Church's bus to polls for Bush called mistake

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04322/413233.stm

A group advocating the separation of church and state has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a Blair County church that advertised transportation on election day in support of President Bush.

The Bride of Christ Church's 1.25-by-2-inch advertisement in The Altoona Mirror said "In support of President George W. Bush, we are offering transportation to the voting polls" and listed three phone numbers for voters to call for rides.

The Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State said the church violated IRS regulations for tax-exempt organizations by touting Bush.

Blair County is a very Red area.

i hope the i.r.s. zaps them.

But if it was an African-American Church with ad for Kerry - you know it would happen.

"Bride of Christ Church"? The name gives me the heebie-jeebies.

The body of worshippers is metaphorically compared to a bride with the risen Jesus as the groom throughout the New Testament.

now lose their tax-exempt status. Wouldn't that follow the "Rule of Law" that we used to hear about so often (back in the day)?

Tut-tut

mistake!:P

TAX THOSE FUCKERS

Yeah, that ad just accidentally appeared in the newspaper, accidentally was paid for by contributions to the sunday collection plate and the bus (also paid for by the collection plate, gas and all, no doubt) accidentally drove to the polls and back. Damn, there are so many accidents there, they should get their insurance cancelled as well.

I would love to see any church caught politicking pay some big time taxes.

But I don't expect much in Stalinist Amerikka.

We have become the United States Stalinist Republic.

We're all back in the U.S.S.R.

read the whole article, mmmkay?

Mind you, I want to see C-Plus Augustus' radical clerics taken down as much as the next guy, but this is a 50-member congregation. Tiny. It is just possible that they really didn't know any better.

Mondo-churches cover their tracks better than that. I'd hate for us to pile on and make an example out of a teensy congregation like this one-- I can only imagine the mileage the Reichwingers would get out of it.

By all means, put some pressure on, but let's not get carried away. I'd MUCH rather see someone call to account the Southern Baptist Conference for the disgustingly partisan "Voter's Guide" they had online.

something like that, would allow Churches, etc. to endorse political candidates & keep tax exempt status. It will likely pass w/this admin & Congress. And if Dubya gets his SCOTUS appointees, it will not be declared unConsitutional.

That stinky bill will pass. Maybe they will over-reach, and we will find out which congregations are pure political machines, and which are not. Maybe this type of thing will backfire.

I hope these guys are fined at the very least. Of course, that might just make them more over-the-top.

The worst offender is the Southern Baptist Convention, the administrative body of the ... Southern Baptists. Per Richard Land, their Ethics Commissioner, "The Bible says godly leadership is a sign of God's blessings, and a lack of godly leadership is a sign of God's judgment. I don't see Kerry as a godly leader." Oh...that's right..he's saying it as an objective individual, not from the pulpit. So it's O.K. . He kind of forgets to tell everybody that he's Bush's buddy, and gets to meet with him more than the Senate does, probably.

it will be applied as vigorously (if not more so) by the religious left as it will be by the religious right. And there are more moderate and non-Christian (so generally more liberal) churches out there than there are RW fundies. The left figures people's vote is their business, but if the RWingers get this passed through, I'm sure you'll hear more from the pulpit on the left as well.

Remember, too, that it was the progressive churches that helped to bring about abolition, child and public health services, end child labor laws, women's rights, and free public education. They also gave us Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and Jimmy Carter.

pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

No shit - these people ar candidates for the stoopidest people in America.

The fact that all Altoona has is bars and hoagie shops on EVERY corner should say it all.

*gasp*
I hear they'll give each churchgoer 7 lashes on the wrist
with a feather!!!
Oh the HORROR!!!!

There were so many churches that gave preference to the rethugs in s many ways. Saying that this was one teeeensy church is no excuse!
EVERY church knows their rights by law.
Unfortunately, in a few months that won't matter anymore.