!

Romans 13:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.

4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: beezzer

Government and religion were the same thing for most of human history.

There certainly are many who want to recombine the two; but that is anathematic to the American way.

I agree.

But I see many who would replace religion with government.

a reply to: beezzer

Hi Beez,

But I see many who would replace religion with government.

Can you explain, for me, the difference between governance and religion?

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: beezzer

Hi Beez,

But I see many who would replace religion with government.

Can you explain, for me, the difference between governance and religion?

Religion is the formal structure of faith. It provides a moral foundation for society based on the instruction of the religious focus.

Government (governance) is the formation of a series of rules/laws based upon a geographical group of individuals.

Just off the top of my head, but I hope that it answered your question.

a reply to: NavyDoc

You know, you seem really brilliant to me sometimes, and then at others ...

You always seem to fall back onto this "the left does this/the progressives are that" scenario. I've told myself in the past that you're using these terms much like I do ... as temporary placeholders in a discussion. But then, you actually seem to believe in these woefully inadequate and inaccurate generalizations that have little to nothing to do with the real political powers that move this country and the world.

Unions were little more than fetishes put in place to give workers a false sense of power and security, at a time when the economic machine still "needed" workers.

And Planned Parenthood? It's a double-headed shibboleth to give hope to "one side" and hate to "the other."

And really, do you know any human beings who are not duplicitous and self-serving to the core as long as they think no one is watching?

I hope you do not believe in this false dichotomy you so often hold up. That would actually make me rather sad.

originally posted by: beezzer

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: beezzer

Government and religion were the same thing for most of human history.

There certainly are many who want to recombine the two; but that is anathematic to the American way.

I agree.

But I see many who would replace religion with government.

I don't disagree.

But I see many who would replace government with religion.

That doesn't make me sleep any better at night; how about you?

originally posted by: Gryphon66

originally posted by: beezzer

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: beezzer

Government and religion were the same thing for most of human history.

There certainly are many who want to recombine the two; but that is anathematic to the American way.

I agree.

But I see many who would replace religion with government.

I don't disagree.

But I see many who would replace government with religion.

That doesn't make me sleep any better at night; how about you?

Hell, I don't always agree with MY religion, so no.

I would not like it.

a reply to: beezzer

Fair enough.

I enjoy it when you're direct and honest, even when I don't agree with you.

a reply to: beezzer

Religion is the formal structure of faith. It provides a moral foundation for society based on the instruction of the religious focus.

Faith has many meanings, not all of which relate to a supreme being or some supernatural "person" or "entity"asking to be obeyed and/or worshiped as a god.

Government (governance) is the formation of a series of rules/laws based upon a geographical group of individuals.

Since many faiths can, and should be able to live peacefully within geographical boundaries, and, government should protect all individual rights within the confines of it's governance, not just the rights of certain faiths, would you agree that government should take no sides, whatsoever, when it comes to faith?

originally posted by: windword

Since many faiths can, and should be able to live peacefully within geographical boundaries, and, government should protect all individual rights within the confines of it's governance, not just the rights of certain faiths, would you agree that government should take no sides, whatsoever, when it comes to faith?

Of course.

I wasn't aware that I even remotely suggested that.

a reply to: beezzer

You and I are so far apart, I'm just looking for common ground..........

I don't think any of us are "that far apart" actually.

I think we've all been culturally programmed with various betes noires that invoke our defensive reactions, thus ... 95% or so of ATS.

I actually think we all just want a peaceful, reasonable life for ourselves and our families.

That's both the carrot and the stick.

originally posted by: Chronogoblin

originally posted by: SomePeople

Why the hell shouldn't it be about the money?

...I almost have no words. I want to rant, and rave, and punch you in the face for saying that. If I, or anyone else in this World has to explain it to you, then you, Sir/Madam, have FAILED as a human being.

Um, this whole conversation is about money and how cults have a special wanky status just to shut them the # up - which baffles me since not that long ago the main one in my country was burning people who disagreed with them so punch away. I punch back.

Just passing by...but it seems to me that the churches will try to make the government out to be the "bad guy" in all this, and to some extent, I don't disagree,...HOWEVER, they ought really to point the fingers back at themselves, if they are 501C3, and ask just what they have given up in return for a little "filthy lucre"!

If they want to really stand apart and appear to be more than just a glorified social club, they ought to examine the strings attached to their exemption status and go from there.

hushmoney.org...