Catholic Group to Ask IRS to Revoke Tax-Exempt Status of Florida Church
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor
August 30, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - A Catholic group plans to ask the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax-exempt status of a Miami, Fla., church, where prominent Democrats helped turned the Sunday church service into what the South Florida Sun-Sentinel called a "political rally."

The Catholic League said the bishop of Miami's New Birth Baptist Church, Bishop Victor T. Curry, "welcomed" former Democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Terry McAuliffe.

"Rev. Sharpton, speaking from the pulpit, added to the politicized atmosphere by shouting, 'We're not people who are going to be beat twice,'" Catholic League President William Donohue said.

"But no one was more partisan than McAuliffe: 'Bush has misled us for four years and will not mislead us for the next four years. Get out to vote and we'll send Bush back to Texas.' Consequently, the Catholic League will now ask the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of this church," he added.

"In what Donohue called "an interesting turn of events," former President Bill Clinton spoke Sunday at New York's Riverside Church.

"Politics and political involvement dictated by faith is not the exclusive province of the right wing," Donohue quoted Clinton as saying.

"This is a remarkable statement coming from a leader of the Democratic Party. To be specific, John Kerry has said, 'I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist...' Thus does Kerry want to inoculate his religious views from his political positions?" he asked.

"This is in sharp contrast to Bill Clinton's plea that one's politics should be dictated by one's faith," Donohue added.

Also in contrast, Donohue said, Rev. George Rutler celebrated Mass Sunday in New York, which was "well attended" by Catholics who were in town for the convention.

"In a lengthy sermon, which focused on humility and the poor, Rutler made a passing reference to the controversy over Catholic pro-abortion politicians, saying that 'No one has a right to take Communion,'" Donohue said.

"Yet this was enough for an AP reporter to say that 'church-state separation watchdogs' have said that 'Masses such as the one held Sunday amount to tacit political endorsement,'" he added.

"Neither Clinton nor Rutler violated the IRS rules governing church and state. But McAuliffe crossed the line, hence the need to contact the IRS," Donohue concluded.

Again Rome chooses to be the forerunner of a technique only found in her past. FORCE! And to top it off, they are doing so in a hypocritical manner! Is it not a violation of Church & State for the US Bishops to proclaim anyone that votes for pro-abortion candidates should be refused communion? Is it not a violation of Church & State for the Pope to ask for civil laws to enforce Sunday keeping on page 112 of his 1998 Dios Domini? Is it not a violation of Church & State for Rome to have it's priests photographed in prayer with presidents and other politicians? Is it not a violation of Church & State for Rome to even exist itself? For Rome is the ultimate violation! They ARE a church AND a state at the same time!

Roman Catholicism has already taken the IRS by storm long ago. Some of us have seen what happens to churches that have been attacked by the IRS. They not only remove their tax free status, they enforce a special excise tax on them, and tack on years of penalties for not paying taxes. In other words, if you're a church 20 years with a 501C3 tax free number, and the IRS decides you need it removed, all back taxes are no retroactive. You owe for ALL the years you were tax free. Plus the penalties. Plus the excise tax. That completely wipes the pastor out, his family, as well as all people on the church board! The fines are in the MILLIONS! Rome knows this. And yet, these Catholic people want this for this church and their families? YES! For that is the nature of the beast!



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