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Christian radicals call for holy war against IRS
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by dunkelberg | September 25, 2008 at 02:09 pm
522 views | 41 Recommendations | 14 comments
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Extremist Christian radicals, backed and encouraged by an Arizona right-wing legal group, have declared a jihad against the Internal Revenue Service.
Some 35 fundamental Christian clerics will openly endorse a presidential candidate (guess who?) from the pulpit, based on their interpretation of holy scriptures.
Their endorsements represent a direct challenge to federal tax law, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations from engaging in partisan political activity.
The point of the holy war is to tick off the IRS, as though it takes all that much.
The clergy have embraced that risk, hoping their actions will trigger an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, which would then enable a Christian legal advocacy group to take the IRS to court and challenge the constitutionality of the ban.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a conservative legal group based in Arizona, recruited the pastors for "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" to press their claim that the IRS tax code violates the free speech of religious leaders.
Of course, the radical clerics are trying to hide behind he First Amendment.
"I have a First Amendment right to say whatever I want to say, and I've never thought it was appropriate that as a pastor I could not share my political concerns with the congregation," says the Rev. Gus Booth, pastor at Warroad Community Church in Warroad, Minn.
However, that is a bald-faced lie.
Nothing in the law has ever stopped any radical fundamentalist from endorsing a political candidate from the pulpit. The prohibition only comes when you want tax free status for all the money your church, temple or congregation brings into the coffers.
These Christian extremists just want to have their communion wafer and eat it too.
I am not alone in these views; they are shared by actual non-militant clergy.
For other clergy – and legal experts – this is not a question of free speech, but an act contrary to the law that could also be dangerous for religion, potentially dividing and politicizing congregations.
"This is not a free speech issue," says the Rev. Eric Williams, pastor of North Congregational United Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio. "Any person, including a pastor, can endorse a candidate as a private individual. And if a church wants to do it, it can give up its tax-exempt status."
The prohibition against partisan activity by charitable groups was enacted by Congress in 1954, and the statute has been upheld in the courts. In three cases, courts have concluded it does not violate the Constitution's free speech clause, according to Robert Tuttle, professor of law and religion at George Washington University in Washington.
In a national poll released in August, two-thirds of American adults say that churches should not come out in favor of one political candidate over another. The Pew poll shows widespread agreement, including among Republicans and white Evangelicals (both at 64 percent).
Also, under the IRS rules, clergy are free to discuss any issues of public concern in their sermons, and houses of worship can engage in nonpartisan voter-registration and civic education.
Let them have their holy war. Let these radical fundamentalists preach their hate and extremist politics.
Just make them render unto Caeser.
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 6:5-8 (King James Version)
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (14)
at 14:19 on September 25th, 2008
dunkelberg, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 14:26 on September 25th, 2008
Do you even know what a Christian really is?
at 14:55 on September 25th, 2008
Well, let's see. Christians are supposed to be for peace, love, and God because supposedly he is a loving god, so they say. This of course contradicts entire sections of the bible.
A majority of Christians through history have waged wars on gays, taxes, schools, Mexicans, Indians, the poor, "witches", Islam, countries who have oil or diamonds, pagans, herotics, Africans, drugs (except those that make them billions in the pharmeseutical industry) women's rights, Hindus, etc. etc.
Maybe it is you who is unsure as to what a Christian really is. I know some good Christians, but they are few and far between.
at 15:15 on September 25th, 2008
A Christisan is a person who believes God came in the form of a man born of a virgin, Mary, whose name is Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is God Himself come in the flesh. He was crucified by religious and government leaders. Jesus being without sin or any fault shed His own blood for the sins of the world. He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven to be seated on the right hand of God his Father.
What does that have to do with gays, taxes, schools, Mexicans, Indians, the poor, "witches", Islam, countries who have oil or diamonds, pagans, herotics, Africans, drugs?
Maybe you should read the Bible to understand what you hate.
at 22:16 on September 25th, 2008
Bill,
First of all, I have the bible down pat. I can recite it to you in Hebrew if you prefer in it's original text, not some souped up King James version. Do not presume to know the extent of my knowledge of your religion. Many of my friends went to Seminary, and I have been babtized in a Southern Baptist Church, a Presbytarian Church, an LDS church, a non denominational church, and I attended Mass often. I am familiar with other religions as well, having studied many of them. There is a very very good reason why I am not Christian. I found truth to be much more enlightening and spiritual.
Second of all, Jesus is not God. Christ himself said that he was not God, and in fact said "It is you who says that I am , it is not I." It says he is the Lord of Sabbath. That is if you believe in the bible. Jesus was a Jew. Jews did not believe in worshipping humans. So that makes you a Jew if you believed as he did, or again, it makes Christians a fuzion of beliefs from pagans and Jews and more Pagan becuse you worship him. Take your pick.
The past dictates that Christians have been just as horrible as the rest of the religions out there. So please check your ego at the door if you think Christians are better than anyone else . Crusades, Spanish Inquisitions, Salem witch trials, Indians, wars between England and Spain or France on any given year for almost 300 years, slaves, need I go on.
I do not hate the bible or Christianity. I simply see it for what it is. A book and a religion. A religion with a long past that is recorded in history books. A fairly new religion I might add to put it into context compared to some others.
My point is that Christians claim wars on everything. A few years ago it was Tinky Winky and Sponge Bob, and 2 weeks ago it was Hollywood. I am not surprised to hear that they may have declared war on the IRS. I am waiting for them to wage war on the clouds. They already did on the color black, the number 666, and on the earth being round at one time. Seriously.
at 10:08 on September 27th, 2008
The Majority?
at 15:29 on September 25th, 2008
dunkelberg, I like this story. It's good stuff. "A legal group, have declared a jihad against the Internal Revenue Service." Why not ? The average American wanted just a Home, the Others wanted to get rich. Both on the way to get poor. FED pay me back.
"
at 16:56 on September 25th, 2008
No comment!
at 17:33 on September 25th, 2008
dunkelberg, I like this story. It's good stuff. Hmm --jihad, fundamentalist, radical, cleric. Those aren't descriptions I would associate with a Christian group. Maybe they're really something else entirely.
at 18:49 on September 25th, 2008
Though we don't hear much about it, there are a number of folks, some highly qualified in the legal line, who claim there is no basis in law for the US income tax ... I know it sounds bizarre.
Here's a citation from a site which has a lot of what might be called 'alternative' viewpoints on income-tax as well as other topics of interest to American Citizens ...
Source: supremelaw.org
at 10:09 on September 27th, 2008
Once money began flowing to the government corruption followed.
at 20:56 on September 25th, 2008
dunkelberg, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 21:23 on September 25th, 2008
dunkelberg, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Great, naw we have the Christian version of the Taliban to deal with as well. We can not even be able to use their brains to make Cyborgs with them. Another 1000 years of Human evolution down the drain.
at 07:40 on September 28th, 2008
dunkelberg, I like this story. It's good stuff.