Senator Grassley,
Regarding your statement on your blog, dated 11/7/07, entitled - Non-Profit Ministries, Accountability to Donors:
You said, "I have recently asked six media media-based ministries for information regarding expenses, executive compensation and amenities given to their executives."
I have been told that the above statement is not true. It is my information that you have asked at least 21 different ministries to provide you with financial information regarding their ministries. If this is true, then the above statement is a lie.
You have also said, "This has nothing to do with church doctrine. This has everything to do with the tax exemption of an organization. Is that tax exemption being used according to law, and is the money that's donated under the tax exemption being used for legitimate, non-profit purposes?"
Regarding your statement above; The IRS, who is the Agency that has legitimate oversight of these ministries tax exempt status, have given all of these Ministries a clean bill of health. All of these ministers undergo independent audits every year. Could it be that the information you are getting is coming from the liar Ole Anthony? If so, then you have been had Senator. Ole has really set you up for to be beat at the next election.
You said, "This is part of a long-standing priority of mine to make sure that tax-exempt organizations are accountable to their donors."
When I give my money to the Church, then it becomes their money. I also missed the part where "you the Government" are responsible of the accountability of my Church leaders to me. Did you think it your job to save us from the Churches and Ministries we freely choose to support. Amendment I of the Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The question is, who will save us from you and other Government officials who think to run our Churches? If there ever comes a time that these ministries do anything I, not the Government, deem immoral, then I will decide to either forgive them or stop giving money to them. We who give to the Church don't need the Government's help to tell us who to give to.
It appears that the Government is not only passing tax laws which, not only prohibit the free exercise of religion, but are also respecting an establishment of religion by the Government by making and enforcing the Governing rules for Church finances. In so doing you are making yourself the final authority of the Christian Church. When "you the Government" enforce your subjective judgments over Church finances, then you become the final authority in the Church and as such have established a Government religion under which all faiths must confirm. This is unconstitutional, not to mention immoral.
The Government is also establishing various religions like Islam. Did you send over 2,000+ of you Government spies into Muslim Mosques as you sent your agents into Christian Churches and Ministries last year. If not, then you are preferring the Muslim church over the Christian Church in this Country. It takes some real guts to go after the Muslim Mosques doesn't it, since they have been known to kill Americans. Tell me, how many Christian Churches promote murdering people as Islamic leaders in this Country do?
You said, "Over the years, my investigations have led to some real reform in other non-profit organizations.'
Regarding your statement above; So your investigations have led to real Church reform. How did Church reform become "you the Government's" business. You are violating Christians rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution by leading the Government charge to prohibiting the free exercise of religion in the Christian Church.
Whether its using a private jet, driving a Rolls Royce or Bentley, or installing a $23,000 commode, there is obviously money going down the toilet.
So, "you the Government" have divided that members of Christian Church shouldn't give their leaders gifts like furniture, cars, jets, etc. Were you going to provide us with as Government approved list of items which Christians can give to their Church leaders and that their Church leaders will be allowed to own without being persecuted by the Government?
Speaking of money going down the toilet, exactly what are "you the Government" doing with all the tax money you forcibly extract from the citizens of this Country? Would you care to comment on all the toilets of pork which "you the Government" flush our money down. If you Republicans Congressmen did what we sent you to Washington to do seven years ago, the Democrats wouldn't own Congress now. Republicans increased spending. Republicans have made it more difficult for Christians to give to their favorite ministries. Republicans presided over the first successful invasion of America by a foreign power, namely Mexico. I guess you forgot that is your Constitutional duty to secure our boarders. Where were you guys when 20 to 30 million illegal's came streaming across our southern boarder. Gosh, you know they are still coming because your have yet to finish the fence which I am told money has been appropriated. Just where is this money going? Where have you been while Congress stole Billions out of the Social Security fund. Where have you been while Christians are being targeted in our public schools, while Muslims are being catered to by the public school system. Where have you been while the Government at all levels has been stealing people's private property under the disguise of Eminent Domain.
Senator, we would not even be having this conversation if "you the Republicans would ever carry through with your promises to get rid of your immoral income tax system for something more fair like a National sales tax. So Senator, I want to know where the money "you the Government" forcibly take from us every year. Why aren't you accountable to the Tax payers?
You said, "As a Christian myself, and a person who believes in tithing, I feel I have a right to know where my money goes.
I don't care if you tithe or not. What you give to your Church is your business. Your tithing does not entitle you, as an official of our Government, to attack the leaders of the Christian Churches/Ministries that we support.
The above statement contains another lie, unless you are in fact giving money to the ministries you are persecuting. Senator, do you give money to these ministries?
You said, "If a person gets a tax deduction for a donation, the deduction and donation should be for a legitimate purpose."
So, "you the Government" decides what is, and what is not, a legitimate purpose for a donations to the leaders of our Church.
You said, "My job as a member of the tax writing Senate Finance Committee is to make sure the tax code is upheld and to make sure tax breaks for charitable work donations are not abused."
So, you are using the tax coide to level Government control within the Christian Church? Are you proposing that you the Government decide when "we the people" are being abused by our Church leaders? Let me tell you Senator, "we the Christian people" would like "you the Government" to stay out of Church business. If you Government types aren't coming to our Churches to worship, then please keep out.
You said, "Andon-profit board independence is important. Family members shouldnt be approving salaries for family members or themselves."
So you the Government" now decide who Churches can, and can't have, on,their boards and decide on what Church leaders salaries are to be? You Congressmen pad your families with taxpayer dollars all the time, putting them on your staffs at exorbitant salaries for their doing absolutely nothing that benefits the tax payer.
Do congress men take private jets and tax payer funded military jest to get to where they are going. I think that Air Force One is a jet isn't it? they difference id that the Government forcibly extracted the money to buy these jests from the tax payers. On the other hand, we who support these Minister who you are persecuting, willing give money to make sure they have nice Private jests to use to take the Gospel to the World. We treat our Church leaders very well and we do it willingly. Senator, do you fly coach.
Speaking of accountability, you Congressmen continue stand by and watch CEOs of Corporations get 9 figure salaries while bankrupting the very Companies they work for. All Congress has done about this is to pass the idiotic Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) Bill which has done nothing but hurt small companies by requiring them to spend more than they make to produce financials statements which meet the arduous standards of SOX. You have stood by and done nothing about the Stock Market's short-selling Market Makers ruin one American Company after the other.
You said, "What Im from the six ministries is some basic information on how they use their money.
So when these ministries don't comply with your harassing request for information, are you going to go to your friends across the aisle, the Democrats to ask for subpoena power to try to prosecute these fine Church leaders?
We Christians know your real target is Creflo and Taffi Dollar. Creflo and Taffi Dollar, and Bidshop Eddie Long are responsible for leading a portion of the Black voter base to vote Republican becasue they are pro-life and now you are doing everything you can to alienate the Black vote you do have by attacking these fine Black Church Leaders.
Finally you said, "I wont draw any conclusions until after they report back to me."
This statement is telling about your integrity since you already made a judgment earlier in your statement which clearly shows you have concluded that these ministries are sending money down the toilet. ...I guess you might have them confused with the Congress who don't do anything but send tax payers money down the toilet of fraud, waste and abuse by the trillions of dollars.
Please do we Christians this small service; Stop trying to be the Governing morale authority in the Christian Church because you, as a Government official, are not empowered by the Constitution to do so.
