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12/21/2007

Praise GOD/praise GOP -- where's the 501(c)3 line?

by Jeremy Hooper

The Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention have launched a new site called iVoteValues.org, on which they basically recommend that churches come as close to the line of losing their tax-exempt status as possible by taking an active role in the next election. They do everything BUT explicitly demand that churches campaign and vote for conservative candidates. Look, just check out this resource page:

(click image for full view)



News links to far right sources like The Washington Times, Fox News, and CNS (with CNN and USA Today thrown in for good measure); links to the most conservative commentary sites on the face of the planet (again, with Time and Newsweek token-ly thrown into the mix); links to "Christian perspectives," but only those ones who politically stand in opposition to gays and liberals. And all are described as "the kind of resources you need to equip your church to make an impact on your culture as the Salt of the earth and the Light of the world." Hell, we're kind of shocked they've stopped short of recommending that pastors insert "Vote GOP" after every "Amen"!

Now, they may not be overstepping any true legal bounds or encouraging churches to do so by encouraging them to utilize this new site (the law regarding 501(c)3's is murky and often unenforced on both sides). However, let's be honest here: the message on their sites is not meant to lead parishioners into the process so that they can equally weigh the merits of both Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee. There is an obvious one-party agenda at work, and there is obviously some version of campaigning going on. In this code word-laden, media-saturated, double-talking world, there are many ways to say "vote for so and so" without actually saying it. On iValuesVoters they are saying it, yet behind the veil of "values" and "family" and all of the usual suspects. And they are sending it out as a national rally cry to a network of millions upon millions of tax-exempt churches, the links of which are given skewed, Democracy-harming messages under the guise of fair and reasoned political participation.

So yea, we seriously think sites like this call into question whether the calls these kids are issuing in order to deny gays (among others) benefits and protections (or the employment of the advice) could threaten the benefits that their outlets and enterprises currently enjoy under 501(c)3 protection. Sure there is stuff like this on both sides. However, the deliberate attempt to rally the vast network of churches would seem to be a situation unique to the far right. Quite frankly, it scares the hell out of us (though not in the way they want it to)!

i Values Voters [iVV]

Your thoughts

Churches should not feel constrained from political action for fear of loosing their tax-exempt status. The Lord will provide what is needed, and the lure of tax-exemption is merely Satan's bait to keep the Church ineffective.

Posted by: ken long | Dec 22, 2007 12:16:25 AM

Oh my.

Posted by: G-A-Y | Dec 22, 2007 12:24:02 AM

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