Why does the LDS have tax exemption?

[K8-EEE]

They've been active in a pursuing a political agenda (proposition 8) here in CA, is anybody looking into challenging their tax exempt status?


I know that the liberal Episcopalian church here in Pasadena CA was harassed over an anti-war sermon. Does it ever happen the other way round?

It kind of burns me up that the LDS church is orchestrating all kinds of stuff out of Utah. Remember all the nonsense about Nancy Pelosi "turning the whole country into San Francisco?" Is the LDS trying to turn CA into Provo Utah? I hope the voters tell them to mind their own damn business on Nov 4th.

NO ON H8!

[Critters2]

1. 501(c)3's are allowed to take positions on social issues and referenda.

They cannot endorse a candidate or a party, but on non-partisan issues, which this technically is, they can take a public position. Liberal churches--UUs, UCCs, etc--are taking positions against prop 8.

[KamaAina]

2. "That's a loophole big enough to drive a Mack truck through"

believe it or not, that line was actually used by anti-choice zealots to oppose a rape exception. :grr:

In this case, however, it is most apt.

[Critters2]

5. It's not a loophole. It's fair play. If progressive churches and other 501(c)3's

can take positions we like, others have to be able to take positions we don't like. Free speech is for everyone.

What this means is that we have to make our arguments better than they do.


People have this mistaken notion that the establishment clause means religious orgs can take no public positions. What it really says is that the government can't help some religious organizations, nor hinder others. If churches were allowed to endorse candidates or parties, politicians would be even more open about doing churches favors, and the whole thing would be an even more tangled web.

But on policy issues, like abortion, marriage equality, gambling, even school referenda, churches have every right to voice their opinions and encourage their members as to how to vote. They can do it, we can do it. They've been better about making use of this law. But we're free to do it, too.

[KamaAina]

6. The problem is, to paraphrase a tacky repuke bumper sticker, "Free speech isn't free"

The Mormon church, and to some extent the Catholic church, has been pouring tens of millions into support for Proposition Hate, just as they did years ago (on a smaller scale) to prevent Hawai'i from being the national leader in marriage equality. Is your denomination prepared to counter that? If so, you may have just made a convert...

If churches were allowed to endorse candidates or parties, politicians would be even more open about doing churches favors,

That does, at least, explain the otherwise arcane distinction between support for a candidate or party and support for a ballot initiaive such as Proposition Hate. The undue influence of big money, whether religious or corporate, is a fundamental flaw in the initiative and referendum process.

edit: they probably didn't spend tens of millions out here, just enough to screw it up for us :grr:

[KamaAina]

7. Oh, and another thing...

...reich-wing churches have for years hidden behind this distinction when confronted with their support for repuke candidates in all but name. "We didn't actually endorse McCain, we just told people that if they voted for a pro-choice candidate, they'd burn in Hell for all eternity." :puke:

[tjwash]

8. The problem we are having here, is that you don't see UCC's and other liberal churches...

...flooding the state of Utah from Nevada, or Washington, and dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into lawsuits, commercials, and phone centers from within their offices in different states, and trying to make gay marriage legal there. Take the position you feel you have too, that's fine. But don't try to influence another state's political system. That's why states are separate entities.

The whole thing stinks. And your argument would be perfectly all right if the different ecumenical societies that existed in California were trying to influence the outcome at the polls. But having a different state trying to influence our elections out here is just not acceptable.

[Dr Fate]

3. LDS is illegal. You cant tax it until they legalize it.

Then again, I probably took too much LDS back in the 60's.

[warren pease]

4. Because decent hallucinogens ain't cheap so the feds stepped in to keep us all happy and weird? n/t