Now an IRS agent in every Church? Agrees to monitor sermons

Is this another sweet heart “out of court” settlement deal? The EPA has been notorious in the so-called “out of court” deals. A “friendly” environmental group files a suit and of course the EPA is more than happy to come up with a so-called “settlement” which is nothing more than a wink and a nod on the part of both parties. Now we are moving on to the Churches? I am sure Lois Lerner is smiling. Interesting that today we learn that the IRS was giving “special attention” to those supporting Israel. Here we go:

The IRS has agreed to pay closer attention to what is said in houses of worship after reaching a settlement with a secularist group in federal court last week.

On Friday, the IRS settled a lawsuit filed in 2012 by the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF). The Wisconsin group brought the lawsuit because it said the IRS was ignoring complaints about churches violating their tax-exempt statuses. Specifically, FFRF said many churches promote political issues, legislation, and/or candidates from the pulpit in violation of the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which requires that non-profits not endorse candidates.

According to FFRF, the IRS has not followed a 2009 ruling requiring it to hire someone to keep an eye on church politicking. The IRS says it hasn’t ignored the ruling, but merely failed to follow it.

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But let us not stop here. We know the drill about the targeting of the iRS.  Churches and now the support of  Israel will put a bulls eye on one.

Today, more emails were released from Congressional investigations into the IRS scandal. You know, the one where our Dear Leader used federal agencies to target the political opposition with repression and abuse.  The Wall Street Journal reports today, in an article called “The IRS’s Foreign Policy“, that now evidence has emerged that it wasn’t just American conservative groups our president was criminally targeting for special attention.  It was targeting groups supporting the Jewish State of Israel.

An IRS email unearthed in Congressional discovery asks these questions to a Jewish group applying for tax-exempt status: (1) “Does your organization support the existence of the land of Israel?” and (2) “Describe your organization’s religious belief system toward the land of Israel.”  So tell me how that issue is worthy of IRS attention?  The obvious answer is that it is not.  It’s only relevant to a presidential administration taking its cues from an anti-semitic leader.

By the way, on Monday, the IRS filed motions to stop all discovery in the case.  This lawsuit is not even asking for damages.  I wonder what they are afraid of?

Read more at Western Journalism

Filed under: Religion Tagged: atheists, Church, Internal Revenue service, IRS, Religion