Pro-life vid of day: Fox’s Megyn Kelly interviews pro-life attorney on IRS scandal
by LauraLoo
A recent report exposed the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of pro-life groups. Yahoo! News reports:
On June 22, 2009, the Coalition for Life of Iowa received a letter from the IRS office in Cincinnati, Ohio, that oversees tax exemptions requesting details about how often members pray and whether their prayers are “considered educational.”
“Please explain how all of your activities, including the prayer meetings held outside of Planned Parenthood, are considered educational as defined under 501(c)(3),” reads the letter, made public by the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm that collected evidence about the IRS practices. “Organizations exempt under 501(c)(3) may present opinions with scientific or medical facts. Please explain in detail the activities at these prayer meetings. Also, please provide the percentage of time your organizations spends on prayer groups as compared with the other activities of the organization.”
Peter Breen of the Illinois-based Thomas More Society appeared on Fox News to discuss the targeting of pro-life groups throughout the country.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/9y9YN5X_Meo[/youtube]
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[HT: Jill]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Well, this seems like a no-brainer, but I think ALL of the employees at the IRS need our prayers. Their harassment has actually revealed their spiritual poverty. Let us Christians remember that our apostle Matthew was a tax collector, as was the tree-climbing Zacchaeus of Jericho. Using your job to harass people of differing political or religious affiliations than what you or your boss favor? That’s just wrong. Zacchaeus and Matthew made amends. 2,000 years later, so can we.
There are 29 different categories for 501(c) companies – all the way up to 501(c) 29. And these agents have to verify and figure out if people are in the right categories. Seems very relevant in finding out if a place is Religious (and thus in ‘3’) or if they are social welfare (and thus in ‘4’).
I just kind of enjoy the right wing rhetoric on this – cut funding, cut resources, starve the governmental offices, and then criticize them when they take short cuts of have people who don’t do a good job.
It’s like taking away somebody vacuum and broom, and then telling them that their floors are dirty.
Since when are IRS questionnaires and audits “short cuts”? Seems to me they actually require more IRS resources than simply approving or denying a non-profit application.
Lrning – that’s against the law – in 1913, Congress passed a law requiring the IRS to review every single application that comes in to see if it meets the guideline.
It’s about time these questions were asked. Are they asking about the content of prayer in church? No. In peoples’ homes? No. At private meetings? No.
What they are asking about is what is actually occuring during what anti-choicers themselves label ‘sidewalk counselling’, protesting with abysmal placards and badgering people conducting legitimate activities. ‘Prayer meetings’ indeed!
Educational? Hardly. More like propaganda and proseletyzing.
Reality – yes, agreed – the letter of the law of a 501(c)3 company restricts how much political activity and lobbying a group is engaged in. So does the pro-life organization act more as a church, or are they political in nature?
It’s all very complicated.
Thank the politicians, and the mess of Citizens United.
“Reality – yes, agreed – the letter of the law of a 501(c)3 company restricts how much political activity and lobbying a group is engaged in. So does the pro-life organization act more as a church, or are they political in nature?”
Well, then I think PP might be bordering on breaking that law then, aren’t they a 501(c)3 company? They certainly spend a lot on political donations and campaigning and such.
*of course, I don’t know the exact percents or how much lobbying/political action they do versus CPCs and such, but I think it would be worth looking into*
Pro-lifers, you need to know that the IRS grabbed about 60 million medical records involving 10 million U.S. citizens, without a warrant from a U.S. medical records company.
The IRS, which has a proven bias against religious and conservative organizations, is going to be the obamacare financial enforcer.
If you are known for pro-life activity, you should begin saving resources for obtaining health care privately or outside the United states.
“The IRS, which has a proven bias against religious and conservative organizations” – oh really?
For those of you who will (Speaking of prayer ) my 22 year old daughters cancer is invasive. she has to begin chemo again. It doesn’t look good..I’ve got to be truthful. Sometimes despite our praying God does things his way. My daughter is sad but won’t think negatively. However she’s said should she die she’s ready to be with God. Thank you.
I’m so sorry Heather, my thoughts are with you and your family. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.
Reality says:
June 3, 2013 at 8:48 pm
“The IRS, which has a proven bias against religious and conservative organizations” – oh really?
You may have a valid point, for once.
As far as I can tell, this broad persecution of an entire class of social activists by the IRS is unprecedented.
Heather: I am praying for your daughter, with trust and hope. Meanwhile — those who suffer are very close to Christ on his Cross. Please beg her to offer up her suffering as a prayer to the end of abortion.
I’m incredibly sorry to hear that, Heather. I really wish there was something I could do.
Some even sought scrutiny Del – http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/us/politics/26preach.html?_r=0
Sadness Heather. I hope things can improve.
I am so sorry Heather.
Praying sweetie!!
Heather,
We will pray for your daughter. Our hearts and prayers are with your family during this time.
<3
Heather,
Heather, I’m praying and believing God for healing for your daughter.
I would also invite you to investigate the International Association of Healing Rooms. My church is a member of the association and has a healing room people with sicknesses come for prayer every Saturday. Many People have even experienced healing when they call in or skype in for prayer. Here’s the web address:
http://www.ibethel.org/healing-rooms-ministry
And i think there’s also a link to the international association if you wanted to look for one of these healing rooms closer to home…
Bless you and your family!
Reality says:
June 3, 2013 at 10:54 pm
Some even sought scrutiny Del –http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/us/politics/26preach.html?_r=0
=================================
I remember that. They were hoping to obtain the right to speak freely and practice their religion freely at the same time.
Unfortunately, in 2008 they did know know what kind of sociopathic narcissist they were dealing with. They hoped to be a test case. They did not anticipate that Obama would sic the IRS on every pro-life and conservative group, and even some outspoken individuals.
I can’t find the article now (too much noise to this story) about a lady professor who wrote a book about history & economics, released during the last election cycle. During her book/lecture tour, the IRS began probing her, asking for revenue & expense records and specifically about sponsorships from any conservative organizations.
She got so scared, she quit her tour. She now realizes that the whole point of the scrutiny was to intimidate her into silence.
Thanks to everyone.
Heather, I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter. Will keep you both in my prayers.
ExGOP, no, it is not illegal for the IRS to make a decision based on the application and not add “short cut” questionnaires to the process.
ex:
Surely you know that underhanded things are going on with the IRS. They are indefensible, they are illegal, and they may even be criminal. If you want to defend them and parse words that is up to you but you and Obama may be the only ones left that don’t know anything about this.
Examples of IRS practices targeting individuals who were not applying for non-profit status, but merely participating in the political life of our nation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bgz9S4rAgw&sns=fb
Realize, oh you who think organizations & individuals deserve what the IRS has been doing:
Today it’s your darling in the White House. Precedents are being set. Precedents that can be used and expanded upon when it’s NOT your darling in the White House. Stew on that for a little bit before you bury your head back into the sand.
The IRS is tasked with many functions, including assessing various applications, checking for compliance and providing clarification on applicable factors.
They do so according to the laws which are in place. The same laws which have been in place for quite some time.
They operate and decide outcomes according to these laws, not from political guidance or directives. No one is setting any ‘precedents’.
If groups are going to apply for exemptions under various codes and then go out and become primarily activist rather than adhering to what they claimed their functions would be then the IRS would be failing its role if it didn’t take action.
If these groups are complying with the laws then they have nothing to fear from being checked now have they.
But as we all know, for too long too many groups have breached the intent if not the letter of these laws and regulations.
Yet not too many seem to have had their exemptions withdrawn or faced any other consequences. So they should stop shedding false tears.
Prayers and positive thoughts sent to you and your family, Heather.
Heather – sorry to hear that news – we’re all thinking of and praying for your family.
Lrning –
I never claimed that – I said that the IRS legally has to review every application. And they owe it to the taxpayers of this country to scrutinize applications to make sure people aren’t pulling fast ones on the taxpayers of this nation.
Jerry –
I’m just enjoying seeing conservatives outraged over a class of people being possibly targeted by the government. I must say, if the right got as outraged about abortion, guns, poverty – well, anything else, just think of what they might do.
But dear heavens…the terrible things that these groups have had to go through in their quest to not pay taxes and in many cases, to keep their donors secret. The horrrors!
“I must say, if the right got as outraged about abortion, guns, poverty”
You seriously think there hasn’t been much outrage over abortion? What rock have you been living under?
Seriously? RedState, the Sunday morning news circuit, the vairous right wing blogs? Heck, the GOP is having a hard time even deciding how hard to push abortion as they “look to the future”. But with this – the conservatives are everywhere.
Must be a bigger rock than yours JDC. Most people simply don’t have the interest and focus on abortion that you do. So while it’s all shoutie and ongoing for the anti-choice activists, for most people it’s ‘meh’.
What was the loudest squawking from groups such as the Tea Party about? Abortion didn’t seem too high on their agenda.
The point that the GOP hasn’t focused on abortion too much is valid, but in recent years there’s been unprecedented amounts of pro-life legislation and attention given, it’s become a bigger issue lately.
Of course I’m of the opinion that the vast majority of Republicans don’t actually want to criminalize abortion at all, because they would lose a big wedge issue that brings them at least a decent little chunk of voters. They much prefer it being an ever present thing to get the Evangelical vote. Same thing with gay rights, I don’t think most of them care about marriage equality, it’s just a good issue for them to play on.
Edit function isn’t working for me for some reason. The vast majority of Republican politicians don’t want to see abortion criminalized, I meant. I think that the majority of Republican voters do, but the politicians are just talking.
Jack – good points. The cynical side of me says that you can figure out the parties various positions based on their funding, and the funding of the opposition. The GOP will fight abortion by restricting Planned Parenthood (because they give a lot to the DEMS) – and the Dems will naturally go after the NRA (because they give a lot to the GOP). Now, I’m sure that people within each party have pure motives around these things – but almost any decision these days comes down to power.
See it a lot in Wisconsin – unions give big money, so they were the easy target during budget battles – if you can work a law that weakens the money/support for the other side, you’re better off long term.
Have your doubts? Look at redistricting as well. And I think these tax-exempt groups are a good example as well. Why support the causes of these groups to strongly? They spend money – and lots of it.
I think you are right Jack. Most republican politicians don’t have a whole lot they can stand for so squeaky wheel syndrome comes into play.
My observation is there’s a whole lot more focus on and coverage of marriage equality than abortion, right across the media.
ExGOP says “I never claimed that”.
Then your comment to me, “that’s against the law”, makes no sense. Because I never mentioned deciding on an application without reviewing it first.
Heather I am so sorry to hear about your precious daughter. I will be praying for her and your entire family. May God bless you.
Heather, I will pray for you and your daughter as well. LL <3