Pastor Won't Speak on Ousting Bush Critics

[FormerDittoHead]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050508/ap_on_re_us/church_politics

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - A pastor who led a charge to kick out nine church members who refused to support President Bush was the talk of the town Saturday in this mountain hamlet, with ousted congregants considering hiring a lawyer.

....

Members of the congregation said Chandler told them during last year's presidential campaign that anyone who planned to vote for Democratic nominee John Kerry needed to leave the church.

COMMENT (read the whole story):

OK, he's been "lawyered up", but doesn't his actions make his parrish no longer tax exempt?

I mean, he basically made it a political meeting... Like the Rodney King beating, I'm convinced that this is not an isolated thing.

When are we going to stop acting so afraid of these people and start doing something about this???

[leesa]

1. Hopefully, this action is the start of something big. Clear grounds for

pulling their tax exempt status, it seems.

[Seabiscuit]

17. Yes, a flagrant violation of the IRS Code provision for tax exemptions.

But there's no chance in hell that church will have its tax exempt status cancelled until there's a Democratic administration and a Democratic Congress.

Dubya has created a lawless society to keep him and his ilk in power.

[ikojo]

2. Once the Democratic party stops being reactionary

then it will respond to the hold of the "religious" reich. The Dems need to cater to their base as effectively as do the pugs. Instead of acknowledging working Americans just once every four years they need to do it EVERY DAY because there is a war on workers being waged from Wall Street to the Chambers of Commerce EVERY DAY and not only on Election Day.

I really believe that if the Dems CONSISTENTLY put forth a message of economic populism those working class Americans who suppor the pugs on so called values issues will see they are being screwed royally by the real pug base of corporate America and the top two percenters.

[NeoConsSuck]

10. One problem..

Like corporate media is going to gladly inform the sheeple that the pukes cater to corporate America.

The Dems can put out all the messages they want. Corporate media is still going to present what they want, slanted the way they want.

The truth: Kerry was a war hero, Bush was an AWOL cokehead.

What the sheeple heard: Kerry was a commie sympathizer, Bush performed adquately in the National Guard.

The truth: Chavez is the most popular politican of the 21st century

What the sheeple hear: Chavez is the most evil person since Mao. Even more so than Castro.

[Seabiscuit]

18. Technical point: * wasn't AWOL, he was a DESERTER.

[mbperrin]

3. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall fear no evil, because I've got a really great lawyer!"

Nice biblical move, there, rev....

[bahrbearian]

4. There is nothing political here

Just good Baptist against Bad Catholics.

[donsu]

13. what do you mean?

nt

[bahrbearian]

20. I'm stating the Pastors legal argument

So he can keep his tax exemption,( sorry about the slow response time, I was in the garden.)

[donsu]

21. no problem, I'm a garden fiend too

nt

well, I shouldn't assume - maybe you hate gardens

[0007]

5. It is an individual thing not a "WE" thing

This meaningless little church is no better than a cult.

My only advise would be for the excommunicated members to show up and watch this monkey do his theatrics.

[Occulus]

9. Did you ever wonder if this is a "response test" by the SBC? n/t

[Straight Shooter]

6. If God is on his side, why does he need a lawyer?

Did God speak to this pastor and give him the same sort of bad advice he gave to bush?

[Freedom_from_Chains]

7. Technically, I think this would affect their tax status

Especially since most of his actions occurred before the election.

So I guess Tom Delay and the fascist er, Republicans will have to get busy and quickly ramrod through a law to a make America a culture of free speech, or a culture of non-persecution, or some other such nonsense.

[designforce]

8. Cult is the word..

You got that right, this is a cult and the should lose their tax exempt status.

If they don't, then I think that every woman who is forced to have a child against her will, whether it be riddled with birth defects, a result of incest, rape, or any reason, should place the baby at the door of this church. And this zealot and his remaining congragation whould be forced to take care of them, and raise them as their own.

I know this is reactionary, but these people and all like them have my blood boiling.

Being stuck down behind enemy lines in Texas, I am surrounded by these kind of people. I listen everyday to them spout off at how bad the democracts are, how government is a problem, all the while wondering why they are oblivious to the fact that they are working for the government as a result of a government contract. They can't seem to piece the two things together. They think they work for a private company, despite the fact the only customer is the government. Oh well, enough ranting..

TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY!

[Wright Patman]

11. Texas' economy

would collapse at this point without the corporate welfare of the military-industrial complex. This type of government spending is thought to be sacred. Another reason to rename the GOP a "death cult." Our military budget is about to exceed the combined budgets of all other nations in the world.

My sister used to work for EDS 20 years ago when Ross Perot owned it. Everyone there had military haircuts and there was a strict dress code. Probably 99.9 percent of them voted GOP (sis being the rare exception, not that she would have ever admitted it to co-workers).

But here's the irony. Perot became a billionaire by obtaining the exclusive contract to computerize the data bases of some huge federal government programs back when they started under LBJ. Had Goldwater been elected, Ross would never have even been able to bid on such a contract.

[acmejack]

12. It is a faith based initiative

They will probably get some government funding to support this program of purging their congregation of the ungodly voters of the "Party of the Other Faith". Sounds like it needs to be done on a national scale. Perhaps some identifier on their clothing would be appropriate as well. Then maybe relocate these pagans somewhere else and have them reeducated...

[donsu]

16. you are right. the bushgang had a meeting recently and invited

all the con men posing as preachers, where they were given their to-do list.

kicking dems out of their churches in on the list.

[Vickers]

14. Remember when Jesus hired a lawyer?

Oh yeah, I forgot, Jesus wasn't a coward. :eyes:

[1monster]

15. I wouldn't want to be a member of any church or any organizaton that

would have him as the spiritual and titular head...

I think that this type of action, in the long run, if it becomes more widespread, heralds the end of churches and religions having moral leadership. Especially when they champion those who are so obviously morally bankrupt.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. the church is getting sued, GOOD

that is why he needs a lawyer... and the story made it nationally, in spite of Jacko... he must be kicking himself for that, I mean more than just the godless AAR carried it.... nationally

Oh and HIS LITTLE CHURCH should loose tax excempt status so fast it ain't even funny, or the Pastor in exchange for one that does understand this little thing called separation of church and state

[bluestateguy]

22. He has every right to do what he did---but not with a tax exemption

If he will voluntarily give up his tax exemption I will defend his right to exclude people on the basis of their politics.