Is This Enough to Report a Church for Politicking?

[UTUSN]

A local church is running this radio ad (quoting from memory/slight paraphrasing):

"The Leftist/Liberals are pushing intolerance towards religion. Since when did tolerance for all religions come to mean tolerance against religion?" And on and on, repeating "Leftists" and "Liberals".


What is the legal reference for churches/politicking? Is it limited to specific endorsements of candidates? Where does reporting go?

[cdb]

1. Sounds like politics to me.

If theya re being used or acting as a mouthpiece for the GOP, they should not have tax-exempt status. Even if they are not endorsing a candidate or party by name, I am sure there are legal manouvers to ensure they shut up or get taxed.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Send it in, see what happens

[Robbien]

3. It is limited to specific endorsements of candidates

But you should call the local radio station and object to having hate attack ads being aired.

[Maraya1969]

4. REPORT THEM

I reported about the filibuster thing and the woman stayed on the line with me while I gave her several websites and quotes. She was especially interested in Dr. Dobson's quote: "These people forgot how they got here" (not sure exact quote but it seemed like they payed to get their "people" into office.


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Frequently Asked Questions - 1.13 IRS Procedures: Reporting Fraud

[ComerPerro]

5. They have to advocate a specific candidate or party

Like, say, for example, a chruch somewhere had a pastor who expelled all members who voted for anyone other than Bush...

Not that that would ever happen...

[Tux]

6. OK

Since when did tolerance for all religions come to mean tolerance against religion?

In otherwords, liberals are stopping our march to theocracy.

[megatherium]

7. Hard question. Here in the Louisville area,

a megachurch put up lots of billboards proclaiming that one man one woman was God's plan for marriage. This was in October, a month before the election, and they also did a three sermon series on marriage. Kentucky had one of those anti-gay marriage ballot measures, which passed by 75%-25%. We know that the whole anti-gay-marriage thing was a Republican effort to make sure all the fundamentalist koolaid drinkers came out to vote. Sure enough, a close senatorial race went to the Republican. Bastards.

[UTUSN]

8. I Called the # in Post #4, and the Answerer Said

she didn't know what the law is, that it's not her job to clarify, that all she does is to take down the info from "the informant", that it gets reviewed, that at that point somebody decides whether it gets referred to the investigations unit or not.

I was lacking the exact name of the church, there was no listing in the phone book for something close to it, so I'll wait to hear it again. Thanks for the info.

[noonwitch]

9. Do televangelists get tax exemptions?

I would rather go after them than after individual churches. I think there are certain privacy issues involved in local churches that don't apply to the airwaves.

I have a problem with Pat Robertson subtly telling everyone how Jesus wants them to vote. He's careful, but he slips up every once in a while and is more blunt about it.