UCC turns IRS investigation into fundraiser
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Should have seen this coming. From an email today from United Church of Christ President John Thomas:
As you no doubt have heard through media reports, the Internal Revenue Service has launched an investigation of the United Church of Christ, based on our invitation to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama - a longtime member of the UCC - to speak at our 50th Anniversary General Synod in Hartford, Connecticut this past June.If you donate to this, you are a fool. The church leadership knew the risk they were taking and the complaint lays out logically how each of the guidelines were violated with most of the content for the complaint coming directly from the UCC website! The national leadership made their bed and it's there's to sleep in.
The UCC took great care to ensure that Senator Obama's appearance met appropriate legal and moral standards. We are confident that, in the end, the IRS investigation will confirm that no laws were violated.
However, in order to adequately defend ourselves as well as protect the broader principle of the freedom of religious communities to entertain questions of faith and public life, we will need to secure expert legal counsel, and the cost of this defense, we are told, could approach or exceed six figures. This is troubling news. That's why we are turning to you - our members and supporters - to ask for your financial support to help offset these unforeseen legal expenses.
7 Comments:
commented by 
David, 5:04 PM
David, 5:04 PM
Not one nickel from me or my congregation. Thye knew what they were doing and then let it happen. What were they thinking by allowing the campaign tables and the acompanying campaign speech? There is nothing wrong with a little civil disobediance, but in order to change the laws, we must follow a chain of action.
That you believe we Christians can abandon one another when we need help with the expenses of legal counsel based on some Americanized notion of "making one's bed and sleeping in it" causes me great sadness. You are in my prayers.
Send the bill to Obama.
It was his speech that got us into this mess.
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
It was his speech that got us into this mess.
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Bill Obama!
Where is the contrition and the accountability among fellow Christians? Your opinion is probably going to be based on your opinion of the issue. If the church did wrong, then they should suck it up, be honest and address each allegation. I you think they are right, you probably think we al should shoulder the burden of their defense.
Better that they ask for donations to this particular cause then to just take it out of OCWM. Funny how this is now a problem that they are asking specifically to donate to this when many here so often have advocated for a more "donate to the cause" then the current OCWM systemn provides. Let those who want to donate to it do so without calling them names. No one is forcing anyone at UCCtruths to donate, or using their funds for this.
Deb K.
Deb K.
Re: "If you donate to this, you are a fool. The church leadership knew the risk they were taking and the complaint lays out logically how each of the guidelines were violated with most of the content for the complaint coming directly from the UCC website! The national leadership made their bed and it's there's to sleep in."
It looks to me (based on UCC's side of the story) like the church tried to do the right thing, and Obama & Co. promised that no campaign activity would take place, but that they broke their promise to Obama's own church.
It looks to me (based on UCC's side of the story) like the church tried to do the right thing, and Obama & Co. promised that no campaign activity would take place, but that they broke their promise to Obama's own church.
Peace and Blessings!!