Tax-exempt churches and fundamentalist ethics

A friend went looking for an ethical fundamentalist Christian church and couldn't find one.

That's because for most of these groups the ends justify the means. The "ends" or goal is a government under the rule of God as defined by fundamentalist theocrats which they see as crucial to the future welfare of the United States. In fact, these wingnuts believe that God will punish the US of A severely if his "laws" continue to be broken and/or ignored.

Under the current laws of the United States, churches, because they are nonprofit and tax-exempt, are forbidden to endorse political candidates. This law, which numerous fundys find unhelpful and are unhappy about, is frequently simply ignored. Increasingly over the past quarter century, fundamentalist Christian churches have crossed the line to endorse, in a variety of ways, political candidates which they feel would best turn this country into a fundamentalist Christian theocracy.


It is amazing that Christian pastors and their churches that blatantly violate the law have the gall to criticize politicians and others -- even other Christians -- who hold different political viewpoints.

This is the result of a crucial metamorphosis that has taken place in this country. Fundamentalist and evangelical Christians have traded their faith for a radical political ideology. Fundamentalist Christians and many evangelical Christians no longer base their political views on what their religion teaches, but their religion is now defined by this radical political ideology.

For example, Jesus said, if someone offends you, turn the other cheek. That suggestion would never be considered in Christian Right circles. So far as the Christian Right is concerned, the appropriate response to being offended is "Bomb the son-of-a-bitch!" (That's why they supported Bush's war in Iraq!)

Jesus said, when you pray do not be like the hypocrites who love to pray in public so people will see them and think them to be especially pious. Go into your closet and pray in secret and your father who sees you do this will reward you. Today the Christian Right hires lawyers to run roughshod over the Constitutional idea of separation of church and state by getting judges to allow prayers "in Jesus' name" to be said at public, non-Christian gatherings--graduation ceremonies, football games, legislative meetings, etc.

Jesus said that his followers were to give to the government what was due to the government and to God what was due to God. Today, an entire Christian Right movement, hostile to the Constitution, believes nothing is "due" our government and is in the process of attempting to literally overthrow our system and institute a Christian theocratic coercive government.

Their motto? Jesus rules!

We could give numerous other examples as to how fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity has literally turned itself inside out and become, no longer a faith stance, but a political platform concerned primarily with taking control of the government; abolishing a woman's right to choose; denying young people appropriate and accurate sexual information; forcing the teaching of non-scientific crap called Creationism and/or Intelligent Design in our public schools while at the same time denying and deriding the most significant scientific theoretical model in history, evolution; forcing Christian public prayer in the public schools; posting the Ten Commandments in public venues; praising those who engage in preemptive warfare against a non-threatening country; seeking the destruction of another religion, Islam; yearning for the End Times when all non-Christians will be destroyed and/or sent to an eternal hell of fire; supporting the death penalty; demanding long prison sentences for minor drug offenders; supporting tax breaks for the rich; denying universal health care for our citizens; supporting corporate lobbyists and Wall Street bankers both of which work to destroy our middle class; the dismantling of the public school system; etc., etc.

In other words, Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals, have essentially tuned into the Republican Party!

And in blatant defiance of the law, they openly endorse candidates for president. In fact, in recent weeks we have been hearing some Christian Rightists urging churches and pastors to make public political endorsements for the express purpose of forcing the Federal Government (IRS) to show its hand.

For example, according to Rob Boston at The Revealer, "a recent episode of Christian Right leader Janet Folger's 'Faith2Action' radio show" did just that. "...a VP of the Christian Right powerhouse Family Research Council announce[d] that FRC is working with the Christian Right Alliance Defense fund [the same group that is threatening legal action to halt the California Supreme Court decision to allow gay marriage], to develop pre-packaged election-year sermons on Christian Right issues for pastors across the country. So far, so legal. 'Then,' the FRC guest continued, 'finally we're gonna be doing a candidate comparison message that is going to ask pastors to cross the line.'"

This story also made The Wall Street Journal. Street Prophets tells how it ran:

"A conservative legal-advocacy group is enlisting ministers to use their pulpits to preach about election candidates this September, defying a tax law that bars churches from engaging in politics.

"Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz., nonprofit, is hoping at least one sermon will prompt the Internal Revenue Service to investigate, sparking a court battle that could get the tax provision declared unconstitutional. Alliance lawyers represent churches in disputes with the IRS over alleged partisan activity."

As noted, the thought is that this conflict will create a legal situation which will end up in the US Supreme Court and with the ultra-conservatives now dominating the court, conclude with a decision favoring the Christian Right, dismantling the wall of separation of church and state.


As we have said, fundamentalist and evangelical churches as well as fundamentalist politicians have been engaged in violating our election laws for some time. And one of the worst of the politician offenders has been none other than Arkansas doofus, Mike Huckabee. Huckabee garnered the support of many Southern Baptist and other fundamentalist/evangelical groups during his run for the Republican nomination. He continues to make appearances in churches of that ilk [probably setting up for a run at the presidency in 2012] and almost always mixes politics and religion. He's the one who suggested that if the Constitution and fundamentalist theology conflict, it is easier to change the Constitution than the laws of God.

Consider one church, specifically, the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. About a year ago, Will at "The Refugee Baptist" reported that Pastor Jack Graham insists his church [Prestonwood Baptist] does not endorse political candidates. Will said, "Horse muffins." I think he meant "bullshit!"

Anyway, Will looked up "endorse" in the dictionary and discovered the word has three facets to its definition.

One is "to approve." Will says Pastor Graham thinks that when a politician comes to his church and says something like "I'm not looking for your endorsement. I endorse what you believe. I endorse your values," that does not consist of a church or pastoral endorsement. Will thinks it sure stinks of "approval," though.

A second facet is "to support." "Mike Buster, executive pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, recently agreed to help raise $100,000 for Huckabee and says it's not hard to find donors now. 'I've raised $30,000 in the last three days," he said...'" Does supporting a politician by raising money for him/her seem a bit like an endorsement?

The third facet is to "sustain." When Buster was asked if he'd reach his $100,000 fund-raising goal by the year's end, he said, "Oh, by the end of the month. There's an amazing momentum just in the last two or three days that has swept the country. I'm sensing it."

The facts show clearly that Prestonwood Baptist Church enthusiastically endorsed Mike Huckabee for the Republican presidential nomination, even to the extent of raising a significant amount of money for his campaign. The church approved, supported and sustained him. If that isn't an "endorsement," Mike Huckabee is a Commie!


This is also a good example as to the metamorphosis discussed above: Fundamentalist Christians turning from faith into political operatives for an ultra-Right radical cause, and adopting the Republican Party to carry out their agenda.

It is also a good example as to the lack of ethics on the part of the fundamentalist/evangelical cadre of churches. Ethical behavior is swamped and sunk by the wave created by the ends/means justification. Anything goes if it is for "Jesus." But it isn't for Jesus, it's for a political cause that many people, including other Christians see as antithetical to everything that Jesus taught according to the Gospel records.

Thus pastordan at Street Prophets quotes C. Welton Gaddy of the Interfaith Alliance:

"Houses of worship belong to divine authority - they are not the property of either political party. The Alliance Defense Fund's call for pastors to break the law represents the height of irresponsibility. They are putting churches across the country unnecessarily at risk to costly and time-consuming investigations that could result in harsh financial penalties. Putting churches in legal and financial jeopardy seems a bizarre way of defending religious freedom, which the ADF claims to defend.

"But there is even a greater issue at stake in this campaign than violating the law. When religious leaders endorse candidates from the pulpit, they weaken both the sanctity of religion and the integrity of democracy. The IRS allows - and the Interfaith Alliance encourages - religious leaders to speak out on the important political issues of the day, but when clergy endorse specific candidates or parties in their official capacity, they abuse their pastoral authority."

Pastordan, in agreement, says "Damn skippy." Well, partly. Unfortunately for the Interfaith Alliance, it is still operating in a religious mode, calling for legal and ethical behavior from churches and pastors who no longer understand or care about those concepts. Because they have the "word" from God, they decide what is legal and ethical, or what should be legal and ethical, and operate accordingly.

Their goal is to impose and enforce the will of God as they understand it upon this recalcitrant nation, whatever the cost. They are not interested in the one they claim to follow, they have a new leader or leaders embedded in the form of the Republican Party. The metamorphosis is so complete they are no longer able to distinguish their own beliefs and practices from the beliefs and practices of the Jesus of the Gospels, even though in many cases the two are diametrically opposed.

Thus, in their confused mental state, their Jesus commands: outlaw abortion; bomb Iran; bring democracy to Iraq; hang Saddam; kill the Muslims; pray in public; set creches in town squares; hang the Ten Commandments in courthouses; hate homosexuals and deny them their rights; don't help build up the public schools, do everything you can to tear them down; teach your children that everyone not a fundamentalist Christian will burn in Hell forever; Jews killed the savior; Fundamentalist Christianity is the only true religion; don't have sex; if you do have sex, don't use a condom, and the list of inanities goes on and on.


This problem is not going away. Jeff Sharlet, author of the new book, The Family, tells how "Christian fundamentalist candidate comparisons [were] distributed in churches for the 1952 elections. Regional papers denounced them, but they didn't make the national news back then, in part because they appeared bi-partisan ... they endorsed both Republicans and Democrats -- whoever promised to be a 'Christian' candidate, instead of an American one."

Nowadays, so far as our Christian Right friends are concerned, there is only one party with "Christian" candidates - the party of Jesus, the Republican Party!

The only answer I can see is a multi-pronged attack on these fundamentalist political animals by other religious organizations. I don't think the Roman Church will be much help as it has several ties to the fundys -- sex education and abortion, for example -- and the Catholic Church has never had a problem with a theocratic state. Democracy is not a good word in Catholic theology. Theocracy is where its at.

Quite frankly, what's needed is a strong, extended, very loud and very public attack on the fundamentalist/evangelical political alliance by the mainstream Protestant organizations. These denominations have sat on their behinds too long. And because mainstream Protestants have said almost nothing publicly to denounce the fundamentalist political stance, the latter have co-opted the "Christian position" in the eyes of many if not most people in this country.

Thus, for a number of folks "Christian" has become a negative word; it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. But then again, maybe the mainline folks are no longer in the game. Maybe they have nothing to say. Maybe they, too, have become infested with the fundamentalist cockroaches.


Whatever, we're in for some tough battles ahead. The Constitution is under constant assault on many different fronts by millions of people who believe that God is behind them and giving them strength and will reward them with eternal life for their service to him - which in this case consists of turning the United States of America into a fundamentalist Christian theocratic state.

About 30 years ago, fundamentalist leaders such as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell gave us fair warning. They said clearly and publicly they intended to set in motion an operation which would take over every governmental structure - from school boards to the presidency of the United States. They weren't just shooting blanks. They've accomplished much of what they promised. And they ain't done yet.

So, I guess we'll have to stop them. Won't we?