Major presidential candidate endorsed from church pulpit
posted at 1:50 pm on January 15, 2008 by Bryan
And it’s not Mike Huckabee.
In introducing the candidate, the pastor said, “the more he speaks, the more he wins my confidence, and . . . if the polls were open today, I would cast my vote for this [politician].” Then just in case that wasn’t enough, the pastor encouraged his congregation to follow his voting lead, “If you can’t support your own, you’re never going to get anywhere. . . . I want to see this man in office.”
A little more detail here.
Before he arrived, the pastor of the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ, speaking from the pulpit, advocated for [his candidate], possibly breaking the law. Pastor Leon Smith told the congregation that “the more he [his candidate] speaks, the more he wins my confidence, and . . . if the polls were open today, I would cast my vote for this senator.”
He urged them to do the same, saying, “If you can’t support your own, you’re never going to get anywhere. . . . I want to see this man in office.”
“If you can’t support your own…?” We’ll assume that by that the pastor means a fellow Christian, though there are other fair interpretations of the phrase.
So who is the recipient of the pulpit endorsement, which might have been illegal?
Under federal tax law, nonprofits such as churches are prohibited from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that the forbidden partisan activity includes speech from the pulpit that indicates the church favors a particular candidate.
As I said, it’s not Mike Huckabee. And that’s likely to make all the difference.
Blowback
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I’ll be curious to see where this leads.
ballz2wallz on January 15, 2008 at 1:53 PM
OOOOOOOOBAMA!
ihasurnominashun on January 15, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Thanks for the link Bryan. Because of who it is, the revelation was buried deep in the story with no mention in the head or sub-head, not to mention the fact that no national media picked this up.
wardrobedoor on January 15, 2008 at 1:56 PM
This doesn’t matter and it never will. So long as churches in the very first place consider themselves bound to the state, they have already given up their mission. Moreover, so long as the stumping has to do with a mainstream establishment-approved candidate, there is no problem.
Huckabee, Obama, no matter and no difference.
Drum on January 15, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Did their church accept money from Bush’s ridiculous faith-based initiative? Can’t the gov. take it back now?
CABE on January 15, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Kerry spoke at a Church in 2004. It was on the front page of a section of the Dallas Morning News. Bush, obviously, didn’t speak too.
No scandal. No investigation. No fairness.
PurpleWombats on January 15, 2008 at 1:57 PM
IRS rules do not apply to the “messiah.” You know that.
SCGOPgirl on January 15, 2008 at 1:58 PM
CNN broadcast that event live, so there may be video somewhere…
someguy on January 15, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Of course, the socialist utopia they all pine for is the very authoritarian establishment they are so afraid of.
JustTruth101 on January 15, 2008 at 2:00 PM
and…isn’t Obama a Harvard lawyer?
JustTruth101 on January 15, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Uh oh. Goodbye tax exempt status.
Vizzini on January 15, 2008 at 2:02 PM
My guess……Obama! However, I believe in unfettered free speech and have no problem with a church discussing politics and endorsing candidates. My problem lies with churches moving away from their moral obligations to support Christian values which are really only held by the Conservative wing of the Republican party.
azcop on January 15, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Feel his spirit!
SCGOPgirl on January 15, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Well, of course this doesn’t count. Nothing will happen to this church and/or its pastor. Except maybe some special access if the election goes the way Pastor Leon wants it to.
Frozen Tex on January 15, 2008 at 2:04 PM
It’s none other than the Messiah himself, Barry Hussein O’Bama.
Here were my clues.
If you have been around the game long enough, it does not take much effort.
Does anyone else smell a church about to lose its tax-exempt status?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 15, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Seeing as how this has been going on for DECADES, with the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton doing nothing but politics, I really don’t see how this is news, or even surprising at all.
Nothing will be done, because B. Hussein Obama is a black liberal, and that’s all that matters.
MrJustice on January 15, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Try “Hello strongly worded letter”. It was a pastor at a black church supporting a black Democrat- nobody is going to touch them.
Hollowpoint on January 15, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Big trouble from the IRS…NOT! Hey, it’s a black liberal church pimping a Dem. Nothing will happen and no one will say a thing because it’s not a conservative republican he’s supporting. If it had been Fred he had been talking about, every MSM would be camped out on the front steps demanding action.
flytier on January 15, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Nicely said. And, that’s the problem with all of this – the kowtowing of a church to the laws of the State is just as vile as the Church that forsakes the Gospel, in order to discuss politicians.
I’ve always wondered – do these Churches actually believe that they’ve so completely covered every facet of the Gospel, that they now have time to discuss politicians?
Another rhetorical question, on my part.
OhEssYouCowboys on January 15, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I found the following even more surreal than the religious angle:
In other words, the candidate of “change” who happens to be a lawyer and whose spouse happens to be a lawyer and who is competing in a primary against serious opponents who happen to be lawyers and whose spouses happen to be lawyers shouts “Are we going to let a bunch of lawyers prevent us from making change in America?” to members of an organization that wants to put in place all sorts of legal rules to hamper the working of the free market system.
And then there is that “No” that was shouted back. Does this mean that the labor unionists are rejecting the party of lawyers? Sadly, no.
thuja on January 15, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Move along, nothing to see here. Move along…..
Torch on January 15, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Let’s complete that thought: IRS rules do not apply to DEMOCRATS.
fred5678 on January 15, 2008 at 2:15 PM
I don’t have a problem with this, and I’m an atheist. This guy may have broken the law, but sometimes the law is an ass.
infidel65 on January 15, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Well obviously, Huckabee isnt a Senator so that leaves him out. Mitt too. and others.
broker1 on January 15, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Stop making sense or a lawyer may sue you to get a restraining order against your free will.
azcop on January 15, 2008 at 2:17 PM
Not a surprise especially since I used to be in a Pentecostal church. I have been to many pentecostal churches that use the bully pulpit. Really sad.
JVelez on January 15, 2008 at 2:17 PM
SO SOMEONE FILE A COMPLAINT
bnelson44 on January 15, 2008 at 2:18 PM
BHO is a Dem and Dems can’t be for theocracy because, well, they can’t.
BHO gets a free ride on his religious quakery (and most everything else). And this church will get a free ride too. It is to be expected. The media won’t touch this story because BHO is a black Democrat and reporters “have a hard time staying objective with this guy.” Meanwhile we get numerous stories about the fine details of Romney and Huckabee’s religions. Again, to be expected.
Vote Sauron 08 on January 15, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Seeing as BO was there on Sunday…..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132×4056517
Wileygrl3 on January 15, 2008 at 2:39 PM
One pastor tells his people to vote for a pro-life candidate, anti-abortionism being the 2,000-year old traditional position of the Christian Church.
Another pastor (of a church that didn’t exist 100 years ago, the Holy Ghost Big Bang Theory Mission Temple Fireworks Stand Pentecostal, or whatever it is) tells his people to vote for the man who is arguably the most pro-abortion presidential candidate in history.
Which side is the devil on in this debate about pulling live babies apart in utero? And why should the govt get between these two, or try to shut one or both of them up? Let em slug it out. God isn’t neutral, and neither may His people be.
Akzed on January 15, 2008 at 2:40 PM
The problem is that the law is selectively enforced. The rules don’t apply to democrats.
I think it’s ironic that the democrats are always screeching “separation of church and state” and yet they are the ones who actively seek and accept the endorsements of churches and pastors.
pullingmyhairout on January 15, 2008 at 2:44 PM
So, you’re O.K. with it only as long as it is a Christian church? Conservative Jews and Muslims don’t count? Christian values held by liberal Democrats are different than those of the conservative wing of the GOP? Or, did I misinterpet?
a capella on January 15, 2008 at 2:46 PM
I see your point about the double standards, but I still think this law is silly. The New York Times, for example, can actively support a party and/or candidate and it’s OK. The NYT can destroy a highly successful intelligence program… and get away with it. But a minister can’t stand on a pulpit and endorse a presidential candidate. It’s insane.
infidel65 on January 15, 2008 at 2:50 PM
A. Islam should be disqualified by the courts as a religion and recognized only as a political movement, much like Communism was inhibited in the 40s and 50s.
B. Jews don’t advocate the violent overthrow of our government, so they can stay.
C. Would that the Democrats did occasionally voice Christian values.
What some of us are arguing for is freedom from govt interference for religious people (who aren’t into beheading infidels). Copy?
Akzed on January 15, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Obama the Abortionist, unbiblical but the right color.
Before I clicked the link, I’m thinking how many times you see Democrats in Black churches down South faking their accents to blend. If it had been a Republican candidate, I would have been surprised.
If a church brings in a politician to speak on pro-life issues they can lose their tax status. If they bring in a Democrat that fully supports abortion on demand, that’s different.
Hening on January 15, 2008 at 2:53 PM
When Mike Huckabee came to Prestonwood, he said at the first of his speech he said it wouldn’t be a speech but a sermon and Pastor Graham was very careful to say “the church cannot endorse” a candidate. It’s interesting, when I read the headline I figured it was Huckabee.
Dhornertx on January 15, 2008 at 3:13 PM
A church is tax-exempt, the NYT is not. If a church wants to endorse a candidate, blaze a trail – but the church needs to give up its tax-exempt status first. That’s the problem with this whole “Obama is endorsed from the pulpit” thing.
pullingmyhairout on January 15, 2008 at 3:29 PM
You misrepresent….You cannot be a Dem supporting abortion, so-called seperation of church and state, the ACLU, Govt. controlled schools, the term “holiday” over “Christmas”, forced entitlement funding, and be a Christian.
I never said that one could not use their 1st Amendment rights of Free Speech if one was Jewish or Muslim. I said if one claims to be a Christian church, they should not be endorsing views espoused by the Democrats and other liberal agendas.
azcop on January 15, 2008 at 3:34 PM
Pulling is right; it is the tax exempt status that is the problem. But don’t expect the IRS to come knocking at that church’s door.
michaelo on January 15, 2008 at 3:41 PM
And someone brought up abortion. The Gospel in context of a sermon on abortion would deal with sin and Gospel: that is, the wise pastor would not point to the vote (constitutional amendment, etc), but would rather stick to his role as pastor by pointing to the reality of abortion being murder (sin) and the forgiveness to be gotten through Christ’s sacrifice (Gospel). This is why we go to (or ought to go to) church.
Half the time the pastor is a half-wit anyway when it comes politics, so why should we take his political views serious? I go to church for the Gospel, not the latest commentary from National Review.
Drum on January 15, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Haha, Obama? Well, I don’t know if anyone told you Allah, but he’s a Democrat so – NOTHING TO SEE HERE! And have you no shame? The man is black for goodness sake! Off limits pal, off limits!
RightWinged on January 15, 2008 at 4:24 PM
I have never heard of a church being investigated for endorsing a Democrat candidate but let a Republican candidate be promoted in a church service and all HELL will break loose with them. The ACLU, the Society for Separation of Church and State and you name it they will just go nuts about this whole thing. I KNOW….I am not the least afraid to deal with ISSUES and there is enough deliniation between the candidates that it becomes very plain who I support but I wouldn’t presume to encourage or tell others how to vote
rightwingpastor on January 15, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Huckabee got up and preached! Twice! During his race for president! What greater endorsement of a candidate is there? Is he a preacher or is he a politician? That he is presently running for president ought to preclude him from setting foot in the pulpit. Republicans seem to be getting a pretty free ride in this instance.
Drum on January 15, 2008 at 4:56 PM
Try deafening silence.
Jaibones on January 15, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Yes, that’s the current law; but my point was that it’s a dumb law. Had the minister endorsed Obama 100 yards from his church, I assume that would have been OK. Not that it should make any difference.
Tax-exemption means, in effect, that you can’t make a profit, but it shouldn’t entail giving up your first amendment rights. There is no good reason to connect the two.
Having said all that, I totally agree with the main thrust of this thread. The hypocracy of the MSM/Democrats rears its ugly head once again. I’m surprised the Clintons haven’t said anything; although it would be difficult after calling a ‘truce’ only yesterday.
infidel65 on January 15, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Ahem! That was Bryan pointing out the double-standard, which is strangely not being applied to Huckabee at this point (gee, I wonder why; could it be that Huckabee is eminently defeatable in the general?).
steveegg on January 15, 2008 at 5:19 PM
PINO! A true Pentecostal would never endorse someone like Obama. I grew up in a Pentecostal church. Trust me.
SouthernGent on January 15, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Why does a preacher need to quit preaching. I looked at the sermons he preached and they had no “Please vote for me!” in them AND the Pastor did not endorse him or tell his congregants to vote for him. Try as you may, there is a double standard and the Democrats won’t live to the expectations they have of Republicans.
rightwingpastor on January 15, 2008 at 6:35 PM
This is an absolute non-story. Black churches in the South have been endorsing candidates and helping organize for years. When I worked for a campaign in the 5th Congressional district in SC it was a known fact that Black Churches were using Church vans to pick up people and drive them to the polls, all with Democratic campaign money.
It’s always been like that here. The key to the Black vote in the South is through the Pastors, and always will be. Pay them, get their vote.
…and no, the IRS is not stupid enough to go after them.
lodestonejames on January 15, 2008 at 6:45 PM
I don’t necessarily agree that it’s a dumb law. Does this fall under the guise of separation of church and state? For a politician (state) to campaign in a church? I would say yes. What’s funny is that the dems will blur the line in this instance, but if my kid wants to say the Lord’s Prayer in school, Katy Bar The Door! The ACLU will be on her like flies on sh*t.
pullingmyhairout on January 15, 2008 at 7:37 PM
Dum dum-dum-dum, dum dum, dum.
Can’t touch this.
Tzetzes on January 15, 2008 at 7:45 PM