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July 4, 2008

Churches Preach for a 'Yes' Vote on Gay Marriage Ban

churches preach for a yes vote on gay marriage ban
Cupcakes from West Hollywood's Wedding Park Day (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist

Remember when the IRS investigated All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena for a sermon that they thought might void the church's tax-exempt status due to political endorsement during the 2004 Presidential Race (it was a What Would Jesus Do if he were Bush or Kerry on the war)? Now churches in California, including one nonprofit, are using their pulpits as political platforms against Propositions 4 and 8, the abortion and gay marriage state props that are scheduled to appear on November's ballot. The Gay & Lesbian Times reports:

James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, a group that has nonprofit status and allows contributors to deduct contributions from federal taxes, has raised $336,000 of the $2.3 million that groups opposed to same-sex marriage have donated to support Proposition 8, the Nov. 4 ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The president of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) issued a letter last Sunday “from the pulpit” urging members to donate “means and time” to pass Proposition 8.

Pastor Jim Garlow of the 2,500-member Skyline Church in San Diego, recently convened a conference call in which “more than 1,000 ministers, most from evangelical congregations, discussed tactics for passing [Proposition 8].”

Now, the question is, will the IRS investigate these churches too?

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Comments (12) [rss]

Let's hope that the IRS investigates these cults. I'm sure there is plenty there to find. Dobson alone should prove to have a lot they would enjoy finding.

 

Recently same-sex marriage is a hot topic. Personally, i think it's great, especially for GLBT. One of my friends, who found her another part on the online community BisexualMingle, decided to get married recently. Hope they have a great marriage life.

 

I'm pretty sure that the LDS urged their members to "means and time" to upholding the "traditional" marriage. I don't think they specified proposition 8 though it everyone concluded (and it was obvious) that that was what they were talking about.

Legally, because of the wording of the letter, they can probably get around an IRS investigation.

 

P.S. - sorry for the grammar errors (I forgot to proofread that...)

 

This site has a ball with Dobson and fundies in general.

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/2008/july/dobson.html

 

You do realize that the IRS prohibition only applies to advocating in favor or against a particular candidate in a campaign. Religious organizations are free to encourage action in support of positions on political issues. That's what religious organizations do. The position you seem to take would be rather scary. Perhaps a one second google before posting would keep you from speculating about utter falsehoods.

 

lamusicguy, you are half right.

And don't get so snippy, this is a blog and posts are the start of a conversation.

Substantial Lobbying Activity

In general, no organization, including a church, may
qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial
part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation
(commonly known as lobbying). An IRC section
501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but
too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status.

Legislation includes action by Congress, any state legislature,
any local council, or similar governing body, with
respect to acts, bills, resolutions, or similar items (such as
legislative confirmation of appointive offices), or by the
public in a referendum, ballot initiative, constitutional
amendment
, or similar procedure. It does not include
actions by executive, judicial, or administrative bodies.

A church or religious organization will be regarded as
attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges
the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative
body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or
opposing legislation, or if the organization advocates the
adoption or rejection of legislation.

Churches and religious organizations may, however,
involve themselves in issues of public policy without the
activity being considered as lobbying. For example,
churches may conduct educational meetings, prepare
and distribute educational materials, or otherwise consider
public policy issues in an educational manner without
jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.

Source: IRS Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations
 

shut the fuck up church, nobody listens to you anyway (except pedophiles)

 

From the IRS Guide: Substantial part test. Whether a church’s or religious organization’s attempts to influence legislation constitute
a substantial part of its overall activities is determined on the basis of all the pertinent facts and circumstances in each case. The IRS considers a variety of factors, including the time devoted (by both compensated and volunteer workers) and the expenditures devoted by the organization to the activity, when determining whether the lobbying activity is substantial. Churches must use the substantial part test since they are not eligible to use the expenditure test described in the next section.

Mormons meet for three hours each Sunday and have Youth Activities during the week. One letter read in Sacrament meeting took all of five minutes to read and were not discussed through out the rest of the day. Any organizing will take place on an individual basis and not require Church buildings or time. The Mormon Church as no paid clergy and the few employees who maintain buildings and charitable work will not be involved. Tax exempt status will not be an issue.

 

"The Family: A Proclamation to the World" is a statement issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1995, which defined the church's official position on family, gender roles, and human sexuality. It was first announced by church president Gordon B. Hinckley at the worldwide General Relief Society Meeting on September 23, 1995.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

Sash, one name...

Warren Steed Jeffs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs

You must be so proud.

 

@Jrb:

You've got the wrong church, douche bag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter_Day_Saints

 
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