Over the weekend pastors at at least two Flagler County churches, New Way Church and Parkview Church, explicitly endorsed three candidates for the Flagler County School Board, featuring one or all three of the candidates on stage and giving them time to make campaign speeches, in apparent violation of federal law: churches may inform congregations about elections, they may invite candidates to speak, as long as all candidates of any given race are invited, but they may not explicitly endorse or back one candidate over another. Contacted for comment, Greg Peters, the head pastor at Parkview, asked for questions in writing. They were sent. He has not responded. Rabbi Merrill Shapiro of Palm Coast contributed the opinion below.
By Rabbi Merrill Shapiro
Yes, those are real tears! They are being shed by the angels who surround the Heavenly Throne. They are being shed for those Flagler County churches that so clearly have lost their way. They are being shed for those Flagler County churches that have no faith.
The churches of Flagler County have entered into an agreement with the government of the United States of America—also known as “We the People…”, state, regional and local governments as well–and become part of an agreement, an arrangement that works really well for the churches. The agreement, a contract, says that those churches or any houses of worship will not be required to pay taxes on their income as do so many other corporate and individual entities in our nation. Those churches will not need to pay state or local taxes either. No real estate taxes are required of the churches of Flagler County.
What has been required of those churches to access these magnificent benefits? Very little. But they must agree, they must “bear witness” that they will, in the words of 26 U.S. Code § 501 – “Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.” not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”
To access those wonderful benefits, to be exempt from taxes, to have donors be able to deduct the value of their donations on their own income tax returns, the churches of Flagler County, indeed virtually all houses of worship in all 3,006 counties in this, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, have borne witness and entered into a contract agreeing that they would refrain from political activity.
“We the People,” that is, the government of these United States, have kept our end of the agreement. Too many churches in Flagler County have not been faithful to their part of the agreement. Those churches have “borne false witness.” They are churches without faith.
Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, a long-time Palm Coast resident, is a Past President of the National Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has served as President of the Richmond, Virginia AU chapter, currently serves as president of the Atlantic Coast AU chapter, and chairs the FlaglerLive Board of Directors.
See:
- School Board’s Jill Woolbright Says She’s in ‘Satanic Warfare’ Against ‘Evil Spirits’ at School District
- School Board’s Massaro and Conklin Denounce Woolbright ‘s ‘Disgusting and Despicable’ Zealotry
SeparationOfChurchAndStateMOFOS says
Oh really? Are they delving into politics? There’s a form for that you can submit with evidence (like a copy of this article) and have their tax exempt status revoked if they deem the church is meddling where it shouldn’t. Huh. Guess who is filling out that form right now. 🙋♀️
Churches. Here is a message for you. STAY. THE. EFF. OUT. OF. POLITICS.
There is a 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000% CLEAR DIVIDE THAT SEPARATES THE EFFING CHURCH AND THE STATE. There are people that “gasp” are not Christian so stop pushing your agenda down our throats. You are tax exempt for one reason and if you meddle I will make sure you pay YOUR dues.
Angela Mahler says
Where can we get that form?
Foresee says
Where does one find the form? Please publish the details!
Merrill S Shapiro says
There is an easy to fill out form at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf A completed sample is available at the “AU Atlantic Coast” Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/419923675009858 Thanks, in advance, for creating a public record!
Knows a little says
I used to attend Parkview but left after Greg gave a sermon in 2016 stating he would vote for the person who represents everything wrong in America over the person who represents everything wrong in Washington. Well, we ended up with a president who had no Christian values whatsoever. We all see how that SS turned out for America. I just hope Greg did not have the crazy women from the school board or the county commissioner up there this weekend. They are destroying what used to be a great county.
Kat says
I think this would be an appropriate place to publish the links for citizens to file complaints regarding these churches behavior and request that their tax-exempt status be revoked. Breach of contract should have consequences.
Merrill S Shapiro says
There is an easy to fill out form at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf A completed sample is available at the “AU Atlantic Coast” Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/419923675009858 Thanks, in advance, for creating a public record!
Deirdre says
These churches need to have some consequences or we will have a domino effect of other churches doing the same thing. They’ve been getting away with this kind of thing for a while so naturally they’re going to keep pushing if nothing stops them.
If they did have strong faith, they could call on God to elect the people they wished to see direct the schools.
Instead they manipulate people in their congregation to vote for these candidates based on their religious viewpoints. They have a lot of power!
Everyone who has commented on the latest school board situation thinks it’s shocking, but I hope the community as a whole will make a point to get out there and vote, because if they don’t these three will definitely win.
In my opinion lot of tragic political decisions as of late are due to the empowerment of extreme right wing religious organizations, we need to bring them back to earth.
If they think it’s not fair, talk to the government and then talk to God. It’s a legal and moral obligation that benefits our community as a whole, not just the people in those churches.
Maybe should they should ask themselves what Jesus would do, because this isn’t it.
Meredith Martin Davis says
Wow! Wonderful succinct capture of how beautiful our separation of church and state works and how WRONG THESE SANCTIMONIOUS CHURCHES ARE TO BREAK FROM THE AMERICAN WAY.
Shame on them! Pass this article on!
Michael Douglas says
“Give Us Barabbas”
We hear you, we hear you. A tale as old as time.
wow says
How do we make a public complaint to the IRS about this?
Merrill S Shapiro says
There is an easy to fill out form at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf A completed sample is available at the “AU Atlantic Coast” Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/419923675009858 Thanks, in advance, for creating a public record!
Bob J says
look it up
Celia Pugliese says
Mr. Shapiro is right on point. The two church pastors owe a detail explanation to us all taxpayers for their violation of the law.
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Peoples good intentions and peoples evil intentions have crafted the set of laws that govern and restrict us all.
Limit government and live free.
Angela Mahler says
Both of these churches should lose their tax exempt status. They are political organizations who endorse candidates friendly to them and do not attempt to present a fair and balanced view. Their congregation is being unfairly and illegally influenced.
Stephen Smith says
So this breach means that those churches will have to pay taxes? Why would God get involved in local elections? Doesn’t the Bible say he Loves all people.
Jas says
Perfect example of people perishing for lack of knowledge.
Dave says
For someone who is against church and state it seems a simple google search shows quite a few instances where the Rabbi is in various court cases and lawsuits. Why keep the name Rabbi when your main focus is legal cases? Pot? Kettle?
can'tfoolme says
Wondering the same thing, Dave. Is the rabbi not a religious leader also, and if so, why is he constantly commenting on Flager Live with political bias. I’m sure he must also influence his flock as much as do the pastors of the churches.
As for the taxpayer’s concerns…..monies collected are tithes rendered to God as mandated in the Bible. There is also a stipulation for separation of tithes to be separate from taxes (“render unto God what is due” and “render unto Ceasar what is due”). Church members do pay taxes, in case you have forgotten.
Pierre Tristam says
Religious leaders aren’t barred from having opinions, not even from the pulpit (where it’s all opinion). They’re merely barred from making explicit endorsements or using their house of worship as Karl Rove Central.
George says
There are legitimite churches and fake ones. The Tammy and Jim Baker churches are only there to take your money for them to live in luxury.
Churches need to stay out of politics and politics need to stay our of churches.
Can’t stand when religious parties think they have the right to enforce laws in our country. Not right and it needs to stop.
Jan Reeger says
FYI ~ A number of us are filing IRS Form 13909 on both organizations which is a Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint and checking the box “Organization is involved in political campaign”. If you want to see my form so you can do one also, contact me at [email protected] with subject line “13909” and I will send them to you.
Been There says
I received the following from the American United for Separation of Church and State Staff Attorney, Ian Smith.
Technically, the tax code prohibits 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations (like most churches) from endorsing a particular candidate or political party for election or from opposing a particular candidate or political party for election. If you think that these churches have violated the tax code—and it looks like they may have—then you should report their actions to the IRS. The IRS is the only organization that has the authority to actually enforce the tax code. You can find the complaint form here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf. You should know, however, that the IRS has not been at all interested in enforcing this against anybody in years, back into the Obama administration, so I wouldn’t expect the churches to actually lose their tax-exemptions, sadly.
cynabarr51 says
Maybe if the IRS gets proper staffing they would be able to investigate these issues.
jeffery c. seib says
Whether these churches intended to interject politics of one candidate or any into their sermons doesn’t matter. Thats the way it turned out. Churches have a powerful pull on the members of their flock. They really should have let these divisive issues and people off the church’s agenda. This is the same as brainwashing, telling their parishioners what, in their view, God recommends.
Skibum says
The federal government has traditionally been very reluctant to enforce the IRS rules that grant tax exemp status to religious bodies, probably because they fear the backlash from many Americans if they were to revoke that status from any church who’s leaders delved into the political realm from the pulpit. But it really needs to be done to set an example because far too many religious leaders and churches have become less about religion and more about their preferred political causes. There are so many false prophets and fake religious orgainiztions in America that are nothing more than tax shelters for conservative causes. So-called “Christians” who close their eyes and ears and turn their heads away from the vile, nasty, vulgar, anti-Christian things that the former impeached president has done both during his administration and before he was supported and elected by many in the conservative Christian movement show to America that in their minds, a candidate’s political party affiliation is more important to them than honesty, ethics, or right and wrong. They are quick to dismiss all of the horrible misdeads, the long history of lies and dishonesty of such a despicable person as long as he has an (R) after his name on the ballot. This, to me, is proof positive that many of our churches have gone astray and should not be allowed to claim tax exempt status any longer. This is not the only example of churches who need to have their tax exempt status revoked. A recent news story from NY reported on an armed robbery at a church where several men entered during a church service and stole what was reported to be more than a million dollars of jewelry that the church leader and his wife were wearing. Gee, I wonder where that church’s tithes were going! And just the other day, another news story from Missouri reported about a pastor who, from his pulpit, ridiculed and denegrated the members of his congregation because they didn’t honor him enough to buy him an expensive Movado watch! Here is the link to that article:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/a-missouri-pastor-has-apologized-after-berating-his-congregation-for-being-poor-broke-busted-and-not-getting-him-a-luxury-watch/ar-AA10PraC?cvid=307b118889d94e128baf1d34355da9e0
There are many, many more examples that should justify the IRS removing a church’s tax exempt status, but it remains to be seen if and when we will ever see that happen.
Jas says
Churches are exempt from many things, including political activities. UNLESS, they have forfeited many of those rights to become a 501c3.
Freedom fighter says
You don’t need someone from the pulpit telling you what God thinks about things. He has already told everyone what he thinks about things read the bible its God’s word.