To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Churches and the Election
According to IRS regs, churches that are tax-exempt cannot endorse or advocate against any political candidate. OK, got that out of the way. Now we know the IRS regs.
First, we have a traveling minister who actually asked for clarification on the rules. He wanted, during a prayer service, to pray for the President's reelection. The IRS said, "uh... NO!" Makes sense to me. You can pray for his reelection all you want on your own- just can't do it from the pulpit. Not a problem. I think the better prayer in that service would be that God's will be done in the election.
On the "other side," we have two pastors who have evidently endorsed Kedwards from the pulpit, no matter how veiled one of them might have been. ("I can't tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you what my mama told me last week: 'Stay out of the bushes,'"... indeed.) There has been a complaint filed. I think it's reprehensible that this pastor obviously knew the law, and tried to get away with that.
What amazes me is that the Left doesn't seem to have a problem exploiting the Church to show off their candidates. People look up to their pastors, and, in many cases, people will believe them when they say "this is God's candidate." I can't say that the pastors who endorse Kerry are liars- I wouldn't do that. But I do think it's a poor witness to the cynical to walk in that grey area of law so publicly.
IMO, candidates should be in church to worship, not to campaign. I'm sorry, but Kerry ( or Edwards, or Kerry's daughter, or Kennedy, for that matter) wouldn't have set foot in any of those churches if it hadn't been for the election. Which is fine- they have their own churches that they worship in. If they're going to visit churches, they should sit in the back, worship, then leave. Maybe shake a few hands. If asked to speak, they should either say "thank you, but, no" or, if they get up to the pulpit, the honorable, ethical thing would be for him to say "please pray for our country, that God's will be done in the election, and keep our troops in your prayers. Thank you and God bless."
Reason # 3743685 that I could never run for public office.
First, we have a traveling minister who actually asked for clarification on the rules. He wanted, during a prayer service, to pray for the President's reelection. The IRS said, "uh... NO!" Makes sense to me. You can pray for his reelection all you want on your own- just can't do it from the pulpit. Not a problem. I think the better prayer in that service would be that God's will be done in the election.
On the "other side," we have two pastors who have evidently endorsed Kedwards from the pulpit, no matter how veiled one of them might have been. ("I can't tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you what my mama told me last week: 'Stay out of the bushes,'"... indeed.) There has been a complaint filed. I think it's reprehensible that this pastor obviously knew the law, and tried to get away with that.
What amazes me is that the Left doesn't seem to have a problem exploiting the Church to show off their candidates. People look up to their pastors, and, in many cases, people will believe them when they say "this is God's candidate." I can't say that the pastors who endorse Kerry are liars- I wouldn't do that. But I do think it's a poor witness to the cynical to walk in that grey area of law so publicly.
IMO, candidates should be in church to worship, not to campaign. I'm sorry, but Kerry ( or Edwards, or Kerry's daughter, or Kennedy, for that matter) wouldn't have set foot in any of those churches if it hadn't been for the election. Which is fine- they have their own churches that they worship in. If they're going to visit churches, they should sit in the back, worship, then leave. Maybe shake a few hands. If asked to speak, they should either say "thank you, but, no" or, if they get up to the pulpit, the honorable, ethical thing would be for him to say "please pray for our country, that God's will be done in the election, and keep our troops in your prayers. Thank you and God bless."
Reason # 3743685 that I could never run for public office.
