The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees the free practice of Religion, but forbids any government attempts to establish a state religion by giving it preferential treatment over others. In violation of the Constitution, Trump promised to make pseudo-Christians more powerful, if they ignored his ongoing perversions and helped install him as Fuhrer. Now Lyin’ Ryan is giving them their reward.
The Washington Post reported on Friday that congressional Republicans are including repeal of the Johnson Amendment in their draft “tax reform” bill.
The Johnson Amendment is a decades-old legal restriction that prevents churches, like other tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, from explicitly endorsing or opposing candidates for political office. As part of his bid for Religious Right support in the presidential campaign, Trump had promised to make conservative Christians more politically powerful by eliminating it.
The idea that this restriction has stifled the voice of conservative Christians in the public arena is, of course, ridiculous. Right-wing evangelicals and their conservative Catholic allies have vast access to the airways and the public through media empires and political organizations, and they were among Trump’s biggest boosters.
Churches already have the right to talk about issues, register voters, and even distribute voter guides produced by right-wing groups. Repealing the Johnson Amendment could turn some churches into political machines that launder donations from politically-minded donors as tax-exempt religious contributions.
That’s a terrible idea. As the Post notes, more than 4,500 nonprofits recently urged congressional leaders not to weaken or repeal the amendment. Earlier this month, nearly 100 religious and denominational groups, including PFAW’s African American Ministers in Action, sent their own letter telling congressional leaders not to make houses of worship “another cog in a political machine or another loophole in campaign finance laws.” People For the American Way is among dozens of nonprofit groups who signed a March letter saying the restriction has “helped maintain the integrity and autonomy of our religious and charitable sectors and preserve the boundary separating church and state.”…
From <Right Wing Watch>
Giving pseudo-Christian Dominionists more power over the state is only the first step they plan. The second is to use the state to force their piety codes onto YOU.
RESIST!!
16 Responses to “Gutting the Establishment Clause”
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Yeah. There is ignorance, and then there is stupidity. Anyone who looks at events throughout history can clearly see that when there is a theocracy, it virtually destroys the church – because the church becomes so much more interested in secular issues than faith issues that it becomes unredeemably corrupt. Margaret Atwood was saying recently in an interview that the Salem witch trials were both a defining event in American history, and a source for The Handmaid's Tale. But, really, it should noteven require extensive lnowledge of world history to be able to predict that corruption is exactly what will happen in a theocracy. IIRC, I was 7 or 8 when I figured that out. And, yes, I was a bright kid – but not a genius.
I really enjoy that "Resist" sign of yours.
Me, too – it's awesome good!
Thanks, all. The resistance in the National Park Service put it together, basing it (they didn't say this but it's obvious) on the Iwo Jima flag raising photo. Well, they want wide distribution, and as an old Marine who loves bears, I was happy to cooperate.
It does bear a resemblance to the Iwo Jima flag raising. Pun intended.
Well done JD!
thank you and thanks, Joanne for the lovely picture!
This is disgraceful, but like David mentioned, I'm not surprised.
*Joanne: Really like your 'Resist' picture today! Awesome!
Church and state . . . the twain should never meet! There will be a great deal of trouble if the establishment clause is tossed.
Resist and Persist!!!
I rather like the ad that Ron Reagan does about keeping church and state separate – he ends with "not afraid of burning in hell".
There are many who should be afraid, however, and while I don't believe in hell myself, in some cases, I hope I'm wrong.
Frankly I think the primary reason for revoking the Johnson Amendment has little to do with religion, but most of all with another opportunity for the 1% to influence, or rather dictate, politics to their own advantage and have another way to launder their money at the same time. The very fact that nearly 100 religious and denominational groups with integrity asked members of Congress not to make churches “another cog in a political machine or another loophole in campaign finance laws” is an illustration of that. So instead of less money in American politics which is already so usurped by it, it'll be even more. It is not so much a question of theocracy than of oligarchy using certain aspects or doctrines of religion to bind people as well as subjugate them. And they seem to forget that no matter how hollowed-out the Constitution has become, for now the Johnson Amendment repeal will also hold for other religions like Judaism or Islam.
Agree. Two dides of the coin.
Thanks Hugs,.
ANY READING OF THOMAS JEFFERSON, AND OTHER FOUNDING FATHERS, WILL SHOW THAT THEY VERY MUCH MEANT TO KEEP STATE AND CHURCH SEPARATE, despite whatever the asses at Liberty Universty, or anyone else teach(es)! I believe that L.U. is where Michelle-Bat-Shit-Crazy Bachman got her law degree. She who has claimed that Rumpy's election is payback from God for the country's liberal slide! She and Pat robertson must be drinking from the same cup of tainted water!
That tainted water also has lead in it because they all strongly support the NRA. However, I don't bellieve these Republicans (and some Democratics) believe in God since they seem to believe in Jesus but Jesus was an extremely liberal Jewish Hebrew who didn't practice/participate in politics. I think they are confused…peace.
I guess we should have seen this coming from Trump who is following up on a campaign promise. Between Mike Pence and these religious zeelots we are in trouble big time, when Trump gets impeached. Both the Pence and the zeelots are extremely anti gay as well.
So we are damned if Trump stays in office and damned when Pence succeeds him.
UGH!
Welcome Ed!
I agree with you.