Tax Exemptions & Churches in Politics
Posted: September 8th, 2008, 3:29 am
So, I'm in Hot Springs, AR on Saturday, went into the mall there and grabbed some good batteries for my camera before my niece's wedding (I forgot to recharge mine). I hop back into my car and flip around the stations looking for something, anything, dear Lord PLEASE let me find some football. And, I stopped for a second while navigating the parking lot and loading the batteries into the camera (I know, not smart). (I just this second heard what sounded like a pretty bad collision and tire squeal. Pray that no one's hurt. Probably a block away.)
Well, I had stopped on the public radio station, it turns out. And, there's this guy with a thick Arkansas accent just giving Republicans down the road. Love Obama, hate Bush stuff. Cussing to beat all I've ever heard on a public radio station. Used the "Lewinsky" term (the actual slang one we all know) --- in reference to why Clinton wasn't so bad.
I thought, "You know, if a preacher was saying the equivalent of this stuff in a church and anyone got wind of it that mattered, there might be IRS agents breathing down his neck about his tax-exempt status. Why is it that a public radio station can say this stuff and it be okay tax-wise?"
Then, while I drove, I thought, "Somebody needs to challenge the rules on this tax-exemption business with churches in politics. If a non-profit public radio station can explore the wonders of Obama while vulgarly painting Republicans with every profane perjorative he can muster up on the airwaves, there's no reason why churches should be limited in talking about those same topics and just lay it out on the table."
Well, somebody IS trying to do something about it, it seems.
Well, I had stopped on the public radio station, it turns out. And, there's this guy with a thick Arkansas accent just giving Republicans down the road. Love Obama, hate Bush stuff. Cussing to beat all I've ever heard on a public radio station. Used the "Lewinsky" term (the actual slang one we all know) --- in reference to why Clinton wasn't so bad.
I thought, "You know, if a preacher was saying the equivalent of this stuff in a church and anyone got wind of it that mattered, there might be IRS agents breathing down his neck about his tax-exempt status. Why is it that a public radio station can say this stuff and it be okay tax-wise?"
Then, while I drove, I thought, "Somebody needs to challenge the rules on this tax-exemption business with churches in politics. If a non-profit public radio station can explore the wonders of Obama while vulgarly painting Republicans with every profane perjorative he can muster up on the airwaves, there's no reason why churches should be limited in talking about those same topics and just lay it out on the table."
Well, somebody IS trying to do something about it, it seems.