What happened with the separation between church and state?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of you are confusing "being involved and vocal on social and political issues" and "supporting a candidate"
Churches can do either or both. The former can lose them their tax exempt status. The latter can't.

You've got that exactly backwards. Endorsing a candidate or political party is prohibited partisan activity. Being involved and vocal on social and political issues is not. A church can be active against abortion, or against apartheid, or against racist government policies, or against anti-immigrant policies, or in support of universal health care or prayer in schools or environmental protections.

This thread is looking at this issue about tax exemption somewhat backwards.

Any organization that is active in politics cannot by law be set up as a tax exempt non-profit. That doesn't mean the organization can't facilitate discussions about political issues or even advocate for a particular position or host candidates or speakers espousing a particular point of view. But the organization itself cannot explicitly endorse a candidate unless they want to lose their tax exempt status.

But liberal tax exempt organizations endorse political candidates all the time. I am sure conservative ones do as well, but the liberal endorsements are more prominent.

For example:

The Sierra Club
https://www.sierraclub.org/california/2018-endorsements

Planned Parenthood endorsements
http://www.ppactionca.org/voter-resources/voter-guides/

Sierra club is a 501 c4 not c3. Different status. Allows endorsement. Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is also a 501 c4 organization separate from Planned Parenthood, which is a 501 c3. As for conservative ones, L.O.L. Family Research Council? Americans for Prosperity? Citizens United?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pastor has every right to express his first amendment-protected beliefs. This has nothing to do with separation of church and state

To maintain their tax-exempt status, religious institutions should stay out of politics.

Except none of them do. So they should ALL lose that status.

Sounds good to me.

+1

Tax ‘em all.

Agreed. They should all be taxed.