Mormon church officials, facing an ongoing investigation by the state Fair Political Practices Commission, Friday reported nearly $190,000 in previously unlisted assistance to the successful campaign for Prop. 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
The report, filed with the secretary of state’s office, listed a variety of California travel expenses for high-ranking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and included $20,575 for use of facilities and equipment at the church’s Salt Lake City headquarters and a $96,849 charge for “compensated staff time” for church employees who worked on matters pertaining to Prop. 8.
The Mormon church had been under investigation by the Fair Political Practices Commission for failure to report its contributions as required by law. The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Fred Karger, of Californians Against Hate.
IRS regulations barred from endorsing political candidates, but they allow churches and religious groups to campaign and contribute on behalf of issues. When doing so, churches are required to report their contributions just like every other donor. They are also required to report and attach fair market dollar values to “in-kind” donations, which consist of services and activities provided directly without charge by a donor that a campaign would otherwise have been required to pay for.
Crossposted via Box Turtle Bulletin.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
More 'Revelations' For the Mormon Church Tax Scandal
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4 comments:
The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day HATERS. Each day there is a new revelation (pardon the pun) of the Hate that spewed from their pulpits and the Mother Ship in Salt Lake City Utah. Millions of hate dollars were spent on the passage of Yes on Proposition H8. Tax them. Tax them big time with penalties for all of the past taxes that they have not paid. Each day, confront them. Confront the missionaries, Stake Presidents, Bishops and all of the members. Confront them about their hate. Remind them of the hate they have historically experienced and ask them if that felt good... because their hate of gays and lesbian people is shameful. And they say that they are a church of latter day saints. They are the Church of Latter Day Hate!
The spin presented on this report is troubling. The Church reported within the timeframe allotted. Assuming they have their reporting accurate, there is no misreporting, no dishinesty, no conspiracy, NO SCANDAL. The only credit I think we can give Karger is that the Church likely consulted the FPPC regarding its activities and liberally reported the value. At that, $190,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the other churches. "Bash the Mormons" has been the popular theme since my 3rd GG-father Noah Rogers was whipped and beaten in Missouri because he was a Mormon. We are different and peculiar. We have the protected right to be such, and also to adhere to moral tenets & beliefs, "according to the dictates of our own conscience" (J.S., Jr.) and allow all men the same priveledge.
You will find that individual members don't necessarily promote the legislation of sin, but will defend with their time, money, and everything they can, when a proposed law change or moral shift in society threatens the foundations of religious freedom. Because of a history of systematic persecution by corrupt or amoral government officials, the Church has long recognized the need to encourage members to participate in the public process to preserve individual and religious freedoms. If there ever was a defining line across which these freedoms would be lost, in our opinion, Prop 8 is it. From our perspective of doctrine, this entire issue is moral and spiritually based.
I don't fear gays or the gay lifestyle, I only fear that my religious, free speech, parental and civil rights will diminish by allowing the redefinition of marriage. I can love my gay neighbor and fight to allow him/her equal rights under a civil union, but can see clearly the long term damage to society that a redefinition of traditional marriage will cause. The 'why do you care' or 'how does it hurt you'? question takes very little careful thought or research to answer.
I urge all to research the results of this trend on Christians where it has been adopted. It has only marginally benefited a small minority at the expense of others and at the expense of the core unit of society - the traditional family. Not to mention the oppressive trend toward religion. Wouldn't it be ironic, if there came a day that religious pilgrims were forced to flee America to preserve their freedom of conscience, religion, and other fundamental freedoms because , their doctrine, due to drift in national moral standards, made public practice or discourse of their faith illegal? Think about it.
Gays don't have a corner on the "persecution" claim.
Here is the Church's response if you were interested.
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/church-clarifies-proposition-8-filing-corrects-erroneous-news-reports
ok this is response to the comment of another anonymous person from above just like to say how can you claim that gays don't have a corner in the "persecution" claim but that mormons do i mean what about the Mountain Meadows Massacre mormons have done more persecuting then been persecuted
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