Houston demands local pastors turn over sermons.

[SteveRogers]

This is actually prudent, I think. They preached politics back in the ancient world and certainly in medieval times as well and used the pulpit and the Bible as shields as they do today. So, cooperate with the investigation or lose tax exempt status.

Tax-exempt status is not a privilege for a religious institution as it is for non-profit commercial organizations. Separation of church and state is a constitutional imperative, laid out in Article 6 and the First Amendment.

You don't have the constitutional authority to revoke tax exempt status, and doing so would be even more heavy-handed than the fools who subpoenaed their private records pursuant to an argument about the form of various legal documents filed by the church.

Not that it's really at all relevant to this case, but tax exempt status for religious organizations is not constitutionally compelled. In fact, religious organizations can lose tax exempt status if they don't follow certain rules. Seriously, consider doing at least a cursory Wikipedia search of a topic before you expound absurd legal arguments.

[Indy Texas]

Seriously, consider doing at least a cursory Wikipedia search of a topic before you expound absurd legal arguments.

Don't call AggregateDemand's legal arguments into question. He got his JD from the MetroTech-Robert Bork School of Law.

[AggregateDemand]

Not that it's really at all relevant to this case, but tax exempt status for religious organizations is not constitutionally compelled. In fact, religious organizations can lose tax exempt status if they don't follow certain rules. Seriously, consider doing at least a cursory Wikipedia search of a topic before you expound absurd legal arguments.

Your contributions are utterly irrelevant. The premise of the argument was that tax-exempt status could be revoked, if the churches refuse to cooperate with political action, which probably doesn't have the force of the law (depending upon appeal). Obviously, this is a violation of church and state.

Adherence to the regulations regarding tax-exempt status is an entirely different legal matter that has no relevance to the situation, unless the churches are found to be afoul of the tax-exempt regulations.

I don't have a J.D., but it's obvious you jokers wouldn't make it through the first week of law school. Watching you follow the evolution of an argument is like watching a summoner attempt to communicate with the dead. Maybe a Ouija board would help?

[DemPGH]

Not that it's really at all relevant to this case, but tax exempt status for religious organizations is not constitutionally compelled. In fact, religious organizations can lose tax exempt status if they don't follow certain rules. Seriously, consider doing at least a cursory Wikipedia search of a topic before you expound absurd legal arguments.

Your contributions are utterly irrelevant. The premise of the argument was that tax-exempt status could be revoked, if the churches refuse to cooperate with political action, which probably doesn't have the force of the law (depending upon appeal). Obviously, this is a violation of church and state.

Adherence to the regulations regarding tax-exempt status is an entirely different legal matter that has no relevance to the situation, unless the churches are found to be afoul of the tax-exempt regulations.

I don't have a J.D., but it's obvious you jokers wouldn't make it through the first week of law school. Watching you follow the evolution of an argument is like watching a summoner attempt to communicate with the dead. Maybe a Ouija board would help?

You're literally as belligerent as you are wrong. As soon as a religious organization attempts to enter the public sphere with regard to elections, and they do that all the time, they violate the church / state separation clause. This is imbedded in the IRS' rules. If we actually went by a separation of religion and state, the vast majority of churches would be taxed now.

[SteveRogers]

The premise of the argument was that tax-exempt status could be revoked, if the churches refuse to cooperate with political action, which probably doesn't have the force of the law (depending upon appeal). Obviously, this is a violation of church and state.

Adherence to the regulations regarding tax-exempt status is an entirely different legal matter that has no relevance to the situation, unless the churches are found to be afoul of the tax-exempt regulations.

But what you actually said was...

Tax-exempt status is not a privilege for a religious institution as it is for non-profit commercial organizations. Separation of church and state is a constitutional imperative, laid out in Article 6 and the First Amendment.

You don't have the constitutional authority to revoke tax exempt status...

Which is untrue. Church's have no more of a right to tax exempt status than non-profits, etc.

I don't have a J.D., but it's obvious you jokers wouldn't make it through the first week of law school.

Lol ok I'll be sure to tell all my law professors you said so.

[AggregateDemand]

Which is untrue. Church's have no more of a right to tax exempt status than non-profits, etc.

That's how you think it works, but that's not how it works. The courts have decided that an integral part of religion is non-profit motive. Therefore, establishing the gravitas of your religion happens to coincide with Title 26 of the US Code, and churches file Form 1023 to apply for tax-exemption under 501(c)(3). Unsurprisingly, filing Form 1023 is optional, but most churches file for security. After they qualify, other regulatory compliance issues are waived, specifically Form 990, which requires 501(c)(3) to report where and how their funds are spent. It's waived because once they establish non-profit under religious guidelines, the IRS is content to follow the constitutional imperative of free exercise of religion.

Non-religious institutions are bound by two tax doctrines called the "all inclusive income" and "legislative grace". Those doctrines say that every dollar you receive is taxable unless the government extends legislative grace. Non-religious institutions must file Form 1023 and they must file Form 990 to specify their expenditures, unless their receipts are under $50,000 per year.

Tax exemption is a privilege for non-religious institutions and a right for religious institutions, under free exercise of religion concept.