A couple weeks ago, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (the official leadership body of the Catholic Church in the U.S.) ordered pastors to distribute material at Mass opposing health care reform. Priests were also told to read a statement to this effect during Mass.
Nobody here is saying they can't do this. It's not a question of whether they can do this, but whether they can keep their tax-exempt status. The IRS has guidelines about whether churches can keep this status if they engage in political activity.
According to these rules, some activities do not jeopardize religious bodies' tax-exempt status. However, lobbying efforts and attempts to influence partisan elections clearly do. And the Catholic Church's leadership has done both. It's done this on other issues for decades.
Now Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-California) has quite properly urged the IRS to probe the Church's tax exemption.
In a society with separation of church and state, a church does not get to decide public policy for the entire citizenry. It's time we get that straight.
(Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/faith/2009/11/house_democrat_investigate_cat.html)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Church's tax-exempt status in jeopardy
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Pro-abortion groups have tried to get the Church's tax exempt status revoked several times in the past, and these efforts have all failed. (Since 1990, the IRS has revoked the tax-exempt status of only ONE church.)
ReplyDeleteThe IRS requires that 501 (c) (3) nonprofits (usually used for houses of worship, educational groups, etc.) NOT support or oppose candidates for office. Of course, they can say nice things or criticize an elected official or a candidate without telling their members to vote for or against them.
The IRS says that 501 (c) (3) nonprofits cannot devote a "substantial" (that's the word) part of their resources to lobbying, but doesn't completely ban them from lobbying. Rep. Woolsely is going have to do some math if the USCCB really devoted a substantial part of their resources to lobbying.
(BTW, should the bishops have been punished when they lobbied for immigration reform?)
Of course, the United Church of Christ (UCC), a very liberal Protestant denomination and a 501 (c) (3), lobbied Congress to keep abortion funding. Should their tax-exempt status be taken away too?
How about gay Episcopal Bishop Eugene Robinson of New Hampshire? He endorsed Obama for president. Though it was argued he did so as a private citizen.
You don't change the rules of the game just because your side loses.
"Anonymous" you are mistaking a church's everyday acts with policy...as I'm sure you are aware.
ReplyDeleteThe church telling pastors to use Mass to oppose health care is *policy*...the other examples you cite are not.