Religions > Atheism > PENNSYLVANIA CHURCHES MUST AVOID BECOMING ENTANGLED IN PARTISAN POLITICAL MACHINE,
| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
25 Mar 2006 06:12:23 AM |
| Object: |
PENNSYLVANIA CHURCHES MUST AVOID BECOMING ENTANGLED IN PARTISAN POLITICAL MACHINE, |
For Immediate Release
March 21, 2006
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Contact: Joe Conn, Rob Boston or Jeremy Leaming
http://www.au.org/site/R?i=589cSdPXOOrwbb9jeWZxQA..
PENNSYLVANIA CHURCHES MUST AVOID BECOMING ENTANGLED IN PARTISAN POLITICAL
MACHINE, SAYS AMERICANS UNITED
Under-The-Radar Organizing Drive For Incumbent Senator Rick Santorum
Jeopardizes Churches' Tax Exemption, Church-State Watchdog Group Charges
Religious leaders in Pennsylvania should be wary of a new political
organizing effort that appears to be little more than a thinly veiled push
to help re-elect U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), says Americans United for
Separation of Church and State.
Details about the new drive, spearheaded by the group Let Freedom Ring,
appear in today's New York Times. The newspaper noted that a March 6
organizing event by the group featured a video appearance by Santorum but
not his Democratic opponent or any other candidates. Following the
presentation, organizer Colin A. Hanna praised Santorum and recommended his
book It Takes a Family.
The so-called Pennsylvania Pastors Network claims to be an issue-oriented
public policy organization, but critics assert that the real goal is to
help Santorum, who faces a tough re-election bid this year. The group has
announced it will hire 10 full-time "field directors" in the state a huge
number for a mere public policy effort.
"This is an under-the-radar campaign to re-elect Santorum," said the Rev.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "Pennsylvania
pastors are being misled, and they need to be very careful. The Internal
Revenue Service is watching carefully for violations of federal tax law
this year."
Lynn noted that the Internal Revenue Service recently announced that it
will vigorously enforce the "no-politicking" rule for churches and other
tax-exempt entities during this election cycle.
Lynn, an ordained minister as well as an attorney, said Let Freedom Ring is
a 501(c)(4) organization, which means it may legally intervene in political
campaigns. Houses of worship, by contrast, are 501(c)(3) groups and are
flatly barred from partisan political intervention.
During the March 6 event, one speaker, the Rev. Frank Pavone of Priests for
Life, discussed the importance of President George W. Bush having a
favorable Senate so that he can continue to change the composition of the
Supreme Court.
Let Freedom Ring's activities are heavily financed by multi-millionaire
John Templeton Jr., a Pennsylvania doctor who is a well known supporter of
Republican candidates.
"Voter registration drives are fine," said Lynn. "But the Pennsylvania
Pastors Network appears to be undertaking this effort with the aim of
helping Sen. Santorum retain his seat. Churches that get involved are
putting their tax-exempt status at risk."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington,
D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the
importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the US and a couple from overseas as well]
***************************************************************
.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
****************************************************************
USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************
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| User: "Cut off his head! We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so theres nothing left!" |
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| Title: Re: PENNSYLVANIA CHURCHES MUST AVOID BECOMING ENTANGLED IN PARTISANPOLITICAL MACHINE, |
25 Mar 2006 02:14:26 PM |
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wrote (quoting article)...
"This is an under-the-radar campaign to re-elect Santorum," said the Rev.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "Pennsylvania
pastors are being misled, and they need to be very careful. The Internal
Revenue Service is watching carefully for violations of federal tax law
this year."
Lynn noted that the Internal Revenue Service recently announced that it
will vigorously enforce the "no-politicking" rule for churches and other
tax-exempt entities during this election cycle.
But they will only enforce it against churches that politick for
Democratic candidates. The IRS will ignore those churches who
politick for Rick Santorum and other Republican candidates. Mr.
Lynn could even present the IRS with photos of a church service
with "Santorum for Senator 2006" banners and an audio recording
of the church preecher instructing parishioners to vote for
Rick Santorum or face excommunication and eternal hellfire and
damnation, and the IRS won't do anything about it.
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