(no subject)

[karmic-serenity.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Obama realizes that, by encouraging clergy to push his health care plan, those organizations are putting their tax exempt status on the line?

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.

The above from here: http://www.irs.gov/charities/churches/index.html. I hope the clergy he spoke with check with their attorneys and accountants first before speaking for Obama's health reform to ensure they don't cross any lines that would push them into partisan political support.

From this article on FOX this morning: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/20/army-lord-obama-seeks-health-care-push-pulpit/, I also wonder about potential First Amendment issues involved. While I'm of the thinking that the First Amendment means that there will be no official church, like the Church of England, I know many people do not follow that thinking.

Comments

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

You have got to be KIDDING me!

This man spits on everything religion (esp. Christianity) holds dear, and now he's actually going to kiss up to religious leaders in order to push his takeover of healthcare?!

Can you IMAGINE if President Bush had tried this?

And the sad part is some fools will buy into it! After all, this is all about emooooooooooootion. What kind of mean church-going people would keep poor people from getting care?

This makes me livid.

[karmic-serenity.livejournal.com]

He's a typical politician and will exploit anything and everything to get his way; the will and wants of the people be damned.

If Bush had tried this I'm sure the democrats would have had him impeached.

[longlostblue.livejournal.com]

Interesting how nobody seems to care about clergy supporting Obama and his health care plan; but when churches were against Prop 8, everyone threw a hissy fit.

[karmic-serenity.livejournal.com]

The liberals are only open-minded if you believe the same thing they do. Otherwise, you're racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.

[longlostblue.livejournal.com]

So true.

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

The question shouldn't be does Obama know (I'm sure he does; churches losing tax-exempt status would mean more money for him) but do the churches know what they're doing? They could be under the mistaken assumption that their actions are protected because the President himself is asking them to take them. The IRS takes no prisoners. President Obama had better not "bear false witness" (the phrase he used with these religious leaders in reference to the "lies" about his healthcare plan) and misleaed the churches into doing something that will ultimately hurt them (I mean, besides the HC reform crap).

[karmic-serenity.livejournal.com]

I would hope the clergy would know what's at stake if they choose to promote the president's healthcare plan. To even ask them to promote his healthcare plan could probably be argued as a violation of the separation of church and state buy I doubt you'll hear the ACLU throwing fits about this one.

And I love the icon!!