Quote:
Originally Posted by acjcpastor
If your church is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 organization, they are prohibited from discussing any of the above by the IRS.
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This is exactly what the liberal media wants you to believe, but it is not true. This from the IRS web site: Section 501(c)(3) organizations
are permitted to conduct certain voter education activities (including the presentation of public forums and the publication of voter education guides) if they are carried out in
a non-partisan manner. In addition, section 501(c)(3) organizations may encourage people to participate in the electoral process through voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, conducted in
a non-partisan manner.
You can and should discuss the issues. You just can't endorse a candidate and tell the church to vote for him/her.[/QUOTE]
Apparently many pastors would have us believe it too because many of them say the same thing.
I concur with you on the liberal media, who reportedly pushes their favorite candidate out in the forefront and skews the poll numbers.
How many churches do you know actually discusses all the candidates in a non partisan manner? In this region, I have never seen it done, yet everybody in any particular church system seems to know which candidate that is so silently endorsed.
This is what I found on the IRS website: some of the same as you posted but I added the rest as it pertains only to voter education and encourage people to register and get-out-the-vote drives. Very much a watered down participant approval. They must have their reasons why they put this clause in the tax-exempt rules.
The Restriction of Political Campaign Intervention by Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations
Under the Internal Revenue Code,
all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.
Certain activities or expenditures may not be prohibited depending on the facts and circumstances. For example,
certain voter education activities (including presenting public forums and publishing voter education guides) conducted in a non-partisan manner do not constitute prohibited political campaign activity. In addition,
other activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, would not be prohibited political campaign activity if conducted in a non-partisan manner.
On the other hand, voter education or registration activities with evidence of bias that (a) would favor one candidate over another; (b) oppose a candidate in some manner; or (c) have the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates, will constitute prohibited participation or intervention.
The Internal Revenue Service provides resources to exempt organizations and the public to help them understand the prohibition. As part of its examination program, the IRS also monitors whether organizations are complying with the prohibition.
http://www.irs.gov/charities/charita...163395,00.html
Seems to me that it would be an extensive project for churches to roll out slides and voting records of the candidates without discussing what the media reports on their private lives, (such as political activities before presidential candidacy) moral views or their religion. There is probably a very fine line on what the IRS considers "endorsing or opposition to" the political candidates. Might be why many pastors just do not want to engage in discussion of political candidates.
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