Churches to defy IRS on sermons

Nothing like craming their slanted religious cult views on others through an inappropriate forum. Millions of people in history were killed over combined church&state practices. We need to take away their no-tax status formally, then prosecute/incarcerate them for tax evasion as we would any other violator.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ” It's clear.

You think that the union of church and state has lead to the murder of millions TyinPS? Really? Well I guess that depends on your definition of church and whether it’s a gathering of Christians or something else entirely. Let us look at the (rough) numbers. 70 million killed under the PRC in China 60 million killed under the USSR in Russia 20 million killed under the NSDAP in Germany 6 million killed under the Empire of Japan These aren’t war dead either. This is the number of killings of the civilian population under the control of the respective regimes. Last I checked none of them were Christian in nature. Sure, the Christians have to live down the Spanish Inquisition with its 1,200 murdered over about 150 years as well as the Crusades that were launched in answer to the violent expansion of Islam (Yes I know that Christians were the target of some of the Crusades too, but that isn’t the point right now). None the less, murder was been committed in the name of Christianity and that is truly a horrible thing but do you really think that Christians voicing their support for a political candidate is going to lead to the mass murder of millions? I, for one, am much more afraid of the secular humanists getting together as their actions throughout history have been by far deadlier than any Christian regime that is known.

acrostoa: Thank you...your analysis is spot on...worldwide, "non-religious", Communist and Socialist regimes have killed more people than just about anything, excluding maybe malaria! Liberals hate to get hit with the facts.

Why can Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton go to black churches and preach politics and nothing happens to those churches? Just asking.

I like what my favorite song writer (Rich Mullins) had to say about it: "The Church of God she will not bend her knee to the gods of this world although they promise her peace" The gates of hell -- nor the IRS -- shall not prevail against her. Maranatha!

The IRS had best understand the true meaning of the first ammendment. The people have the right to speek what they think. From the pulpit or anywhere else. HW

truthspeaker...who owns those stations? think its people who make more than 250K a year, who pay little taxes overall and do not want to carry their fair share. acrUstYeah..think you need to go back to ancient times not just the 20th century before they whipped the christ thing on them, brought disease and destroyed some incredible cultures. Early spiritual beliefs and practices made a lot more sense. Add those murders to your list, not to mention those Pallins who kill animals for sport. PRO LIFE?..Right hypocrits Hey, how about that evangelist from Arkansas just arrested for taking young girls across state lines and molesting them. Christians,and those of other other cults..are doing more now to show ugliness, discrimination and hatred to those who do not believe in their religious nonsense. Ya know, come to think of it, the wierdest sex I have ever experienced was from people who were clerics. Some connection..me thinks. Seems a lot of them in the news..oh lord, I have sinned (tear, tear) ..ha ha Let the hypocrits speak..but require them to pay taxes..you can't have it both ways...no pun intended

Then tax the hell out of them.

Once again, hyperbole from the hands of people with an unfounded problem with people of faith. Seems that is all that you have (well, there are the insults as well). For all of the "hate speech" that is attributed to Christians, I really don't see much when I read the comments written in the average comment or blog from identifiable Christians. Seems to me that the real bile and vicious speech comes from the religion haters. You don't like what is said, then don't go to listen to or read it. My taxes support your free speech, how about accepting that yours should support mine? Here's a question for you, which single identified population in the US contributes more per person in terms of time and money to charitable, non-sectarian causes such as disaster relief? Fair share of taxes? When less than 10% of the US population pay over 90% of the taxes, it is hard to see how the facts support the leftist speaking points. But just as claiming that millions died because of "combined church/state practices", let's not let the data get in the way of an inflammatory claim. Do organizations like moveon.org pay taxes? How about the DNC or RNC? When they have to pay taxes on their revenues because they make specific political endorsements, then perhaps I'll buy the argument for taxing churches, which in fact would be a double tax on the people who attend them.

So Ozark, Pro-Choice folks should be allowed to practice Pro-Choice beliefs and live THEIR lives accordingly, and Pro-Life theirs. Neither should force their way on the other. Those who do not support gay marriage should not marry those of the same sex; those who believe in it should be able to marry. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and those old time religious cults should and do whatever silly things they do to themselves; and those who don't should not have to live within the confines of those who try to instill their religious nonsense into goovernment to control laws effecting non-believers lives. It is YOUR religion, NOT mine. WHAT THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT DOES NOT SEEM TO SOMEHOW REALIZE IS THAT THEY WANT THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, BUT DO NOT WANT THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH THEM TO HAVE THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS. Biting? YES ..as it should be when you have Hitler-type mandated control placed on those who don't buy the cuz-Christ-says-so stupidity. People will rebel and become vocal. Women, African-Americans and those disenfranchised did not put up with it in history either...why??? because it is unfair and wrong.

Listening to C-Span2 the other day, one of the Senate speakers (I'm having a Senior's moment on the name)spoke at great length about registered, tax exempt organizations which ostensibly exist to promote environmental issues, but contribute large amounts of money to political campaigns and also publicly endorse candidates for office, including local, state and national. If they are tax exempt and may engage in political endorsements, why cannot churches, especially from the pulpit? It is a matter of equanimity under th law. The Constitution guarantees that the US government will not abrogate the right of freedom to worship and freedom of speech. So how does 'separation of church and state' figure when that is merely a 20th century interpretation of the Constitution! In point of fact,many ministers will not endorse any one candidate over another from the pulpit simply because they take the pastoral point of view that preaching should be words of hope, encouragement, exhortation and comfort. Thus many will preach principles rather than personalities.

Yeah, switch the word Christian to Taliban and look at what you are doing. Please consider too that not all of us believe in this jesus person, if he ever existed, or that the bible, which some of us see as nothing more than a book of writings selected ONLY from men's scriblings and interpreted by monks according to their translations and beliefs. You can believe it but some of us don't. Nice stories but please keep it in your church as it does no good to us and the rest of the non-christian world dragging all that prurient interest into national politics to deny other peoples rights. It just creates a deeper wedge and just makes you look silly. Try doing a paradigm shift --be Muslim, gay, or Wicca and see how you feel being in a group that has to endure the "other" guys religion that is trying to steer your government and deny your freedom and civil rights. That was how Hitler started.

The problem that all of the negative bloggers have with this issue is that they know that when God's people get involved with politics, we will elect someone that will put a halt on their socialist progression. These bloggers know that the people that will hear these pastors are members of the congregation and agree with what is being taught. If they did not agree, they would not be members;(just like Obama agreed with Rev Wright) therefore, no one is being forced to hear something that they do not agree with. It is not the Chritians who have taken this country down in the sewage, it is the Democratics and their socialist views. The Christians are not responsible for the 40 million babies that have murdered through abortions, it is the Democratic party. If this country would abide by the teachings of the Bible (God's Word), there would be no need for an abortion. Christians are commanded in God's Word to elect leaders that while adhere to God's teaching. Yes pastors should defy the IRS and tell their members who to vote for and who note to vote for and why!

Isn't it interesting that the goal of liberal Lyndon Johnson was to attack, by means of a law, those who would oppose him. And, in the result was a banning of all law abiding churches to have their say. I think Lyndon's actions were supported intentionally by the liberals of that time. They knew their objective -- although seemingly hidden. But, that rationale is not valid any more. It used to be that a policeman could shot at anyone and anytime; even in a crowd of people. No more. And so, for the aimless shots (the laws that prohibit churches and others from exercising their right to free speech -- as guaranteed to them by our Constitution) that aim at everyone; no more. The laws that prohibit free speech anywhere, with due responsibility of what is said, can no longer be valid. God bless those fight the good fight against hidden and tolerated suppression of American rights. Vote McCain+Palin 2008!