ClydeR
09-28-2008, 04:24 PM
Today was the day for the pulpit initiative.
About 30 ministers across the U.S. plan to protest federal tax laws Sunday by endorsing a presidential candidate from their pulpits, in a move orchestrated by a conservative legal-advocacy group.
The Alliance Defense Fund, of Scottsdale, Ariz., hopes that at least one sermon will prod the Internal Revenue Service to take action, sparking a court fight over a law that bars nonprofits from partisan political activity. Alliance and several ministers taking part in the protest insist that the law is unconstitutional and believe they would prevail in a court battle.
The Rev. Gus Booth, pastor of Warroad Community Church in Warroad, Minn., is considering making "just a straight endorsement of John McCain" on Sunday. A Minnesota delegate to the Republican National Convention, Mr. Booth told his congregation in a sermon in May not to vote for Sen. Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton because of their stand on abortion. He then challenged a secularist group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, to complain to the IRS about his partisan activity, which it did. Mr. Booth wouldn't comment on whether he has been contacted by the IRS in that matter.
"Every election I say...'This is who I'm voting for. This is who I think you should vote for,' " said Mr. Booth, who preaches to about 150 people each Sunday. "As pastors, we tell people who you can have sex with -- only your spouse. If we can tell people what to do in the bedroom, we can certainly tell them what to do in the voting booth."
Since the current law is pretty clearly unconstitutional, I think the President should set a precedent by ordering the IRS not to take any action against the churches.
About 30 ministers across the U.S. plan to protest federal tax laws Sunday by endorsing a presidential candidate from their pulpits, in a move orchestrated by a conservative legal-advocacy group.
The Alliance Defense Fund, of Scottsdale, Ariz., hopes that at least one sermon will prod the Internal Revenue Service to take action, sparking a court fight over a law that bars nonprofits from partisan political activity. Alliance and several ministers taking part in the protest insist that the law is unconstitutional and believe they would prevail in a court battle.
The Rev. Gus Booth, pastor of Warroad Community Church in Warroad, Minn., is considering making "just a straight endorsement of John McCain" on Sunday. A Minnesota delegate to the Republican National Convention, Mr. Booth told his congregation in a sermon in May not to vote for Sen. Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton because of their stand on abortion. He then challenged a secularist group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, to complain to the IRS about his partisan activity, which it did. Mr. Booth wouldn't comment on whether he has been contacted by the IRS in that matter.
"Every election I say...'This is who I'm voting for. This is who I think you should vote for,' " said Mr. Booth, who preaches to about 150 people each Sunday. "As pastors, we tell people who you can have sex with -- only your spouse. If we can tell people what to do in the bedroom, we can certainly tell them what to do in the voting booth."
Since the current law is pretty clearly unconstitutional, I think the President should set a precedent by ordering the IRS not to take any action against the churches.