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Loading ...Pastor challenges IRS with partisan sermon
10.16.2008 11:21am EDT
(Little Rock, Arkansas) In a predominantly black church in a city known for its past racial strife, Bishop Robert Smith is taking sides. His targets: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and federal restrictions barring Smith’s endorsement of Republican John McCain.
At the end of a recent sermon, Smith told about 50 worshippers at his Word of Outreach Christian Center: “I will be voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin.”Smith, who is black, said neighbors and friends have questioned why he isn’t backing Obama, the first black presidential nominee from a major party.
“I just tell them it’s not about race to me,” said Smith, who was a delegate to the Republican National Convention. “It’s about principle. I wouldn’t care if it’s my mother. If she isn’t for life or for heterosexual relationships, I wouldn’t vote for my momma.”
Smith’s sermon was aimed at fighting an Internal Revenue Service policy that prohibits charities and churches from involvement in political campaigns. Smith said he didn’t tell parishioners anything they didn’t already know from talking to him at dinners or in private.
“In my investigation of the candidates, neither one of them meets the Biblical standard 100 percent,” Smith said during the Oct. 5 homily. “But only one of them has the basic understanding of when life begins. Only that one can be trusted to ensure that life does not end prematurely.”
Smith said he would send a recording of the sermon to the IRS in hopes of triggering an investigation that would lead courts to abolish restrictions on church involvement in politics. He said what he did is not unlike what other pastors do regularly.
“In the black community, they do it all the time and they do it in other communities as well,” Smith said in an interview after the sermon.
Smith isn’t just testing the law. He’s also testing his predominantly black congregation and neighborhood by backing McCain, in a city that was torn by racial strife when schools were desegregated 51 years ago.
“You never heard him once say you should vote for this person. He just said, `This is who I’m going to vote for and here are the principles behind it,’” said Angela Roberson, who has been attending the church for about a year and also supports McCain.
Experts say sermons such as Smith’s violate IRS rules and federal law. Congress amended the tax code in 1954 to state that certain nonprofit groups, including secular charities and places of worship, can lose their tax-exempt status for intervening in political campaigns.
Smith was one of 33 pastors who had planned to make pointed sermons about political candidates in September in an effort orchestrated by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which hopes to challenge federal law and IRS rules on political speech by pastors. Scrapped because of a missed flight, Smith finally delivered the sermon last week.
“For the last 54 years, the tax restrictions have been used to silence and intimidate chruches on those issues,” said Erik Stanley, a senior attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund.
IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis would not comment on Smith’s sermon but said the agency would monitor any allegations of political activity by churches.
I wouldn’t vote for the S.O.B. or his mamma either!
If this is true and churches can lose their tax exempt status – how is it that the Catholic and Mormon churches can pump so much money into overturning CA Gay Marriage and not lose their tax exempt status? Why doesn’t the HRC do anything about that?
Great question Michael. I’d like to know how they manage to pump money into politics too, without loosing tax exempt status. Let’s hope it isn’t enough money, and marriage equality stands. Of course, you know they will be collecting signatures for another attempt at it next election.
I aggree with our fellower bloggers about the whimp and limp HRC. What happened to them? They’ve lost all back-bone and teeth.
Note to HRC: Don’t make us come down there and bitch-slap you all back to Grad School. We don’t send that money to you every year so you can get Manicures before your Press conferences.
It’s about time they put up, or shut up.
I never thought of this before, how glad I am that the IRS does have laws regarding donations and endorsements. Look at all the hate and bigotry they would use against anyone if they were allowed. A good example of why you should vote for Obama. Paix…
Scooter and Michael – to the best of my knowledge, the law is crafted in such a fashion that the only thing it *indisputably* conditions is express political advocacy (i.e. campaigning for a specific candidate). It MAY cover more, depending on how the Supreme Court would interpret it.
My guess is that Congress, when they made this amendment to the IRC, was playing it safe out of potential constitutional concerns. (Incidentally, I do support the law as it stands now – it doesn’t seem fair that organizations receiving a tax break, which is effectively a subsidy from the public fisc, should be able to use those public dollars to influence the direction of the public’s representation. It’s a sort of distorting “feedback loop”, and an advantage the rest of us don’t get. I only bring up the constitutional concern in order to speculate why Congress left us hanging – because as much as I support this law, it does seem like the subject matter is *potentially* constitutionally sensitive…)
Bishop Robert Smith’s political endorsements have absolutely to do with the mission of the health of one’s overall peace of heart, mind and soul, of essentially one’s inner being.
The moment my church goes beyond its mission of spiritual needs, of worship and prayer and providing a place of compassion, comfort, friendship and welcome as it should to bowing down to political special interests is the moment I leave.
I deal with politics on a daily basis as it impacts my life and what I can and can’t do and I feel by Sunday that I am ready to toss those ragged cares, concerns and burdens, and tiresome politics momentarily aside.
Politics is a blatant deviation from correct and proper mission and any such church should lose its tax exempt status if such deviation from US tax code regulations occur.
In repsonse to the Catholic Church question…and take this with a grain of salt as I am Canadian and not 100% up on how you guys do things…it is my understanding that churches are permitted to get involved in Ballot Initiatives, but cannot endorse/trash candidates in elections. However, by promoting ballot initiatives, certain churches can “motivate” voter groups to get to the polls who would, coincidentally, endorse the candidate the church would support.
Also, the Catholic Church blackmails politicians with sacraments i.e.: “if you support smae sex relationships, you can’t receive communion; or you’re going to gnash your homo-loving teeth in eternal damnation fire, or some equally
punitve facsimile…
In Columbia, as 365 reported, the Cahtolic Church sujegated the senators to not support same sex rights by threatening with holding communion.
No religious organizations should be given tax exempt status – not requiring them to pay money they otherwise would have to pay is the same thing as giving them money. The U.S. government should not be in the business of supporting any religious institution either directly or indirectly (as is the case here). Then people like this ignorant/arrogant pastor can say whatever he wants and everybody will be happy.
Chris Sullivan,
I agree with you only insofar as those that engage in politics should lose tax exempt status.
There are churches like mine that do tremendous good for the least in society.
the ministry I am on has several projects for feeding the needy and hungry in our county. Ours is pro-social justice, and has both straight and gay members.
To not allow any churches at all a tax exemption is something (even though I am a gay liberal Democrat party guy who is also Christian) I do not regard as helpful.
I went the atheist route, but am glad that I found a very good church that is very supportive of both spiritual need and of needy, hungry people.
The restriction does not apply to referendums.
I always look to the Scriptures for insight regarding church matters, and I know that in Matthew 17, Jesus instructed Peter to pay tribute lest we should offend them, and Matthew 22 states render to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and to God the things that are Gods’. In Hebrews 13, we are taught to obey them that have rule over you and submit yourself. In Romans 13, Paul teaches, let every soul be subject to the higher power, and the powers that be are ordained of God. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil, and do that which is good. In I Corinthians 9, Paul says abuse not my power in the gospel. The IRS has certain guidelines, and it does not forbid churches to talk politics and social issues, churches just cannot endorse a candidate and use funds to support candidates. Also, voting is a private matter, and every member may not support the same politician as the pastor, and this can lead to embarrasment and shame to the parishioner. Futhermore, the pastor can implement sermons that adddress political views, such as Israel requesting as king, like Saul who was detrimental to Israel. Samuel informed Israel of Saul’s plan to take everything from them. There are enough Biblical characters in the Bible to address any issues that comes befor the church. The pastors also needs to ask themselves what are their motive in violating the laws and also causing the brethern to sin, and are their motives clear or is it to control their congregation by forcing their viewpoints on the congregation. Finally, God want his church to be void of contention and division,like in I Corinthians 1:10-13 and politics are a hot item, so let everything in the church be done decent and in order, and let the mindset in us be of Christ Jesus who is the head of the Church. Simply, follow peace with all men because the laws are for the lawless and disobedient, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane murders and etc. (I Timothy 1:8-10). Peace, Blessings, and love to all.
Having recently left the Anglican Church of Canada over it’s lack of action and as a result of some very cruel and homophobic action by my priest, all I want to ask is……… when are they going to put Christ back in Christian?
Its sad, but many Christians, so called have forgotten the love of Christ, and do not truly represent Christ and His teachings, but be encourage that Jesus Christ is still love even if some of His members do not exemplify His love.
Jeffrey: Recall that the LDS Church seems to be documented as focusing its resources on “stopping the gay agenda”, perhaps for the last ten years. That’s not one isolated ballot issue–it’s an ongoing effort to direct the political process on one issue. That’s what a political action committed does. Also, it has been reported that Mormons were warned by their clergy that they could risk excommunication if they voted against 8. That would seem to count as coercion and intimidation. Finally, it would be much easier for the IRS to take action against the LDS Church, since it’s US-based and doesn’t have the pseudo-state standing that the Catholic Church does (Vatican City is a diplomatically-recognized state).
Far as I know, the IRS hasn’t addressed any of the recent challenges to the exemption rules. Might not happen until after the New Year, in which case Obama will have to decide whether to enforce the letter of the law.