CHRISTIAN POST– Ryan Foley-
An atheist group is calling on the Internal Revenue Service to remove the tax-exempt status of a prominent Cmegachurch after video footage surfaced of its pastor endorsing a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from the pulpit.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, an advocacy group that supports a staunch separation between church and state, wrote a letter to the IRS Tuesday asking the government agency to revoke the tax-exempt status of the southern California-based Calvary Chapel Chino Hills.
The letter cited comments made by Calvary Chapel Chino Hills Pastor Jack Hibbs on Sunday as the justification for the demand.
“I want to publicly right now, today, encourage all of you to vote for Steve Garvey,” Hibbs told his congregation, voicing his support for the Republican former Dodgers star. “You got to vote for Steve Garvey.”
“I just remembered it’s against the law for me to say that in the pulpit,” he added, stepping out in front of the pulpit. “As a public citizen, Steve Garvey is not only one of the greatest baseball players of all time. But we want Steve Garvey to represent us in the Senate. So, Steve Garvey is your only guy on the ballot.”
“So there, that was legal,” he continued as he returned to the pulpit. “I just had to move from here to there.”
Line characterized Hibbs’ comments as a direct violation of the rules imposed on organizations with 501(c)(3) status, which include churches. The letter cited the Internal Revenue Code, which states that recipients of 501(c)(3) status cannot “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” Continue reading…
