Compromise in the Church
Recently in the news there was a lot of talk about some evangelical leaders calling upon the church to protest against the Federal Government for "gagging" them.....not allowing the church to voice an opinion either for or against any particular candidate in any election - local or otherwise.
What these "evangelical leaders" were actually doing was encouraging pastors of churches all across this country to violate an oath that they have taken, and, in actuality, be an extremely poor witness for Jesus Christ and the true church.
What these folks were referring to was what is called the IRS 501(c)3 - a designation of being tax exempt that is assigned to churches who request it. One of the major requirements of agreeing to the IRS 501(c)3 rules is that the church will not voice anything for or against political candidates, or endorse any particular candidate.
The problem here lies with the individual churches...and the individual pastors.
For the record, churches, by IRS rules, are already tax exempt without doing anything at all to request that status. The IRS 501(c)3 status was put into effect in 1954 (led by then-Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson) in order to attempt to squelch the pulpit and stop pastors and churches from warning the congregation about certain politicians and their lifestyles.
In general, the tax-exempt status must be requested by any non-church charitable organization in order for their funds to be non-taxed and for the contributors to be able to deduct the contribution. But, this never has, and it doesn't now, apply to the church. The church is now, and always has been non-taxable.
For any church that has requested this status from the IRS, they must abide by the rules to which they agreed. I would urge any who have signed on as an accomplice and agent of the government to take the necessary steps to relinquish this status with the IRS.
This IRS 501(c)3 status, along with State Incorporation, puts either the Federal Government, or the State Government, in the top position in the church, effectively supplanting Jesus Christ.
If you would like more information, please listen to:
Can The Church Serve Two Masters? - Pastor Howard Fleury - 12-29-2005
http://biblestudies.aroadinthewilderness.org/2005/12/29/can-the-church-serve-two-masters--1-samuel-819.aspx
What these "evangelical leaders" were actually doing was encouraging pastors of churches all across this country to violate an oath that they have taken, and, in actuality, be an extremely poor witness for Jesus Christ and the true church.
What these folks were referring to was what is called the IRS 501(c)3 - a designation of being tax exempt that is assigned to churches who request it. One of the major requirements of agreeing to the IRS 501(c)3 rules is that the church will not voice anything for or against political candidates, or endorse any particular candidate.
The problem here lies with the individual churches...and the individual pastors.
For the record, churches, by IRS rules, are already tax exempt without doing anything at all to request that status. The IRS 501(c)3 status was put into effect in 1954 (led by then-Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson) in order to attempt to squelch the pulpit and stop pastors and churches from warning the congregation about certain politicians and their lifestyles.
In general, the tax-exempt status must be requested by any non-church charitable organization in order for their funds to be non-taxed and for the contributors to be able to deduct the contribution. But, this never has, and it doesn't now, apply to the church. The church is now, and always has been non-taxable.
For any church that has requested this status from the IRS, they must abide by the rules to which they agreed. I would urge any who have signed on as an accomplice and agent of the government to take the necessary steps to relinquish this status with the IRS.
This IRS 501(c)3 status, along with State Incorporation, puts either the Federal Government, or the State Government, in the top position in the church, effectively supplanting Jesus Christ.
If you would like more information, please listen to:
Can The Church Serve Two Masters? - Pastor Howard Fleury - 12-29-2005
http://biblestudies.aroadinthewilderness.org/2005/12/29/can-the-church-serve-two-masters--1-samuel-819.aspx
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