Religion in America

Religion in America

Political candidates reveal charitable giving

Washington – Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman donated 3 percent of his income to charity throughout a 10-year period, according to articles in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Lieberman reported that in 1990 he and his wife, Hadassah, donated $2,932 to charity out of a reported income of $103,492. By 1999 their charitable giving had increased to $13,804 out o f a reported income of $350,119.

Republican vice-presidential nominee Richard Cheney released only partial tax returns, but according to The Washington Post Cheney gave charities “just over 1 percent” of his 1999 income of $4,423,289.

Cheney has described his level of charitable giving “appropriate” and called it a “a private matter.”

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the national average for charitable giving is roughly 2 percent of income, but those with incomes of $1 million or more typically gave 4.5 percent to charity.

Figures for 1999 charitable giving by presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush are not presently available.

In 1997 the Bushes gave over 7 percent to charity, but in 1998 their giving dropped to less than 2 percent. The Gores gave only $353 to charity in 1997, but responded to criticism by giving nearly 7 percent of their 1998 income to charity.

 

IRS seizes church building for back taxes

Indianapolis, Ind. – A federal judge has ordered an Indianapolis church to relinquish its building to the IRS to pay a delinquent $5.9 million tax bill.

In a ruling handed down Sept. 20, U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker ordered the Indianapolis Baptist Temple Church to vacate its church building by Nov. 14. The IRS will then sell the church, the Associated Press reported.

“We are very thankful she didn’t order an immediate seizure, which gives us time to get our house in order and to get personal items in the church,” said Gregory Dixon Sr., whose son succeeded him as pastor of the congregation three years ago.

Barker’s ruling stems from a dispute between Baptist Temple and the federal government over the church’s failure to pay federal taxes. Last year Barker ruled the Baptist Temple must pay $5.9 million in back taxes, penalties and interest for the years 1987 through 1993, when the church stopped withholding federal income, Medicare and Social Security taxes from employees’ paychecks.

Officials from Indianapolis Baptist Temple insist that payments made to employees were “love gifts” instead of paychecks, and thus not taxable, The New York Times reported.

The church, who lost its tax-exempt status in the mid-1990’s, has also refused to pay property taxes. In 1995 the IRS took control of 20 acres of undeveloped land the group owned.

 

Catholic ads target pro-abortion candidates

Staten Island, N.Y. – Priests for Life, a Roman Catholic group, has launched a national ad campaign urging voters to oppose candidates who back abortion rights.

A $250,000 ad blitz began airing earlier this week on major cable TV stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Washington and other cities.

Without mentioning any candidate by name, the ads argue that no politician can responsibly advocate abortion.

“If those elected to public office can’t respect the life of a little baby, how are they supposed to respect yours?” Frank Pavone, founder and president of Priests for Life, says in an ad.

“We hope to stir up voters to vote in such a way as to bring an end to the killing of children by abortion,” Pavone said.

 

Pat Robertson urges Republican support

Washington – Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson vowed to “draw a line in the sand” and return the White House to the Republicans at the Coalition’s 10th annual Washington pep rally Sept. 29.

With the White House, control of Congress and Supreme Court appointments hanging in the balance, Robertson promised the group’s “biggest thrust” ever in the Nov. 7 elections in favor of conservative candidates. He said conservative voters should not be swayed by the booming economy. Noticeably absent was Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who commands the allegiance of Christian conservative but declined an invitation to address the gathering.