Last week, Donald Trump was the featured speaker at The Road to Majority Policy Conference in Nashville, TN. The roster of speakers included a recognizable contingent representing the GOP ruling class. In addition to Trump were Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Ron Johnson, among others. This gathering was sponsored by the Faith and Freedom Coalition an organization founded and chaired by Ralph Reed. Reed has been a fixture in Republican politics for decades and gained notoriety as the Executive Director of the Christian Coalition from 1989 to 1997. Reed is also Chairman and CEO of Century Strategies, LLC, a public relations and public affairs firm.
There is no doubt that the Nashville event was purely political in nature. That was evident not only from the list of orators but also from the topics that were covered in the breakout sessions over the gathering’s three days. Some of the titles were:
· Justice in America: How Conservative Principals are Restoring our Justice System
· Life Is On the Line: What Does the Future of the Pro-Life Movement Look Like from Here?
· Forever Free: Our Christian Duty to Identify & care for Victims of Human Trafficking
· Draw the Line: The Hijacking of Our Mountains of Societal Influence & How to Reclaim Them
You could also attend a book signing for Betsy DeVos’ new tome, Hostages No More, or for Todd Starnes’ new effort, Culture Jihad and Daily Biscuit, and even better yet, witness Newt Gingrich receive the Winston Churchill Lifetime Achievement Award. It seems there was something on the docket for every insurrectionist and MAGA Nazi.
Yet because this event was sponsored by a 501(c)(4) organization, the income that is received by the Faith and Freedom Coalition isn’t taxable by the federal government. The other advantage of possessing this designation is that unlike a 501(c)(3), a 501(c)(4) can engage in political activity if it’s not the primary mission of the organization. That’s because the designation exists for “Social Welfare” groups. A visit to the Coalition’s website would lead one to believe that it’s a political organization cloaked by the support of issues such as marriage and family, human trafficking, and Immigration.
But the Faith and Freedom Coalition isn’t alone. Groups like Turning Point USA and C.N.P Action which are also designated as 501(c)(4), are overtly involved in the political arena. The former was founded by conservative activist and radio talk show host, Charlie Kirk. The latter was established as the lobbying arm of the Council for National Policy a 501(c)(3) that supports issues championed by the “conservative” movement.
Two of the more notable presences on C.N.P. Action’s nine-member board are Kenneth Blackwell, Family Research Council Senior Fellow and former Ohio Secretary of State, and Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. There are also other organizations that operate under the Council for National Policy umbrella.
Adding to the political disorder that our nation is experiencing are the thousands of churches that enjoy the status as a 501(c)(3) organization, yet engage not only in political activities but also in the fraud that is the prosperity gospel. Go to YouTube and find any service featuring evangelical or prosperity ministers you will discover a host of sermons espousing right-wing talking points and asking their respective flocks to sew a seed so that rewards can be reaped.
Perhaps one of the more controversial evangelical preachers is Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Joliet, TN, an outspoken Republican who dives head first into politics from the pulpit. Locke who is defiant in his beliefs insists that “you can’t be a Christian and vote Democrat.” But I have to give Locke credit for one thing. After a complaint was made to the IRS about that statement and others, he took steps to remove his church’s tax-exempt status with the agency.
On the prosperity side, there is a swarm of culprits who could be highlighted. But perhaps the most successful and notorious is Kenneth Copeland. Estimated to be worth over $760 million dollars, the former driver and pilot for Oral Roberts is the poster child for greed. He and his family live in a $7 million “parsonage” outside of Ft. Worth, TX and he is the proud owner of two jets, although he describes one as a small little plane. All of this wealth comes at taxpayers’ expense and he revels in it with unmatched glee.
Some would argue that taxing churches would destroy the separation between church and state, place government above religion and erase the public good that is dispensed through their work. Conversely, tax exemption is a privilege and not a right, nonreligious organizations are required to file a Form 990 that provides information regarding their financial structure and income, while churches are granted automatic exemption from taxes without filing a return.
But what is even more glaring and bolsters the argument for some taxing of faith communities are contained in an article in The Conversation by Ryan Cragun, Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa are the following factors:
· Religious endowments and investment accounts total in the hundreds of billions of dollars and over a trillion by some estimates.
· Churches pay no taxes on businesses they own.
· Religious organizations pay no sales tax.
· Clergy and members of religious orders are the only citizens who can opt-out of paying Self-Employed Contributions Act taxes.
· Clergy can deduct upkeep for the parsonages. (Can I get a Ka-Ching! from Kenneth Copeland?)
· Religious organizations pay no property taxes.
A 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 63 percent of the U.S. population self-identified as Christians, down from 75 percent a decade later. This downward flow shows no signs of abatement. It could be said that many of those who identify as Christians are not practicing their faith or doing so in an incongruous manner. I would also ask, given their political leanings, biases, and temperaments, can we really call Evangelicals, Christians?
As I grapple with spiritual issues of my own, It’s not my intent to paint all members of the clergy as nefarious nor am I declaring that churches don’t offer spiritual enrichment to the soul and provide much-needed services to their communities. As a Christian and Catholic, I’ve seen up close the many great works that institutions representing every denomination contribute. But we are at a crossroads. An excess of discord is being incited in the churches across the country and by 501(c)(4) groups. Maybe it’s time to exact a financial price from them.