In a challenge to the ethics of conservative Ohio religious leaders and the fairness of the Internal Revenue Service, a group of 56 clergy members contends that two churches have gone too far in supporting a Republican candidate for governor.The two churches are very active in the Christian Reconstructionist movement, Dominionism, an attempt to create a Bible-based American government system. This belief is very wrong theologically, democratically and historically. Kevin Phillips, who I feel will be recognized as one of the great historians of our time, warns about the GOP's turn to "God's Own Party." Bush believes God runs my foreign policy which is why there is no disagreement permitted. Conservative religious people who are similarly authoritarian are a main element of his base of support.
Two complaints filed with the tax agency say that the large Columbus area churches, active in President Bush's narrow Ohio win in 2004, violated their tax-exempt status by pushing the candidacy of J. Kenneth Blackwell, who is the secretary of state and the favored candidate of Ohio's religious right.
The clergy members said the churches improperly held political activities and allowed Republican organizations to use their facilities.
The goal of the challenge is "for these churches to stop acting like electioneering organizations," said the Rev. Eric Williams, pastor of North Congregational United Church of Christ. "I don't want to harm or demonize these churches. I want these churches to act legally."
Churches with a political program need to have their tax-exempt status revoked. Their are several organization that I have belonged to and have supported who are very aware of the lines of what is permitted in terms of political advocacy and what is not. The main examples being civil rights groups, the Unitarian Universalist Church and KPFT alternative radio. Conservatives seem much more willing to say the rules don't apply to them.
This post should be greatly expanded but severe allergies and my methods of combating them have made me tired, given me a headache and zapped my energy as well as making me feel and sound miserable.
Tags: religion, Kevin Phillips, politics, Ohio, tax-exempt status, churches, Dominionism, reconstuctionalism
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