IRS Strikes Deal With Atheists To Monitor Churches

Reproduced here for fair use and discussion purposes. My comments in bold.
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Although I understand where the author is coming from, we have to remember that churches entered into their tax free status knowing full well that they were not permitted to advocate for political candidates as a condition of getting certain benefits. Frankly, they gave their silence in exchange for money. That is the choice they made, a deal with the devil.

And certainly we can assert that such prohibitions on religious speech, no matter how tied to cash and prizes, violate the 1st amendment: "Congress shall make no law..." does not allow government agencies to create conditions where religious practice is curtailed. 

But beyond that, what the IRS says and what the Freedom From Religion Foundation claims, are two different things. FFRF is the organization who brought suit against the IRS for not prosecuting offending churches. 

First, the IRS website tells us this: "Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office."

However, when we look at the FFRF website, we find a rather hyperbolic description of their victory over the IRS. They twice mischaracterize the regulatory prohibition. Rather than 501(c)(3) organizations not being able to advocate for any particular candidate, the FFRF says that the illegal issue is about "...partisan politicking from the pulpit..." "Partisan politicking" is not accidentally chosen language, it is a purposefully over-broad, so as to leave open the idea that the IRS prohibition extends to include advocacy about any issue that could be considered political, like abortion or gay marriage.

Why? Religion-haters like the FFRF want churches to shut up. Period. They do not want religious influence in society or government at all. You see, for the Left, everything is political. So any commentary at all about the moral issues of the day have political ramifications, and they would prefer it all to be illegal. It's a growing perspective, strangely, even within the Church.
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First Amendment: Government's assault on religious liberty has hit a new low as the IRS settles with atheists by promising to monitor sermons for mentions of the right to life and traditional marriage.

A lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) asserted that the Internal Revenue Service ignored complaints about churches' violating their tax-exempt status by routinely promoting political issues, legislation and candidates from the pulpit.

The FFRF has temporarily withdrawn its suit in return for the IRS's agreement to monitor sermons and homilies for proscribed speech that the foundation believes includes things like condemnation of gay marriage and criticism of ObamaCare for its contraceptive mandate.

The irony of this agreement is that it's being enforced by the same Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS that was once headed by Lois "Fifth Amendment" Lerner and that openly targeted Tea Party and other conservative groups.

Among the questions that the IRS asked of those targeted groups was the content of their prayers.

Those who objected to the monitoring of what is said and done in mosques for signs of terrorist activity have no problem with this one, though monitoring what's said in houses of worship is a clear violation of the First Amendment. Can you say "chilling effect"?

Congress can make no laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. So it's not clear where the IRS gets off doing just that by spying on religious leaders lest they comment on issues and activities by government that are contrary to or impose on their religious consciences. Our country was founded by people fleeing this kind of government-monitored and mandated theology last practiced in the Soviet Union.

The FFRF cites as its authority the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which states that tax-exempt groups cannot endorse candidates. A 2009 court ruling determined that the IRS must staff someone to monitor church politicking.

The FFRF claims that the IRS has not adhered to the ruling and that the settlement amounts to enforcing both the Johnson Amendment and the court ruling.

But is the Catholic Church "politicking" when it proclaims its "Fortnight for Freedom" dedicated to opposing ObamaCare's contraceptive mandate and the government's forcing schools and charities it considers an extension of its faith to include it in insurance coverage or face crippling fines?

Are Protestant and evangelical churches "politicking" when they participate in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" this year on Oct. 5 to encourage congregations to "vote their faith," which they consider to be an exercise of free speech and freedom of religion?

The FFRF says that such events at "rogue churches" have "become an annual occasion for churches to violate the law with impunity." But doesn't the Constitution say that Congress can make no such laws?

Rather than "rogue churches," it's the rogue IRS that needs to be stopped.



Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/073114-711290-irs-deal-with-atheists-to-monitor-churches.htm#ixzz39SGd3YtA