Robertson Lawyers To Defend Churches For Politicking.TV preacher Pat Robertson's American Center The American Center is a high-rise tower in Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 floors, with one basement floor, for a total of 27. The building's main use is that of a typical office tower. It also includes a parking garage and retail spaces. for Law and Justice has offered to provide legal assistance to churches if they get in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service for handing out Christian Coalition Christian Coalition, organization founded to advance the agenda of political and social conservatives, mostly comprised of evangelical Protestant Republicans, and to preserve what it deems traditional American values. voter guides in the November election. Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow said the ACLJ ACLJ American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (Washington, DC) is contacting eight churches reported to the IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. in December by Americans United for Separation of Church and State Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Americans United or AU for short) is a religious freedom advocacy group in the United States which promotes the separation of church and state, a legal doctrine seen by the AU as being enshrined in the Establishment (see "Pulpits, Politics and Penalties," January Church & State). If the IRS launches disciplinary action, the ACLJ will provide advice. "This post-election ploy by Americans United is a biased and flawed attack on free speech," said Sekulow in a Dec. 15 press release. "The effort underway by Americans United is simply an attempt to confuse and pressure churches to refrain from speaking out at election time." Sekulow charged that Americans United had "targeted only religious conservatives and conveniently ignored a number of churches around the country that distributed information and invited liberal candidates to speak before election day." Sekulow's charges are inaccurate. Prior to the voter guide filing in December, AU had reported 18 churches and other religious ministries to the IRS for partisan politicking. Six involved Democratic endorsements, nine involved Republicans and the remainder involved third parties or local elections. Sekulow may have to do some fast talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to defend the "nonpartisan" character of the Coalition's guides. The Spokane, Wash., Spokesman-Review has reported that a Republican Party official in Idaho all but admitted that his use of the guides helped the GOP. Benewah County Republican Party Chairman John Ferds told the paper he personally handed out the guides at Lighthouse Baptist Church in St. Maries, Idaho St. Maries is a city in Benewah County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,652 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Benewah CountyGR6. Pronounced like St. Mary's. Geography St. , two years ago. Last November, he gave them to a church member who put them on the church table for congregation use. Ferris admitted that his work gave the appearance of partisanship. "That could be true, in a sense," he said. "I probably wouldn't pass out stuff that would be favorable to Democrats. There's no question it seems partisan. Democrats don't like the Christian Coalition." Ferris told the Spokesman-Review he doesn't expect IRS trouble, but he's going to avoid the problem next time. "As chairman of the Republican Party," he said, "I'm going to try and distance myself from the Christian Coalition." |
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