Today's JG rants - Tax exempt status for churches and Ft. Wayne's "growth"

Re: David Waas’s letter “Political advocacy voids churches' tax-exempt status” of Oct 29, 2019

Waas is wrong. Not only is he wrong, he’s colossally, foolishly and irreversibly wrong when states faith-based organization cannot advocate for or against “political acts.” The IRS website offers the following guidance on “campaigning” on behalf candidates: “Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one ‘which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.’"

The same website offers the following guidance on advocating for or against political measures and legislation: “…churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in a limited amount of lobbying (including ballot measures) and advocate for or against issues that are in the political arena. The IRS also has provided guidance regarding the difference between advocating for a candidate and advocating for legislation.”

IRS guidance makes it clear that faith based organization can advocate for the Biblical position on the political issues of the day as long as they do not campaign on behalf of a particular candidate.  Not only are religious organizations permitted to advocate for Biblical principles, it would be a sin not to do so.  There are scores of Bible verses about silence in the face of evil but the short verse from Ephesians 5:11 makes the point in succinct fashion:  “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them.”

      

Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a WWII hero who opposed Hitler and was hung for that political act, summed it up nicely when he noted “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.  Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act.”

All that Waas and like-minded leftists want to do is shut people up.  They exercise the heckler’s veto on college campuses when anyone not in full agreement with their narrow-minded views shows up to speak and the Waas’s of the world shout them down.  They exercise the thug’s veto at Trump rallies when their hoodlum army, AntiFa, shows up to assault and intimidate people.  They exercise the editor’s veto when papers print rubbish like Waas’s letter with no regard for the truth then refuse to print a rebuttal containing the cold hard facts.

Leftists have to engage in such boorish behavior because they cannot compete in the arena of ideas, because they have none, so their goal these days is to simply shut the opposition up. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2019 1:00 am

Letters

Political advocacy voids churches' tax-exempt status

In his Oct. 18 article, Rep. Jim Banks charges Democrats with imposing secular views on religion. He argues that if churches and faith-based organizations lose their tax-exempt status for advocating opposition to same-sex marriage, it would be an “outrageous attack on the First Amendment.” He is wrong.

A tax-exempt status was granted in the liberally motivated 1954 Internal Revenue Act to encourage faith-based organizations in their core missions. But advocating against same-sex marriage is a political act. Such a change in American law can be achieved only by political or judicial action. Withholding tax-exempt status for such advocacy is not an attack on the First Amendment nor on freedom of religion. Persons of faith may hold any position on same-sex marriage they wish, but advocating for change in American law is advocating political action. Any American citizen may hold any position she/he wishes on the issue, but urging the passage of legislation to restrict same-sex marriage would be both discriminatory and a violation of the privilege of a tax-free status.

Banks correctly recognizes that losing tax-exempt status would leave churches in a financially untenable situation. But the liberal legislation granting tax-exempt status to churches was meant to encourage religious freedom and viability, not strengthen political clout. He falsely claims that cases such as Christian Legal Society v. Martinez are a blow to Americans' freedom to believe. No, such cases recognize that individuals and organizations have complete, constitutionally guaranteed, religious freedom to believe, but may not engage in political advocacy and remain tax free.

David Waas

North Manchester

Re: Greg Erlandson’s letter, “Continued growth gratifying” of Oct 29, 2019 cheering Ft. Wayne for opening the riverfront’s Promenade Park.  Nice. Too bad your schools still suck and the city can’t get the garbage picked up, but dummies living under a pile of trash will have a nice place to go on weekends to get away from it all.

An old boss of mine had a plaque on his desk that read: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.  You’d think quality education and trash collection would be near the top of the main things a city tried to accomplish.  I’m not Mayor-for-life Tom Henry so what do I know?  Maybe hanging more lights on a downtown bridge and building a new downtown park are the main things for Ft. Wayne.  

Continued growth gratifying

Kudos to Fort Wayne and the city administration for the development of the riverfront and Promenade Park. We lived in the Fort for almost three decades and saw it become a more interesting city culturally, socially and architecturally. Now, having been away three years, it is wonderful to see the city continuing to develop. The promenade is the start of something great.

Greg Erlandson

Hyattsville, Maryland