1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Rogue pastors endorse candidates, but IRS looks away

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Revmitchell, Nov 3, 2014.

  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    A record number of rogue Christian pastors are endorsing candidates from the pulpit this election cycle, using Sunday sermons to defiantly flout tax rules.
    Their message to the IRS: Sue me.

    But the tax agency is doing anything but. Although the IRS was sued itself for not enforcing the law and admitted about 100 churches may be breaking the rules, the pastors and their critics alike say the agency is looking the other way. The agency refuses to say if it is acting.
    At the same time, the number of pastors endorsing candidates in what they call Pulpit Freedom Sunday jumped from 33 people in 2008 to more than 1,600 this year, according to organizers, Alliance Defending Freedom. And this year, they’ve stepped up their drive, telling pastors to back candidates any Sunday up until the election, not just one Sunday as in past years.
    (POLITICO's polling center)
    The church leaders are jumping in high-profile races that will help decide the Senate and tight governor races across the country, endorsing candidates from Thom Tillis (R) over Sen. Kay Hagan (D) in North Carolina to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) over Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) in Kentucky.
    Rev. Mark Cowart, pastor at Colorado Springs-based Church For All Nations, suggested good Christians should vote Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper out of office in an Oct. 19 sermon, where he endorsed his GOP rival, Bob Beauprez.


    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/...sing-candidates-irs-112434.html#ixzz3I1rdz7sp
     
  2. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I do not endorse candidates from the pulpit or anywhere else. They may be a good candidate, but the day after endorsing them we could discover that they did something illicit or illegal.
     
  3. just-want-peace

    just-want-peace Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2002
    Messages:
    7,727
    Likes Received:
    873
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Or at least accused of -?-?-?-, with no time to refute before the election!
     
  4. Aaron

    Aaron Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2000
    Messages:
    20,253
    Likes Received:
    1,381
    Faith:
    Baptist
    "Rogue" pastors?

    You mean free?
     
  5. CatMommy

    CatMommy New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2014
    Messages:
    228
    Likes Received:
    0
    Indeed.

    I applaud those pastors for their defiance.

    The FFRF (Freedom From Religion Foundation) had a secret meeting with the IRS so as to encourage them to crack down on pastors that spoke of politics in the pulpit.
    These two groups evidently arrived at a secret accord that fell on the FFRF's side of things, which is illegal, and now the IRS is planning on targeting what some call rogue preachers.

    It's going to be an interesting future for Christians in America.
     
  6. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2012
    Messages:
    13,757
    Likes Received:
    222
    Is there a difference between actually endorsing them from the pulpit and inviting them to your church recognizing them, and telling folks to vote their conscience?

    I've seen a lot of churches do this. I don't think I've ever seen a pastor acknowledge any political candidate from the pulpit that he wouldn't publicly support.
     
  7. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Of course you have. What ever it is that you want to rail against at the moment you have seen a lot of.:rolleyes:
     
  8. CatMommy

    CatMommy New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2014
    Messages:
    228
    Likes Received:
    0
    :( Wow. Is this community typically contentious among the membership? Or is it a community of faith in the spirit of the church Christ endorsed?
    I'd like to know before I become more involved. I've seen enough of the contentious types to last a lifetime.
     
  9. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2012
    Messages:
    13,757
    Likes Received:
    222
    Yes, and at the top of the list today is Reverends who in no way act reverent. :rolleyes:
     
  10. Use of Time

    Use of Time Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2014
    Messages:
    4,705
    Likes Received:
    368
    Faith:
    Baptist
    The reality is that while being a baptist BBS it is still the internet with all of the anonymity that goes with it. There is no perfect forum. Like others internet forums, there are good people here and there are those who will frustrate you. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Welcome to the BB. Stick around and give it a shot.
     
  11. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2010
    Messages:
    24,988
    Likes Received:
    2,268
    Faith:
    Baptist
    The Politics and Current Events section can get heated. There are several members that can't stand viewpoints that don't line up with Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or Sean Hannity. If you dare disagree with them you will be taken to the woodshed. You can hold 19 out of 20 positions right out of the Republican or Tea Party platform but if you deviate on that one position you will be branded a liberal.

    From what I've seen of your posts so far, you appear to have the ability to hold your own so you will be just fine. Just ignore the divisive people here.
     
  12. Jedi Knight

    Jedi Knight Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,135
    Likes Received:
    117
    But other members attack other views and act innocent.
     
Loading...