The Internal Revenue Service is investigating the United Church of Christ, saying the denomination may have threatened its tax-free status by allowing Sen. Barack Obama to speak before thousands of members at a church conference in June.
A lawyer for the church denied that the denomination, or Sen. Obama, who is a UCC member, engaged in any political activity when he and others spoke before an audience of 10,000 at the church's 50th anniversary celebration in Hartford, Conn.
A spokesman for the Obama campaign, Tommy Vietor, said the candidate "spoke to his church's convention about his personal spiritual journey....This was not a campaign event."
It is considered unusual for the federal agency to investigate an entire denomination. The agency has previously investigated individual churches and ministers who have made comments about politicians from the pulpit. In rare cases, churches have been fined or have lost their tax-free status.
An IRS spokeswoman wouldn't comment on the inquiry, which the church disclosed by releasing a letter from the agency.
The 1.2 million-member religious body, which was formed with the merger of several Protestant groups, is considered a social-activist denomination.
Federal tax law prohibits nonprofits from engaging in political campaigns.
During an election year it is hard to say what is, and what isn't, a campaign event. I'll leave it to the lawyers to sort it out, but the facts are a little telling: Obama draws a crowd of 10,000--to hear about his personal spiritual journey. It is indeed amazing to learn that Obama's spiritual journey has the power to rival attendance at a Billy Graham Crusade.
Years back when I did interreligious work I visited a local UCC congregation. I recall the minister asking me about my personal affiliation. Upon learning that I was Catholic he was quick to share his liberal political views--I even got the feeling that I was being tested.
Undoubtedly, religion and politics have plenty to do with one another; however, a parish or congregation needs to beware when inviting politicians to share their spiritual journey. I wonder what other candidates have spoken to religious congregations this election year?
We have too long bent our necks to Caesar's regulation and restriction of the Church in its monetary disguise, very much to our fatal detriment. We've allowed Him to be muzzled, we just want Him to behave--and the illusion of our silence 'for a greater good' which perpetuates that, has eunuched what might've been a spiritually fecund nation. What a not-revolting-enough development. I say tax the Church so that she may exhale freely-- to call a dictator a dictator, to call a pre-emptive strike an abomination and not a deck of cards (what audacity), and free her to choke the beast that wars upon human life in so many ways, with enough holy hands to make it retreat. We Americans have forgotten that Christ actually trumps any and every Caesar.
Posted by: JustMe | February 27, 2008 at 10:27 AM