Church and State

Ever wonder why churches get away with paying no taxes? Well, there is an IRS rule (not law) that states: “Churches are granted a tax exemption because they serve the public and do not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." How does that work in the real world? Great, if you are an evangelical corporate church that supports republicans.

In Ohio, the World Harvest Church and Fairfield Christian Church, huge corporate churches with thousands of members, held political rallies and were active in President Bush's narrow Ohio win in 2004. According to IRS complaints filed by other churches in the area, these churches violated their tax-exempt status by pushing the candidacy of J. Kenneth Blackwell, who is the favored candidate of Ohio's religious right. In addition, the pastors of these churches made political speeches from their pulpits and allowed the Republican Party to solicit signatures and funds from church members during services. So far, the IRS has ignored the complaints.

However, in Pasadena, Calif., the IRS is examining the tax-exempt status of All Saints Church because its former pastor delivered a sermon that criticized Bush on the Iraq war and Republican conservatives on social policy two days before the 2004 election and the NAACP is also under IRS investigation for political participation.

Ain’t selective enforcement grand? I guess it depends on how our Fearless Leader, Herr Bush, calls the shots.

This is not only happening in Ohio, friends, Arizona’s corporate churches have a long history of flaunting the rules with impunity. Our Fuhrer’s number one supporter, Franks-n-stein, regularly visits these churches to make political speeches and solicit donations. Every two years, these churchs circulate his election petitions gathering the signatures he needs to qualify for the ballot.

I guess going door to door like every other candidate is required to do is too much work. Besides, after lying to Sun City residents about opposing Medicare Part D, blocking federal highway funds needed to upgrade the valley’s crumbling transportation system, and endlessly shouting his useless anti-abortion rhetoric to hide his lack of awareness of the real concerns of his constituents and this country, people would slam their doors in his vacuous face anyway.

Why should he bother doing things the legal way when he does not have to?