Tobin, Donald B. "Political Campaigning by Churches and Charities: Hazardous for 501(c)(3)s, Dangerous for Democracy." Political Campaigning by Churches and Charities: Hazardous for 501(c)(3)s, Dangerous for Democracy (2006): 1313-364. Hein Online. Georgia Law Journal, 2006. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
Although tax exempt churches prohibit any political campaigning for office, they aren't prohibited from participating in civic discourse. These organizations are allowed to educate their members on various policy issues. Tobin claims that tax exempt organizations can sometimes disregard the political campaign ban or use lobbying as their method to promote certain politicians. During the 2004 campaign churches were very impactful by giving speeches or even endorsed politicians that were running. Tobin then goes on to argue that the churches defense is that their campaign is spiritual not political. Many of the churches go on to argue that their shouldn't be a political campaign ban on them but Tobin believes that they shouldn't have tax exemption status if this were true.
This source changes my thinking because a more direct, impactful effect that political churches can have.
It makes me more interested in that tax exempt side of the issue because of the churches argument of why they should be able to get involved politically. This is new idea it make me wonder is the connection to past sources. If these more politically active black churches affect the members politically, these could be the churches that are having the greatest impact on elections. I agree with this source because of how tax exempt organizations have gotten involved and how they wan't to continue to support political candidates. This helps me answer my question for this post because it shows that churches try to displace what they're doing as "spiritual" not political. One thing I didn't consider was that tax exempt organizations actually argue reasons they receive the exemption in the first place.
Djupe claims that black ministers have a large impact on how church goers view politics. Although Tobin would agree that some political churches can have an impact on politics, he believes all tax exempt organizations can have an impact on politics. Campbell would say that evangelical protestants become politically active when their members are threatened. Tobin would disagree here saying that tax exempt organizations actually argue to be politically active. McClerking argues that political churches that are required to participate in the church are more impacted politically. Tobin might agree here that if people are more active in a tax exempt organizations, they may want to also want to have more political influence.
A new question this source made me ask is why tax exempt organizations want to get involved politically?
Also, why certain churches or tax exempt organization get involved politically and some don't? I should we working on how to link political churches and tax exemption stays. One answer I have so far is that churches can and do get involved with political campaigns and they can ignore their bans and disregard their limits of their tax exempt restrictions. I think I want the direction of my research to go towards incorporating tax exemption and political churches actions.
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