For the past 54 years, the IRS tax code has prevented churches from involving themselves in political affairs. But is this an infringement of the churches’ First Amendment rights to free speech? Does permitting churches to speak on political issues interfere with the so-called “separation of church and state”? And why has it only been the past 54 years that there has been this prohibition?
President Lyndon Johnson… we have so many things to thank him for: The failure of “the war on poverty,” the war in Vietnam, tax-gluttons Medicare & Medicaid, and getting the federal government deeply financially involved in the education system. A New Deal Democrat, his plan for the Great Society is costing us countless billions in wasted tax revenue every year.
But one thing about his political career rarely gets mentioned…
When running for his Senate seat, he was strongly opposed by a non-profit organization (that wasn’t a church.) Not known as one to forget a grudge, Johnson decided to get even. So in 1954, he proposed an amendment to the IRS tax code that would silence non profits’ influence upon public policy. Johnson sugar-coated his poison pill through deception: add churches to the list of organizations that can get 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Who wouldn’t want that? What politician would want to be seen as the guy who wants to tax churches? The amendment passed without debate. But in so doing, Johnson shackled churches to one of the qualifications of 501(c)(3) status:
Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one “which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”
— Source: IRS website
As a result, churches who file for 501(3)(c) status are giving up their right to free political speech. Contrary to popular belief, churches are not required to file, but most do, because of ignorance of the tax laws or recommendations by an accountant. Churches have never been taxable, and are expressly and automatically exempted from being taxable, according to IRS Code § 508(c)(1)(A). Further, they are not required to file IRS Form 1023 (to apply fro tax-exempt status,) according to IRS Publication 557. Finally, according to IRS Publication 526, donations to churches are automatically qualified as deductible contributions.
Further, forcing churches to restrict their speech means that churches fall under the jurisdiction of United States law, which is founded in Constitutional law. If churches fall under United States law, then prohibiting their speech violates the First Amendment which clearly states that “Congress shall make no law [...] abridging the freedom of speech [...]“. The passage of the tax code laws are clearly unconstitutional.
It is our position that it is not only is it legal for churches to influence the congregation, it is essential that they do so. Part of the purpose of religious leaders is to interpret scripture and apply it to every day life, including the selection of political leaders who make and enforce laws that may run counter to the beliefs of the church. It is for that reason, that we at FiveBoxes find it essential that churches be afforded the free political speech guaranteed to everyone by the First Amendment.
Some argue that this will lead to corruption in churches. Others argue that they go to church to learn the teachings of their faith and not to listen to political rhetoric. The thing to keep in mind is that churches and their leaders should have the freedom to decide if they want to discuss political issues, just as the congregation is free to change churches that engages in — or abstains from — political discourse. The point is that churches and parishioners should be free to choose if they want to hear religious-based endorsement or opposition of political candidates of every level.
In addition, it is essential for the continued survival of this great nation for our leaders to be moral people. George Washington in his farewell address stated:
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?
Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.
Encourage your religious leaders to investigate this issue on their own. If they find as we do, they should join the growing number of churches who — supported by the Alliance Defense Fund — are protesting the IRS tax law by speaking out to their congregations on September 28th. The future of our country depends upon moral leadership at all levels of government.
Imagine this happening to you:
Last night at 12:30 pm a MD State Police “Armed Response Team” showed up at our door. I was dead asleep, my Wife was laying some ceramic tile on our basement floor when our driveway alert went off several times. She looked at the camera monitor and screamed that Police in Assault gear were running up to our front door. That made me sit straight up from a dead sleep.
We thought they were there for my Brother in Law who had just been mailed Bench Warrants to our home, but he doesn’t live here and he is already incarcerated, so my Wife opened the door for them. Then I heard one of them say he had some papers for me or needed to speak with me,so I got up to speak with them 6 or 7 officers in full assault vests, etc. and NO ONE in uniform. Four heavily armed police came into the house while at least two others walked around outside of our home.
One, began to talk to me asking me about the types of weapons I own. Remember now, I was just startled from a dead sleep and I kept asking why are you here, why do you want to know about my guns? Every gun I bought in Maryland I bought from a MD Dealer. Well this Trooper said that I had purchased a “large amount” of ammunition recently and wanted to know why. When I questioned why he was asking, then he changed his tune to what type of Handguns I had. I told him I just purchased my first handgun in Maryland last week, but had not even picked it up from the Store . He questioned me about other handguns I might own and I realized that he was “fishing” to match his list of my ammunition purchases with handguns that I owned.
No warrant. No uniformed officers. Only SWAT sturmtruppen. Nothing to see here, folks… just another police-state violation of the 4th Amendment. Move along. Move along.
And there was New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when local law enforcement and national guard abridged the 4th and 2nd Amendments:
But that’s okay, because The Government is here to protect you!
Like in West Helena, Arkansas, where the mayor has imposed a 24-hour curfew, allowing police to stop, search, and question anyone they choose.
There’s also the black-clad submachine-gun-toting “anti-terror” police patrolling New York City subways.
Or what about Chicago? While Mayor Daley is fiddling while Chicago’s gang-related murder toll in any given month makes it safer to serve in Iraq, Governor Blagojevich has begun talking to the Illinois National Guard commanders, effectively putting them on alert to be ready to step in, in the event the violence gets too bad. Governor Blagojevich also wants to install Big Brother-ish speed trap cameras, and use the money to fund an “elite tactical team” to be deployed in Chicago and other areas. Part of their mission? Augment the Chicago Police Anti-Gun Enforcement Unit.
And let’s not forget the recent raid on the home of the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, that was a drug bust gone way, way wrong. The Gestapo-style raid ended with the mayor and his mother-in-law in handcuffs on the floor for two hours and both of the family dogs shot dead, even though the police knew neither the mayor nor his family were involved.
From Orlando to New York, Chicago to Columbus, thousands of closed-circuit TV cameras are being deployed “to fight crime”, despite the fact that time and again crimes occur in full witness of dozens or even hundreds of cameras, and the criminals escape. Coupled with license plate recognition systems, these prying eyes can track your every move. As if this isn’t bad enough, police are deploying military-like Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) loaded with cameras and sensors, again in the name of “fighting crime.” Over in England, Big Brother captures citizens on average 3,000 times per week “to fight crime,” yet they were unable to prevent the horrific terrorist bombing of their subways.
We are moving quickly toward an Orwellian police state, and no one seems to care.
At this point, the only thing keeping us free is the possession of millions of firearms by the citizens of this country. The power of the 2nd Amendment lies in the “last resort” ability it gives to the citizens to throw off a tyrannical government. This is why the 2nd Amendment is perpetually under attack by The Government, and it is also why it is essential that we preserve our 2nd Amendment rights.
So what will you do when they come for your guns in the name of “fighting crime”? Will you hand them over? Will you demand a warrant and slam the door in their face? Or will you exercise The Mailbox, The Ballot Box, and The Jury Box to ensure that they never come knocking?
It is the sincere hope here at FiveBoxes that we never need to use The Fifth Box to preserve our liberties. But as Americans, we must all be ready and willing to do so if necessary.
— Thomas Jefferson
The main principles of Marxist-Socialist philosophy are not hard to find. They are not hidden away in some secret document, they are not encrypted, they are not memorized by a secret society and whispered only amongst its members. The cornerstones of Marxist-Socialist philosophy are actually quite easy to find, and easy to understand. They can be summed up as follows:
- The state has been the a device for suppression of the masses
- There are two classes of people: The Bourgeoisie (the wealthy business owners) and the Proletariat (the poor laborers)
- The state has allowed the exploitation of the working class by the dominant (capitalistic) class
- Capitalism will inevitably wither away and be superseded by a classless society
- To prevent class struggle, industry needs to be owned and operated by the state
- The individual must sacrifice for the betterment of the whole
- Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary published in 1913 defined Socialism as “a theory or system of social reform which contemplates a complete reconstruction of society, with a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor.”
For months, Barack Obama and his wife have been telling us, over and over again, what their true intentions are, and what their core beliefs are. But have we been paying attention? More importantly, why has the media ignored these morsels of Marxism? Here are some of their words, straight form their mouths: