UCCtruths has received a copy of a complaint sent to the IRS regarding Sen. Barak Obama's speech at the UCC's General Synod in June in Hartford, Connecticut. The complaint, dated August 2nd, does not ask for any specific remedy, but does ask for an investigation alleging that the UCC violated "federal tax law banning political campaign intervention"...
At least some of the complaints certainly sound like straightforward violations. That said, using the IRS as a club against whatever religious institution (or any non-profit, I suppose) one has it in for seems like a dangerously slippery slope. Has your local synagogue, church, mosque, coven or whathaveyou never had a speaker say something that could possibly be construed as unacceptably political?
They knew what they were doing crossed the line. They didn't think there was anything wrong with violating the law - because it was in the interest of a 'good cause' and they were speaking 'prophetically'. They are used to this type of provision not being enforced on them. I don't see as they have any excuse. And I suspect that UCC member Rev. Barry Lynn would not extend the same courtesy you are suggesting to someone of another denomination hosting a conservative candidate in the identical manner.
I agree, the IRS should stay out of such things - BUT worse than that is unfair or one-sided enforcement and the brand of hypocrisy that thinks 'my violations are OK because I have the right political opinions."
At least some of the complaints certainly sound like straightforward violations. That said, using the IRS as a club against whatever religious institution (or any non-profit, I suppose) one has it in for seems like a dangerously slippery slope. Has your local synagogue, church, mosque, coven or whathaveyou never had a speaker say something that could possibly be construed as unacceptably political?
They knew what they were doing crossed the line. They didn't think there was anything wrong with violating the law - because it was in the interest of a 'good cause' and they were speaking 'prophetically'. They are used to this type of provision not being enforced on them. I don't see as they have any excuse. And I suspect that UCC member Rev. Barry Lynn would not extend the same courtesy you are suggesting to someone of another denomination hosting a conservative candidate in the identical manner.
I agree, the IRS should stay out of such things - BUT worse than that is unfair or one-sided enforcement and the brand of hypocrisy that thinks 'my violations are OK because I have the right political opinions."
BUT worse than that is unfair or one-sided enforcement...
What "one-sided enforcement"?
Rev. Barry Lynn is one sided in his complaints. He finds nothing wrong with this one. Were his advice followed, it would be one-sided enforcement.