What do you think of a church that has tables with ballot initiatives

[GreenPartyVoter]

on them for members to sign?

I believe this is the church: http://www.ccbangor.org/nfindex.aspx

[MADem]

1. I think they are violating the law n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Can you be specific. My BIL and I are arguing about this and

he says it sin't (and if it is, he doesn't care)

[Elwood P Dowd]

7. Churches with tax exempt status (501c3)

are not allowed to do this. They cannot promote political parties, candidates, etc. Check with the IRS.

[MADem]

11. If the initiatives have anything to do with a CANDIDATE, they are illegal

Say, getting enough signatures to get the Rev. Royall Azhole on the ballot for the Jeeeesus Saves party. If they just deal with a ballot measure, like getting enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot to fund a new water main in on Maple Street, they fly under the wire. I personally think that law needs to be changed, and houses of worship should be proscribed from getting involved in politics at all. It will never happen, though. More here:

http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issues_churchelectioneering

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Sounds like these went under the wire then. Nothing about a person.

[saltpoint]

3. Would need to see the details, but if what I think those initiatives are -

-- is exactly what's on those church tables, my response would include hosing the congregation down with powerful blasts of horseshit and onions, followed by a battalion of bulldozers, an air strike, and finally, conversion of the site to an area landfill.

Praise Jesus.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Anti-gay marriage, state spending cap and something else, I forget

what he said.

[saltpoint]

13. That's what I suspected they were.

Ok. I'm ready to deploy.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Well, if you feel real brave, ya wanna email or call them and ask them if

yer offering would be tax deductible? I put the church site link in my OP.

[saltpoint]

16. Aren't all churches in the U.S. enjoying a tax-exempt status?

Not sure where you're going with it... but the appeal of the bulldozers and air strike remains strong with me...

[Coyote_Bandit]

17. Not all churches are tax-exempt

they can choose to be for profit organizations.

[saltpoint]

18. Ah. Didn't know that.

You know, the sheer efficiency of the bulldozer-and-airstrike plan is hard to argue with...

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. Simple

If the church has a tax-exempt status then they are legally prohibited from endorsing candidates. They are not prohibited from advocating a particular position with respect to any issue. If the church does not have tax-exempt status then there are no prohibitions with respect to political or legislative activity.

Granted, this is simplified a bit. I'd say from a strictly legal standpoint it depends on what those ballot initiatives are for. Keeping in mind of course that something can be quite legal and quite inappropriate for various reasons.

edit for spelling

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Well that was what i was wondering.. whether they are tax-exempt

or not. And if they are not tax-exempt, they can do whatever they want politcally. (This is pretty close to a mega-church in size. It would not surprise me if they were not tax-exempt because they would have a fair amount of $$ coming in through offerings.)

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Easy way to find out

is to ask if your contributions would be tax deductible. If so, then they are a tax-exempt organization. A tax-exempt organization can have some taxable activities (i.e. book or CD sales) though offering contributions are generally not taxed (assuming they are not designated to benefit a specific person).

If thy are a mega-church more than likely they are a tax-exempt organization. You can also contact the secretary of state and ask if they are recognized as a tax-exempt organization. For profit and not for profit organizations are usually subject to different organizational requirements in their governing documents - which are filed with the secretary of state.

edit for spelling - someday I will learn to use the spell check function....

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Well, I don't go to churchthere, and if I asked BIL to ask, I am sure he'd

be suspicious that I would turn them in (who me? O8) )

[MADem]

12. Call them up, act real sweet, and ASK

If you don't want them to get your number, dial the code for caller ID blocking first...

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. I can't get the file of Maine tax exempt charities etc to open :^(

http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/charitablestats/article/0,,id=97186,00.html

[Kerrytravelers]

19. Would it be appropriate to report them to the IRS and let them

investigate? I don't know the answer, I'm merely tossing the thought out there.