Catholic civic engagement plays a central role in American politics, and the question of how Catholic convictions translate to the public square is a matter of frequent discussion. In his recent book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life (2008), the Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, archbishop of Denver, argues that Catholics should take an active, vocal and morally consistent role in public debates, particularly on issues such as abortion, the death penalty and other matters they consider central to social justice.
I have no problem with that, as long as they lose their tax exempt status.
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Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 11:43
Individual Catholics do not have a tax exempt status. As far as I know, the Catholic church is not a 501(c)3 and so that part of the Internal Revenue Code doesn’t apply. So really they and the church have nothing to lose. Even for 501(c)3’s, it has been easy for people to speak as individuals or to form PAC’s distinct from the non-profits — take Focus on the Family and James Dobson for example.
I’m aware of all of the above. I was referring specifically to the church itself, and decrying that the rules don’t apply. Even Buddhists have to bitch occasionally.