Tag: government
So You Want to Tax Churches? Have You Considered…
Posted on April 22, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
See if you can answer this question: why are churches tax exempt?
That is a hot button topic in the news, around lawmakers, and on the blogosphere these days. Many don’t know why churches are tax exempt and others simply don’t think they should be. They say that churches are corporations earning money like everyone else and should pay taxes. But is paying taxes really the primary goal of those advocating for the taxing of churches? First, let’s talk about why churches are tax exempt.
Alliance Defending Freedom senior legal counsel Erik Stanley explains that churches have always been tax-exempt since the IRS tax code was first established. And in every version of the code ever since, churches are tax exempt. But, as Stanley explains, many simply don’t know why.
Dr. James Dobson Beats ObamaCare HHS Mandate
Posted on April 21, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
A recent article reports that a federal court has issued an injunction against enforcement of the ObamaCare HHS Mandate against Dr. James Dobson and his “Family Talk” radio show. Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Kevin Theriot commented on the injunction:
“Faith-based organizations should be free to operate according to the faith they teach and live out every day. If the government can fine Christian ministries out of existence because they want to uphold their faith, there is no limit to what other freedoms it can take away. The court was right to block enforcement of this unconstitutional mandate against Family Talk.”
Dr. Dobson said of the injunction:
“Government Every Citizen Should Fear” Supreme Court Ruling Strikes Blow to Religious Freedom
Posted on April 14, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Christians now have every reason to fear their government.
That is the general sentiment after the Supreme Court refused to hear the case of Elane Photography after the disastrous ruling by the New Mexico Supreme Court. Here’s what you need to know and where the case currently stands.
Elaine Huguenin refused to render services to a homosexual couple that asked her to photograph their same-sex ceremony. She cited her religious convictions and said she simply could not in accordance with her faith photograph their ceremony. The couple sued Elane Photography for discrimination based on sexual orientation. After years in the court system the New Mexico Supreme Court finally ruled against Elane Photography for discrimination and fined her.
Our Culture is Starving for Bold Pastors Willing to Speak Up
Posted on April 4, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Pastor, let me ask you a question. Does your congregation know their religious rights? I’m not trying to be funny, it’s a serious question. And I am willing to bet that not only does many in your congregation not know their rights, but neither do you.
My friend Erik Stanley has been leading the charge to educate churches and pastors on their religious rights for a long time. As a religious freedom litigator with Alliance Defending Freedom he is on the front lines ensuring our constitutional rights are protected and defended. Part of his work has been the “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” project which aims to challenge the unconstitutional Johnson Amendment in the IRS code. Erik recently wrote:
“Why is it that Christians have a sense that our faith is under attack and that we are a disfavored minority on the road to sure persecution? One reason is because of the stories we see of fellow believers who are currently undergoing trials and tribulations for simply exercising their faith… Pastor, what are you doing to prepare your congregation to live in a culture that seems bent on denying them the right to live out their faith and to share their faith with others around them? Are they aware of the increasing attacks on people of faith?”
By now many people know of the florist in Washington, the baker in Colorado, and the photographer in New Mexico facing lawsuits for adhering to their religious convictions. What you might not know is that these are just three of the hundreds of cases wherein people of faith are facing legal action for their convictions. The reality is that these stories are growing in number.
Government Gone Wild: Will West Virginia Be the Next State to Fall to Judicial Activism?
Posted on February 17, 2014 in Marriage, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
I recently wrote about the trend of attorney’s general refusing to defend the laws of the states that elected them to defend their laws. I commented that this trend was accelerated by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder refusing to defend DOMA. Once the president starts deciding which laws he will and will not defend it is just a matter of time before everyone else decides they can do it too.
Over the last year we’ve seen numerous attorney’s general decide not to defend state laws, while activist judges decide to strike down other laws. The latest in this trend comes from Kentucky where a judge said the state must recognize foreign gay marriages from other states. His declaration is in violation of Kentucky law, but that didn’t stop the judge from deciding to strike down the law and rewrite it according to his opinion. He reportedly ruled:
Without Freedom of Religion There’s Only Tyranny
Posted on January 22, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
“The Church is the conscience of the state.”
These words were uttered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many wish such an influential man would have never said such a thing, and still others are actively seeking to remove any presence of a conscience from our society. Our government, undoubtedly based upon biblical principles designed to bring blessing from God and success, is now militantly removing God from every corner. The result of this push to redefine morality in our society and banish the church from influence will be devastating.
An article at the Acton Institute blog sheds light on these results:
Report: The Extent of Religious Persecution in America
Posted on January 18, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The Texas based Liberty Institute has released a report showing the extent of religious persecution in America for the 2013 year. The report is called: UNDENIABLE: The Survey of Hostility to Religion in America
The thorough 190 page report discusses such topics as attacks on religious liberty of churches and ministries, attacks on religious liberty in the public arena, and attacks on religious liberty in the schoolhouse.
Citing legal cases from around the country this report shows definitively that there is a concerted effort to persecute people of faith for simply living out their religious convictions. This effort is being perpetrated by many groups that all seek to remove religion and God from our country’s public life while forcing religious expression into the walls of the church.
I would encourage you to take a look at this report in order to understand just how assaulted our religious freedom truly is. And also to motivate you to defend religious freedom both in private and in public. Now more than ever America needs people that believe the sentiment of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Government Demands Christians Violate Religious Convictions
Posted on December 11, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
In what can only be described as an appalling verdict, a federal judge has ordered a Colorado baker to violate his Christian convictions and serve cakes to homosexual couples.
Jack Phillips is the owner of Masterpiece Cake shop in Colorado. Last year a gay couple asked him to prepare a cake for them so they could celebrate their recent “marriage” in Massachusetts. Jack told the couple he could not serve them because doing so would violate his religious convictions. The couple, with the help of the ACLU, filed a discrimination lawsuit against Jack.
Now, a judge has told Jack that he must serve homosexuals or his business will face penalties.