I have never understood this. The term “separation of church and state” gets tossed around like beach balls at an outdoor concert. The Constitution (1st Amendment) simply states that government cannot establish a state religion and that we are free to practice our faith without fear of government reprisal.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…
Catholic Answers is suing the IRS.
We’re suing the IRS for violating our First Amendment rights . . . for slapping us with a fine for exercising our free speech rights . . . and for intimidating all non-profit organizations into silence.
I say that it’s about stinkin’ time someone did. I am sick of having to watch clergy tip-toe around important issues for fear that the IRS would take away their tax-exempt status. This is akin to times in hostile lands when Catholics practiced their faith secretly for fear of being discovered and dragged off. I’m sick of pro-abortion “Catholics” saying that the Church should lose it’s tax-exempt status for preaching the Gospel and speaking against evil. They can’t win the battle for truth so they they attack financially.
The whole idea that a tax-exempt organization somehow gives up certain rights is absurd. I thought we did away with the poll tax. So now we have to pay to play? Our level of citizenship is tied to our level of payment? Didn’t we eliminate that a couple of hundred years ago?
Organizations on both sides already get around it by having “political action committees.” So if I wear one hat I can say don’t vote for Obama, but if I wear another, I cannot. Give me a break. How much money is wasted by both sides playing these accounting games?
The lawsuit from Catholic Answers nails it. This is exactly what is happening and I hope that many other organizations on both sides of the political aisle join this suit.
