CHICAGO -- Declaring that clergy have a constitutional right to endorse political candidates from their pulpits, the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund is recruiting several dozen pastors to do just that on Sept. 28, in defiance of Internal Revenue Service rules.
The effort by the Arizona-based legal consortium is designed to trigger an IRS investigation that ADF lawyers would then challenge in federal court. The ultimate goal is to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt houses of worship.
"For so long, there has been this cloud of intimidation over the church," ADF attorney Erik Stanley said. "It is the job of the pastors of America to debate the proper role of church in society. It's not for the government to mandate the role of church in society."
Yet an opposing collection of Christian and Jewish clergy will petition the IRS today to stop the protest before it starts, calling the ADF's "Pulpit Initiative" an assault on the rule of law and the separation of church and state.
Emphasis added by me.
So let me get this straight. This group believes that this proclamation from Jesus Christ Himself isn't good enough for them:
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
-- Matthew 22:15-22
No, they know better than the One they proclaim to follow!
Meanwhile, librarians are being shunted off their regular forum onto a separate one in order to comply with their tax-exempt status:
ALA Pushes Political Discussion to ALA-APA, but Some Grumble
In response to concerns raised about the legality of "political speech" engaged in by the American Library Association (ALA), precipitated by much discussion of Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her interaction with the Wasilla, AK, library, ALA officials have found a solution—though not all ALA Councilors welcome it.
According to a message posted Friday by ALA president Jim Rettig, the ALA-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), which operates under different Internal Revenue Service rules, can legally provide a forum for such discussions. Thus an ALA-APA Forum discussion has been opened, to ALA members and others, "to discuss mutual issues of interest to librarians and other library workers, including political issues and candidates."
Rettig’s message noted, "ALA, because of its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, is expressly and absolutely prohibited by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code from engaging in 'political speech.' This means that ALA resources, including electronic discussion lists, blogs and wikis, cannot be used for 'the support of, or opposition to, a candidate for public office.'"
Emphasis added by me.
Isn't that a twist: the guardians of intellectual freedom are complying with the law while a bunch of self-appointed "godians" are Satan-powered defiant!
It's time for Churches who want to open their yaps about Caesar to render unto Caesar!
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