IRS to Snoop on Church Sermons – IOTW Report

IRS to Snoop on Church Sermons

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has struck an agreement with the IRS where the agency will monitor the church sermons for pro life and/or pro traditional marriage speech.

This comes as a settlement to a lawsuit filed by the FFRF that tax-exempt religious institutions were violating their status by promoting a political issue or candidate.

Read the story here

spiritualution.com

Next, they’ll demand that ministers and priest be government approved, just like the Nazis.

h/t Ace of Spades

22 Comments on IRS to Snoop on Church Sermons

  1. This isn’t the first time the Feds have sought to restrict/pull tax exempt status from Christian churches over the content of sermons. This one is just more visible.

    It would be a huge loss for churches in their charity work to forego that exempt status, but maybe it’s time for them to trust God’s provision and get out from under the restricted speech thumb of Big Brother ‘Rat in order to preserve their freedoms. To submit to this will bring certain death of the First Amend.

  2. Broken record time. Completely eliminate all religious and charitable federal tax exemptions. Put charity back where it belongs – from the heart and NOT from the tax code. And then the feddies can go pound sand!

    As an aside, who do you think would scream the loudest over that idea – the church or the individuals?

  3. The Republic is well and truly dead when the Bureaucracy so blatantly violates the Constitution with the consent of the Judiciary.

    They will NOT stop of their own accord.
    They will NOT “see the Light.”
    They will NOT experience an epiphany.
    They will NOT perceive the errors of corruption.
    They will NOT educate themselves on Rights.

    They WILL need assistance onto the scaffold.

  4. And Boobie nailed it first: There would be no mention anywhere of all the Dem politicians that show up and speak at black churches around election time.

    As an aside, who do you think would scream the loudest over that idea – the church or the individuals?

    I can well imagine the caterwauling Joel Osteen et al would make. (The sweetest sound on earth, I’m told.)

  5. So if a tax exempt religious group advocated for abortion and same sex marriage, the IRS would go after their status as well?

    Should a church conducting same sex marriage lose their tax exemption?

    Of course it won’t happen in Obama’s America, but I put forward the juxtaposition anyway for comparison sake.

  6. So according to the FFRF a church is violating its tax exempt status by discussing its beliefs if some politician has decided to make a political issue out of one of their tenets?

  7. I’m looking at you United Methodist Church, Presbyterians and Unitarians.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/29/methodist-same-sex-marriage-benefits_n_5235596.html

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/19/us/presbyterian-church-same-sex-marriage/index.html

    http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_26255412/year-same-sex-marriage-more-love-more-happiness

    After all same sex marriage is about RIGHTS not religion, so its POLITICAL to conduct such marriages in your churches.

    Is there a lawyer in the house who would care to put this before the IRS?

  8. Something to remember here is that in 2007/2008 the Catholic Church in the US took a stand supporting Obama (with the wink and a nod) and some went so far as to preach from the pulpit that the Democrats and Obama were more in tune with the Catholics ideas of “Social Justice”. They even supported him in 2012 after being double crossed on just about all the understandings they had. For those that say eliminate the tax exemption and let them preach anything they want remember that a priest/rabbi/minister/whatever is more likely to support government support/intervention in social issues so be careful about what you wish for.

  9. Will the last person to leave “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” please turn off the light.

    Unplug the Statue of Liberty while you’re at it.

    America is toast. 🙁

  10. @scr_north –

    “…For those that say eliminate the tax exemption and let them preach anything they want remember that a priest/rabbi/minister/whatever is more likely to support government support/intervention in social issues…”

    I would much rather the preacher decide what he/she wants to say from the pulpit than the federal government decide what can be said.

    As a church member, if I don’t like what I’m hearing, I will pledge with my feet – as will others who share my similar opinion. Either that, or get a new Minister.

  11. Can anyone tell me the difference between say a union meeting or a community organization meeting and a church service? Aren’t they all like-minded individuals gathered in the same place.

  12. @Stirrin, I see your point however it’s more likely (in my opinion anyway) that the minister would take the lead from the church leadership rather then their own opinion. As you say, everyone has the option of voting with their feet. In any event I’d rather the minister pay more attention to his flocks souls than the way they vote.

  13. The churches in the U.S. are so mamby-pamby and full of crap that at this point it won’t make any difference. Most of what they care about is their tax exemption and perks. They make me sick.

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