http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1142988523.shtml
Separating Church And State
by Justin Gardner
Plain and simple, if pastors are starting to attend GOP get-out-the-vote
seminars, their churches should be taxed.
More from the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/politics/21churches.html?ex=1300597200&en=5b018ff5f28fd3f2&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
WASHINGTON, March 20 — Weeks after the Internal Revenue Service
announced a crackdown on political activities by churches and other
tax-exempt organizations, a coalition of nonprofit conservative groups is
holding training sessions to enlist Pennsylvania pastors in turning out
voters for the November elections.
Experts in tax law said the sessions, organized by four groups as the
Pennsylvania Pastors Network, could test the promises by the tax agency to
step up enforcement of the law that prohibits such activity by exempt
organizations.
I say good. If churches want to get this heavily involved with a specific
political party, they should expect this type of scrutiny. Of course, if a
church does lose its tax-exempt status, we're going to have a helluva
fight, but it's one that needs to be fought.
Listen, I'm okay with religious organizations getting federal dollars to
help in disaster situations and I've said as much on Donklephant recently.
But these consistent and blatant violations of the separation of church and
state for mere political gain should not stand.
Not now, not ever.
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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]
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.. . . 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)
.. . .
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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.
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THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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