Can churches promote political candidates?

[tryreading]

I beleave that churches have a responsibility of informing their congregation which canidate closely matches their values.Campaign comericials and politicians often have a way of distorting the facts and what issues they stand for.Of course I know almost every liberal(not every liberal) wants to silence the churches so that they can flood the country with their immorality.I know how freedom if speech only applies to leftwing liberal nonsense.

It is illegal for churches to inform their congregations which candidate closely matches their values.

Campaign commercials and politicians do distort the facts, and I'm sure some churches do too. Individuals should educate themselves on candidates, that way nobody can lie to them.

The law applies equally to conservative and liberal churches.

 

[tryreading]

I beleave that churches have a responsibility of informing their congregation which canidate closely matches their values.Campaign comericials and politicians often have a way of distorting the facts and what issues they stand for.Of course I know almost every liberal(not every liberal) wants to silence the churches so that they can flood the country with their immorality.I know how freedom if speech only applies to leftwing liberal nonsense.

Good sites on this issue:
http://www.priestsforlife.org/elections/symposiumwatkins.htm
http://divinity.wfu.edu/rpa/politics.html

Group that will watch liberal churches, and their site:
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2004/082004/08162004/1462370
http://www.ratoutachurch.org

 

[ALiberalModerate]

I wasn't clear enough - I meant pamphlets with the views and public statements of all candidates in an election.

Oh, you mean the religious right's "Voter Information Guides".

Usually worded something like:

Abortion:

George Bush - Believes in the sanctity of life.
John Kerry - Supports the senseless slaughter of the unborn babies.

Environment:

George Bush - Believes in "letting those close to the land steward it".
John Kerry - Prays to trees and rocks.

Defense:

George Bush - God smiles upon him and he is doing God's work in fighting the evil Mohammedans.
John Kerry - Wants to abolish the military and supports the Palestinians.

Religion:

George Bush - Born again Christian.
John Kerry - Satanist.

........Thats pretty much how those "voter information guides" go.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

I beleave that churches have a responsibility of informing their congregation which canidate closely matches their values.Campaign comericials and politicians often have a way of distorting the facts and what issues they stand for.Of course I know almost every liberal(not every liberal) wants to silence the churches so that they can flood the country with their immorality.I know how freedom if speech only applies to leftwing liberal nonsense.

You got to be kidding me. Have you ever actually read the New Testament? Jesus is a liberal. In all of the four Gospels, he never even mentions Homosexuality, or any of the other hate mongering wedge issues commonly used by the Religious Right for their political gain. Despite the fact that homosexuality was rampant in the Roman Empire, there is less than 10 verses on the subject in the entire Bible. The central social messages of the Gospels of Christ are peace, avoiding materialism, love one another, justice, and helping the less fortunate. The life of Jesus, cradle to cross is the world's greatest example of non-violence. In fact, the Gospels are practically a handbook for socialism. Just before Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan, John the Baptist admonished the crowd for their materialism and greed, telling them that he who had two coats should give one to those who have none. Thats redistribution of wealth. Its funny to me that the religious right wants the government to promote and compel their legalistic views of morality, but they think the other 99% of the Bible, you know, those 3000 verses on the poor and helping them, ought to be the choice of the individual. If we were to start basing our laws and public policy in Christian teachings, we would be so socialist that most of Europe would be to the right of us.

 

[jamesrage]

You got to be kidding me. Have you ever actually read the New Testament? Jesus is a liberal. In all of the four Gospels, he never even mentions Homosexuality, or any of the other hate mongering wedge issues commonly used by the Religious Right for their political gain. Despite the fact that homosexuality was rampant in the Roman Empire, there is less than 10 verses on the subject in the entire Bible. The central social messages of the Gospels of Christ are peace, avoiding materialism, love one another, justice, and helping the less fortunate. The life of Jesus, cradle to cross is the world's greatest example of non-violence. In fact, the Gospels are practically a handbook for socialism. Just before Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan, John the Baptist admonished the crowd for their materialism and greed, telling them that he who had two coats should give one to those who have none. Thats redistribution of wealth. Its funny to me that the religious right wants the government to promote and compel their legalistic views of morality, but they think the other 99% of the Bible, you know, those 3000 verses on the poor and helping them, ought to be the choice of the individual. If we were to start basing our laws and public policy in Christian teachings, we would be so socialist that most of Europe would be to the right of us.

First of all Jesus is against sin,he did not encourage it.Homosexual acts are also a sin in the new testament too.1 Corinthians 6:9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.



Jesus does not want us to sin


John 8:11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."



Your socialist arguement is horseshit because most socialist despise religion.

 

[jamesrage]

Oh, you mean the religious right's "Voter Information Guides".

Usually worded something like:

Abortion:

George Bush - Believes in the sanctity of life.
John Kerry - Supports the senseless slaughter of the unborn babies.

Environment:

George Bush - Believes in "letting those close to the land steward it".
John Kerry - Prays to trees and rocks.

Defense:

George Bush - God smiles upon him and he is doing God's work in fighting the evil Mohammedans.
John Kerry - Wants to abolish the military and supports the Palestinians.

Religion:

George Bush - Born again Christian.
John Kerry - Satanist.

........Thats pretty much how those "voter information guides" go.

When it comes to political cannidates you sometimes have to support the lesser of the two evils.

 

[Thorgasm]

When it comes to political cannidates you sometimes have to support the lesser of the two evils.

And what are you choosing still? (Hint: Read my signature)

 

[Thorgasm]

I just read the sin angle post. I thought god only had ten commandments? Just how many commandments does guy have?

 

[jfuh]

I just read the sin angle post. I thought god only had ten commandments? Just how many commandments does guy have?

Guy made n+10

 

[Thorgasm]

Guy made n+10

:rofl i meant "this guy". My "this" key is broke!:doh

 

[Thorgasm]

Guy made n+10

:rofl i meant "this guy". My "this" key is broke!:doh

 

[Befuddled_Stoner]

First of all Jesus is against sin,he did not encourage it.Homosexual acts are also a sin in the new testament too.1 Corinthians 6:9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.



Jesus does not want us to sin


John 8:11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."



Your socialist arguement is horseshit because most socialist despise religion.

James, no one has denied that the bible has a few verses saying that homo butt sex (amongst a litany of other things) is bad. (read that quote you made of SD if you believe otherwise) Even though none of us here has disputed that, thank you for bringing that exact verse to our attention.

Now that you have (redundantly) asserted that homosexuality is a sin, would you care to address the point SD was making, the fact that Jesus, as evinced by the amount of attention he paid to the subjects, was more concerned with us living up to the ideals of Peace, Brotherly Love, Charity, Avoidance of Materialism, and Justice?

 

[ludahai]

I have no idea why churches have tax exempt status anyway.

The power to tax is the power to destroy.

 

[ludahai]

Church has no business in politics, and politics has no business in Church. Plain and simple.

Amusing coming from someone who supports Communist China, with its total control over religion in the country.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

First of all Jesus is against sin,he did not encourage it.

He sure is. Materialism = Sin, Greed = Sin, Not helping those in need = Sin, Storing up riches on earth = Sin, Hatemongering = Sin, Not fighting for Peace and Justice = Sin.

Homosexual acts are also a sin in the new testament too.1 Corinthians 6:9

If I am not misken, there are 3 verses in in the New Testemant dealing with Homosexuality. Those verses are in the Epistles, not the Gospels. In the limited time that Christ had on earth with us, he obviously focused on larger issues even though homosexuality was rampant in the Roman Empire. There are over 3000 verses on the poor and helping the poor in the Bible, no subject is brought up more often in Scripture. So why is it, that the Religious Right puts virtually all of its focus in Cultural War issues that are mentioned on a handful of times in all of Scripture, and they ignore the issues of poverty and justice that almost all of scripture addresses?

Your socialist arguement is horseshit because most socialist despise religion.

Just because the governments of some socialist countries, particularly communism, are hostile to religion, does not mean that the teachings of Christ, are not practically a handbook for socialism. It only means that a nation whose laws and public policy were actually based in the teachings of the Gospels, would be a socialist nation that was accepting of Religious beliefs. If you believe that government should promote and compel Christian moralities, then the redistribution of wealth will be top of the list of those moralities and teachings which the government would have to compel.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Simple, they got tax exemption because of the establishment clause. Government can not intervene with church matters. Tax collection is a very big governmental intrusion.
So I sometimes wonder, what happens when a church catches fire? Technically the fire department can not intervene.:shock:

Technically, churches are a business, selling a (supposedly) not-for-proift con. If they were treated like any other business, any taxes they'd incur couldn't be construed as a violation of the seperation clause of the First Amendment.

Threatening to remove a tax-exempt status that shouldn't be there in the first place if the organization particapates in political activity is a violation of a more basic element of the First Amendment, freedom of speech.

Thus, to protect the First Amendment, religions should be taxed like all other businesses.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

I don't know about anyone else, but those mega churches that are televised? all I see is one giant cult. Some idiot smacking ppl with his jacket like a whip and says they're blessed? The person hit then starts falling and looks as if s/he see's god or some bs. Superstition is dangerous.

All churches are cults. What difference does it make if the cult gets it's brainwash direct from the horse's *** or if it gets converted to radio-waves first?

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

If I am not misken, there are 3 verses in in the New Testemant dealing with Homosexuality. Those verses are in the Epistles, not the Gospels. In the limited time that Christ had on earth with us, he obviously focused on larger issues even though homosexuality was rampant in the Roman Empire. There are over 3000 verses on the poor and helping the poor in the Bible, no subject is brought up more often in Scripture. So why is it, that the Religious Right puts virtually all of its focus in Cultural War issues that are mentioned on a handful of times in all of Scripture, and they ignore the issues of poverty and justice that almost all of scripture addresses?

That's way off topic. Besides, Jesus was thirty, never had sex, didn't have a girl friend, recruited only men to follow him, and didn't have any strong social connections.

He was probably gay. What sin and what Jesus did with his First Disciple has to do with government tax exemptions for churches is a mystery, though.

 

[Ivan The Terrible]

Yes. I don't see why not.

Scarecrow Akhbar,

Why should they be taxed for supporting a candidate?

Technically, churches are a business, selling a (supposedly) not-for-proift con.

This is your personal view not fact.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Yes. I don't see why not.

Scarecrow Akhbar,

Why should they be taxed for supporting a candidate?

They should be taxed because they're a business. What's wrong with that?

This is your personal view not fact.

Ummm...they offer their clientele happiness, counseling, and guidance. They take in money donated for that purpose.

The Red Cross offers their clientele blood, counseling, and assistance. They take in blood and any cash donated for that purpose.

The Red Cross is a "not-for-profit" business, covered by some paragraph of the tax code.

Church's are "not-for-profit" businesses, covered by different paragraphs of the same tax code.

If you say it's not a business, you come up with the feelings you're using to outweigh these obvious facts and post 'em. Otherwise, you got yourself an opinion and I'm posting the facts.

 

[Thorgasm]

The power to tax is the power to destroy.

This isn't the poetry thread. Did you have a point? Or are you trying to sound profound?

Does this mean that the govt. is destroying it's citizens and businesses?

 

[ludahai]

This isn't the poetry thread. Did you have a point? Or are you trying to sound profound?

Does this mean that the govt. is destroying it's citizens and businesses?

The phrase comes from a Supreme Court Case regarding the Bank of the United States McCulloch v. Maryland. If you can't see the relevance, you have very little understanding of U.S. Constitutional history.

 

[Thorgasm]

The phrase comes from a Supreme Court Case regarding the Bank of the United States McCulloch v. Maryland. If you can't see the relevance, you have very little understanding of U.S. Constitutional history.

Well I haven't studied USSC case law. Perhaps you can give me the Cliff Notes version of how it is relevant.

 

[jfuh]

Amusing coming from someone who supports Communist China, with its total control over religion in the country.

t Does this post serve any other purpose other then flame?
Also, when have I supported communist reds in Beijing? Pro-unification does not mean pro-communism. Pretty lame Lu, I'd expect better from you.

 

[FallingPianos]

yes, the government just cant promote churches.