This development made my heart sad and my stomach hurt. There's no bigger gift to those corrupt individuals who would make this country into a theocracy than to do away with the separation of church and state. It's a vile corruption of religious principles and a corrosion of the rights of non-religious and atheist citizens. As an Episcopalian, it makes me want to spit nails. It is so motherfucking wrong.
So, when Pope Leo orders all American priests to denounce Chump from the pulpit along with his supporters and anyone who emulates his behavior, that's cool, right?
Who knew that it would be so easy to ignore, defy and thwart the clear intent of the Constitution? This should be another article of impeachment, but Dementia Don didn't leave his tiny fingerprints all over it.
But but but... We don't care what an agency says anymore. Recall 'Chevron deference'? No! Judges get to decide! In Loper Bright v. USA the Supreme Court said so!
"Oh, but this is different." Uh-huh. IOKIYAR, huh?
Ta, Robyn. I. Just. Can't. Even. With. This. SHIT.
That said, I'm glad I'm changing my name to a hyphenate. Beloved Meccalopolis has such a generic white-sounding last name that appending it to mine was absolutely the correct choice. I've already amended my Social Security card. Next up, petitioning the court.
After Citizens United why not Churches. Congress for sale to the highest bidder. Likely going to see a proliferation of ‘Churches’. How about the Church of Political Righteousness.
This sucks, but changes nothing as pretty much every evangelical church has been directly and openly violating the Johnson amendment pretty much all the time for decades.
When America hath a king, the king shall decideth what religion everyone shall be, so not only will churches be allowed to endorseth political candidates, they will be 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 to endorseth the political candidates that the government favoreth.
Beg your pardon, but how do you move the idea of an authoritarian deity to the "left"?
The very concept of religion is toxic in itself. We humans have to help each other out instead of offloading it onto a god who may or may not deign to help.
Why create a new church. Pope Leo's a bonafide lefty. We just have to convince him to issue a Papal Encyclical firmly denouncing Chump and his policies.
Opus Dei gets in line, or they get excommunicated.
AN additional concern here ( besides the breakdown of the wall between church and state ( is that churches could now be used to funnel contributions to political candidates outside of the ( pretty in effective ) federal campaign finance system. Not sure how that works - or if it's anywhere near the threat that Citizens United has posed for our system of government - but it does strike as completely unconstitutional per the First Amendment ( especially how the IRS tries to separate churches from ( presumably secular ) non-profits in this "ruling".
Churches were already flouting this by creating separate PACs and laundering money to candidates that way. It was a tactic I first noticed people like Focus on the Family using back in the Tea Bagger days.
They probably did - but it was just as illegal then as it is now, just that going after a church for any reason is politically harmful. Also the FEC has been hogtied by, and the IRS starved by, Republicans. But yeah, Focus on the Family, a 501(c)3 organization at the time, created a 501(c)4 organization, Family Policy Alliance, which has fewer restrictions on backing candidates. Tho' the two groups are "legally separate", it's clear that this is the exact same dodge you're speaking of.
BTW - Focus on the Family filed as a church back in 2017 ( I have no idea if they were granted that status - but with this SCOTUS ruling, they may nop longer have to do that financial fan dance to avoid taxes.
Let's unleash all the Catholic and Protestant clergymen whose souls have not been corrupted and who clearly see what an outrage Trumpism is from a genuine Christian perspective (as well as those of other faiths, of course). Let THEM inveigh from their pulpits against Trump and all those allied with him, as explicitly as possible. A LOT of people will be listening.
They want to change the rules, fine. We can play by the new rules too.
Well that's how you mobilize the evangelicals. They're doing God's Work when they're tormenting the vulnerable minorities they hate (and of course making sure to undercut that hippie Jesus' whole thing about miracles and works).
Oh yeah this is going to change about the liberal church denominations. Sadopopulism goes hand-in-hand with the Christian nationalism that has taken sway.
Don't expect this to apply about other religions either.
"National Religious Broadcasters and two Texas churches that initially seeking an end to the amendment entirely and for both churches and nonprofits to be allowed to endorse political candidates."
"Rather than do that, the IRS decided that churches alone..."
OF COURSE they gave churches the right but not nonprofits. Churches are far more likely to lean right.
This development made my heart sad and my stomach hurt. There's no bigger gift to those corrupt individuals who would make this country into a theocracy than to do away with the separation of church and state. It's a vile corruption of religious principles and a corrosion of the rights of non-religious and atheist citizens. As an Episcopalian, it makes me want to spit nails. It is so motherfucking wrong.
I have granted unto myself a religious tax exemption. Amen.
So, when Pope Leo orders all American priests to denounce Chump from the pulpit along with his supporters and anyone who emulates his behavior, that's cool, right?
Who knew that it would be so easy to ignore, defy and thwart the clear intent of the Constitution? This should be another article of impeachment, but Dementia Don didn't leave his tiny fingerprints all over it.
But but but... We don't care what an agency says anymore. Recall 'Chevron deference'? No! Judges get to decide! In Loper Bright v. USA the Supreme Court said so!
"Oh, but this is different." Uh-huh. IOKIYAR, huh?
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/business_law/resources/business-law-today/2024-august/end-chevron-deference-what-does-it-mean-what-comes-next/
Ta, Robyn. I. Just. Can't. Even. With. This. SHIT.
That said, I'm glad I'm changing my name to a hyphenate. Beloved Meccalopolis has such a generic white-sounding last name that appending it to mine was absolutely the correct choice. I've already amended my Social Security card. Next up, petitioning the court.
After Citizens United why not Churches. Congress for sale to the highest bidder. Likely going to see a proliferation of ‘Churches’. How about the Church of Political Righteousness.
This sucks, but changes nothing as pretty much every evangelical church has been directly and openly violating the Johnson amendment pretty much all the time for decades.
Who would dare enforce the law against RWNJ evilangelicals, who are always the victims of persecution in their own minds.
When America hath a king, the king shall decideth what religion everyone shall be, so not only will churches be allowed to endorseth political candidates, they will be 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 to endorseth the political candidates that the government favoreth.
England has a state religion. It has little to do with state proceedings and is largely ceremonial.
The USA has an ecumenical food fight vying for control of the state. It currently runs a significant number of state legislatures and Congress.
Then TAX THE CHURCHES!
Beg your pardon, but how do you move the idea of an authoritarian deity to the "left"?
The very concept of religion is toxic in itself. We humans have to help each other out instead of offloading it onto a god who may or may not deign to help.
Why create a new church. Pope Leo's a bonafide lefty. We just have to convince him to issue a Papal Encyclical firmly denouncing Chump and his policies.
Opus Dei gets in line, or they get excommunicated.
Every union could become a church. Dues are tithes.
I know. I haven't thought this through.
AN additional concern here ( besides the breakdown of the wall between church and state ( is that churches could now be used to funnel contributions to political candidates outside of the ( pretty in effective ) federal campaign finance system. Not sure how that works - or if it's anywhere near the threat that Citizens United has posed for our system of government - but it does strike as completely unconstitutional per the First Amendment ( especially how the IRS tries to separate churches from ( presumably secular ) non-profits in this "ruling".
Churches were already flouting this by creating separate PACs and laundering money to candidates that way. It was a tactic I first noticed people like Focus on the Family using back in the Tea Bagger days.
They probably did - but it was just as illegal then as it is now, just that going after a church for any reason is politically harmful. Also the FEC has been hogtied by, and the IRS starved by, Republicans. But yeah, Focus on the Family, a 501(c)3 organization at the time, created a 501(c)4 organization, Family Policy Alliance, which has fewer restrictions on backing candidates. Tho' the two groups are "legally separate", it's clear that this is the exact same dodge you're speaking of.
BTW - Focus on the Family filed as a church back in 2017 ( I have no idea if they were granted that status - but with this SCOTUS ruling, they may nop longer have to do that financial fan dance to avoid taxes.
It's politically harmful to go after a church.
But that doesn't mean you have to do it publicly. That's what dark money PACs can do. And I'm here for it.
I'm not sure that's how PACs "political action committees" work - how could any PAC, even a "dark money" Pac go after achurch?
Good.
Let's unleash all the Catholic and Protestant clergymen whose souls have not been corrupted and who clearly see what an outrage Trumpism is from a genuine Christian perspective (as well as those of other faiths, of course). Let THEM inveigh from their pulpits against Trump and all those allied with him, as explicitly as possible. A LOT of people will be listening.
They want to change the rules, fine. We can play by the new rules too.
Lord of Hosts -- sure! -- but who Hosts the Lord?
Well that's how you mobilize the evangelicals. They're doing God's Work when they're tormenting the vulnerable minorities they hate (and of course making sure to undercut that hippie Jesus' whole thing about miracles and works).
Oh yeah this is going to change about the liberal church denominations. Sadopopulism goes hand-in-hand with the Christian nationalism that has taken sway.
Don't expect this to apply about other religions either.
The evangelicals worship the Old Testament Jesus.
"National Religious Broadcasters and two Texas churches that initially seeking an end to the amendment entirely and for both churches and nonprofits to be allowed to endorse political candidates."
"Rather than do that, the IRS decided that churches alone..."
OF COURSE they gave churches the right but not nonprofits. Churches are far more likely to lean right.
Sacrament is every third Thursday at 7:11 pm PT if anyone wants to join The Church of Everyone Just Fucking Fuck Off Already. We have cakes.
My startup church is the Church of MYOB and BYOB. First Saturday at 9:00 pm. Online services only. DM for the Zoom info.