Politics Still Prevalent In The Pulpit, Survey Shows

The Concept has a special place in my Heart being GrGrandson of William Dawes who rode with Paul Revere and being European Survivor of many Religious Wars between my Ancestors Catholic/Protestant Scots, Catholic/Protestant Germans and Catholic/Protestant English and Jewish Conversos from Eastern Europe.

If I walked up to you, handed you $100 and told you that if you wanted to continue getting $100 every week you need to avoid partisan political activities... would I be taking away your freedom of speech?

Churches benefit from government the same as any other business, however they are exempt from paying taxes. In order to retain that tax exempt status that means they don't pay for the roads, the fire department, the police, national defense or any other service provided by government... they are supposed to avoid endorsing political candidates. The only thing that happens if they violate this rule is that someone stops giving them a carrot (tax exempt status), and they are treated the same as the business next door.

My recommendation is that tax free status for churches be revoked, and Churches be allowed to talk politics and endorse political candidates till they are blue in the face. If you don't want government influencing what you say, don't get into bed with them.

SSG (Join to see) - Well Stated Staff.

I disagree with the very idea that if I donate my taxed earnings to anyone the Government should get a share of my donations. Certainly agree that any donations from a tax free organization should be taxed if used for non-tax exempt items (as the tax code currently requires) But a religion or a church is not a business. Since they are dramatically affected by Governments they still need representation.

When Politics attacks the freedom of religions, religions need to fight back. Many of our political debates right now are religious in nature, why should a church not have a position on what it holds as a part of that religion?

Exactly Top.