Republicans are using an obscure bill to quietly erode the separation of church and state Churches could become the new Super PACs. https://thinkprogress.org/republicans-are-quietly-trying-to-turn-churches-into-dark-money-havens-9822579cb972 With media attention focused on the national debate raging over health care, it would be easy to ignore the spending bill quietly making its way through the House of Representatives. Such proposals often dwell in the largely mundane machinations of the federal government, and technical disputes over its complicated provisions can fly under the radar. But if you care about the separation of church and state, this year’s bill might be worth paying attention to. Tucked deep inside more than 200 pages of text] is a tiny provision, recently added by the House Appropriations Committee, designed to defang the so-called Johnson Amendment — a section of the tax code that bars churches (a broad legal term that includes most faith groups) and other tax-exempt nonprofits from explicitly endorsing political candidates. In its current form, the bill would effectively defund attempts by the IRS to take action against churches who violate the amendment by engaging in explicit political action. Any movement on the issue would necessitate a 90-day waiting period and require agents to notify two congressional committees and get sign-off from the head of the IRS. Nonprofits that lack a faith affiliation, meanwhile, would still be beholden to the amendment.Imagine it's going to get worse than you imagine. Imagine getting off your ass and joining the struggle to slow down the Trump and the GOP Degradation of the American Way and our governmental system - it requires an informed and engaged people.
I support you, but I don’t know the “official next step” to take. Religion is too far removed from reason and logic to participate in any way in the political arena. Any bill allowing such a thing should be considered a gross misconduct and abuse of power. Any congressman introducing such a bill is an enemy of the state and the concept which America is built on.
It is definitely past time for change and I think nearly complete and utter dismantling and analysis of government, corporate law, religion, and our society itself.
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/forums/viewthread/19509/
It goes beyond that now I'm afraid, patriots are already being killed by those who want to impose intolerance and ignorance as the American way. People peacefully demonstrating a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville VA, were attacked by a racist in a car. One died and many were injured. This war is already on... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfoQBgI4-lQRepublicans are using an obscure bill to quietly erode the separation of church and state Churches could become the new Super PACs. https://thinkprogress.org/republicans-are-quietly-trying-to-turn-churches-into-dark-money-havens-9822579cb972 With media attention focused on the national debate raging over health care, it would be easy to ignore the spending bill quietly making its way through the House of Representatives. Such proposals often dwell in the largely mundane machinations of the federal government, and technical disputes over its complicated provisions can fly under the radar. But if you care about the separation of church and state, this year’s bill might be worth paying attention to. Tucked deep inside more than 200 pages of text] is a tiny provision, recently added by the House Appropriations Committee, designed to defang the so-called Johnson Amendment — a section of the tax code that bars churches (a broad legal term that includes most faith groups) and other tax-exempt nonprofits from explicitly endorsing political candidates. In its current form, the bill would effectively defund attempts by the IRS to take action against churches who violate the amendment by engaging in explicit political action. Any movement on the issue would necessitate a 90-day waiting period and require agents to notify two congressional committees and get sign-off from the head of the IRS. Nonprofits that lack a faith affiliation, meanwhile, would still be beholden to the amendment.Imagine it's going to get worse than you imagine. Imagine getting off your ass and joining the struggle to slow down the Trump and the GOP Degradation of the American Way and our governmental system - it requires an informed and engaged people.
trump’s response to this tragedy is also telling, he blames the people protesting the white supremacists as much as the racists for the violence and death.
As events in Charlottesville, Va., unfolded Saturday, political leaders used Twitter to respond to the violent confrontations that began Friday night — at a "Unite the Right" rally that pitted members of the alt-right, Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups against anti-racism counter-protesters — and turned deadly the next afternoon when a car plowed into a group of pedestrians. Republican officials, from the president to members of the House and Senate, went online to speak out against bigotry and violence — with President Trump coming under criticism from some members of his own party for not speaking out forcefully enough.People who are taking a strong stand against intolerance and bigotry aren't showing intolerance and bigotry. There is no room in any civilized society for groups like the KKK and Nazis and that is who the protesters in Charlottesville were there to demonstrate against. But the KKK and the American Nazi party are exactly the kind of people who supported trump and his own rallies last year were marked by violence against protesters of trump's racist comments. The only reason the Nazis are holding open meetings in Washington DC as they did in November to celebrate trump's election and racists are openly holding large public rallies in places like Charlottesville is because they know they have the backing of the president. trump needed to condemn in as strong terms as possible the people who are entirely behind the violence and death in Charlottesville but he didn't do that. Because a large part of his support lies within the racist community in America.
More on trump’s “on many sides” statement.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/trump-charlottesville-statement/
Picking a "worst" from Donald Trump's statement -- delivered from his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club -- isn't easy. But, the emphasis of "on many sides" -- Trump repeated that phrase twice -- is, I think, the low ebb. Both sides don't scream racist and anti-Semitic things at people with whom they disagree. They don't base a belief system on the superiority of one race over others. They don't get into fistfights with people who don't see things their way. They don't create chaos and leave a trail of injured behind them. Arguing that "both sides do it" deeply misunderstands the hate and intolerance at the core of this "Unite the Right" rally. These people are bigots. They are hate-filled. This is not just a protest where things, unfortunately, got violent. Violence sits at the heart of their warped belief system. Trying to fit these hate-mongers into the political/ideological spectrum -- which appears to be what Trump is doing -- speaks to his failure to grasp what's at play here. This is not a "conservatives say this, liberals say that" sort of situation. We all should stand against this sort of violent intolerance and work to eradicate it from our society -- whether Democrat, Republican, Independent or not political in the least.