Monday, January 25, 2010

The Kings Glory Fellowship Association, a non-denominational Protestant group in Calgary was told by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that based on spending too much of its time advocating on social issues like abortion and marriage, they could no longer issue charitable receipts.

Could this be how the IRS responds to the more than 70,000 written complaints against the Mormon Church over its political activities on such issues as Proposition 8, the  antigay marriage ballot measure that successfully repealed marriage equality in California?

The Calgary church lost its charitable status in part because it spent more than 10% of its time on “non-partisan political activities and therefore strayed into activities “outside its stated purpose.”

“We note the members of the Board of Directors espouse strong negative views about sensitive and controversial issues, which may also be viewed as political, such as abortion, homosexuality, divorce, etc.”

In the United States, the IRS expressly restricts political activity by churches who receive tax exemptions, but the laws are largely ignored or enforced. Along with all the other civil rights the LGBT community is denied, we’re expected to pay for our own public lynching too. According to the Mormon Church, they have raised a staggering $6,727,964.43 to support California’s Proposition 8. Yet, the IRS to date has been silent.

Back in 1978, the IRS was asked to look into the tax exemption of the Mormon Church based on church beliefs that Blacks were inherently inferior and not suited to hold leadership roles. A revelation suddenly bolted out of the heavens and struck Salt Lake City claiming God determined Black people were not longer inferior and the IRS inquiry quickly went away.