BREAKING: IRS announces exemption to 1954 ban on 501(c)3 orgs engaging in political activity—now allows churches & houses of worship to endorse political candidates.

The wall separating religion & state is collapsed. It is not hyperbole to state that we are on the footsteps of full blown Christian theocracy. Nothing good can come of this.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State

The separation of church and state guarantees religious freedom, a fundamental American right promised by our system of government.

Americans United

@QasimRashid

SuperPACs building megachurches in 3... 2... 1..

@HumanServitor @QasimRashid

Black churches getting bombed once they get all 'uppity' thinking this IRS rule includes them.

#LawlessSCOTUS
#ChristianNationalism
#WhiteChristianNationalism

@QasimRashid Because of course they did.

I wonder how long before churches start burning?

@QasimRashid
The decades-old plan is unfolding. Not surprised, just disappointed.
@adavid @QasimRashid
We fold their plan back up and force them to eat it.
@QasimRashid oh what’s that? You hate Jesus **and** America? Straight to the camps you fucking satanic terrorist.
@elebertus @QasimRashid If anyone here founds the Satanic Terrorist Church, sign me up!

@QasimRashid Like they weren't doing that before. Then-Archbishop Raymond Burke was denying people sacraments for voting for John Kerry. Religion hasn't been shy about being a political machine in ages.

I say this as a devout Catholic: the Church has not been fulfilling the promise of providing the services it claims tax-exempt status for since ever. Tax them all. They want to play ball, they pay to play like everyone else. I've believed that since high school.

@QasimRashid

"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries."

--James Madison, 1803

@VisualStuart @QasimRashid The current crop of idiots doesn't even remember when wacko Christian churches (Aryan Nations, various Fundy LDS sects) were killing each other and randos caught in their crossfire.

Just imagine the bloodshed modern megachurches can fund.

The tragedy of humanity isn't our unstoppable urges for evil and violence, but that people are mostly too lazy to remember our past fuckups.

@QasimRashid If Christian churches would do a good thing and encourage their parishoners to stand up to fascism I might be more for it.
@QasimRashid
Hope they all burn in hell.
@QasimRashid
Then they must also pay taxes.

@knutson_brain @QasimRashid

Ahh yes, great idea! How do we make that happen?

@unruly @QasimRashid
Sue to revoke nonprofit status.

@knutson_brain @QasimRashid

Another great idea. Can that be appealed to the Supreme Court?

@unruly @QasimRashid
Won't know if we don't try.

@knutson_brain @QasimRashid

True. Plan A. We must try. A plan B would be good too, considering the Supreme Court injustices are spearheading christofascism.

@unruly @QasimRashid
Open to all ideas.
We are at the try everything stage on many fronts.

@knutson_brain @QasimRashid

Agreed. Try everything. Do everything we can. Never give up. Never quit. Never say die. Never bend. Never break.

If and when we must, we can find and give sanctuary.

@unruly @knutson_brain @QasimRashid
The irony though if the Chistrofacists succeed the only thing they'd be ruling over would be ashes as the US will quickly become a shadow of it's self economically and militarily as the brain drain happens combined with countries cutting trade.

@Luna @knutson_brain @QasimRashid

There is some hope in the ashes.

@unruly @knutson_brain @QasimRashid
I sometimes wonder if the US is finished and should I consider moving to another country and then prepare to have help to fight and slay the thing it has become.

@Luna @knutson_brain @QasimRashid

Yes. Valid thinking. Something to reckon with. A personal decision.

@unruly @knutson_brain @QasimRashid
A Christofacist government is an enemy to any civilized person.
@Luna @unruly @QasimRashid …not to mention an oxymoron…
@knutson_brain @QasimRashid
A church that gets pollical should have to pay 4x taxes.
@QasimRashid I'm so tired of seeing insane news and thinking "that can't be real" but then it is.
@QasimRashid The Pharisees are back, I see.

@QasimRashid

BRB, self-incorporating as a church.

@QasimRashid On the other hand, all the pastors, preachers, deacons, elders, imans, and rabbis who have long wanted to endorse progressive candidates will now cut loose and do so with full-throated volume. That may just backfire on them, Qasim. There's a lot of them out there. Start making those phone calls. We can go for it now.
@QasimRashid Remember the inquisition.
@Dawg065 @QasimRashid
NO ONE forgets the Spanish one!
@QasimRashid Sorry, a small nit-pick. Churches are not covered by 501(c)3. They are a separate category in 501(c).
Churches, integrated auxiliaries and conventions or associations of churches | Internal Revenue Service

Automatic revocation of exemption for non-filing - treatment of churches and certain other religious organizations

@QasimRashid when will idiot America draw a line in the sand? They seem ok so far with the beginning of fascism and deeply authoritarian leaders.

@QasimRashid

Nope. Nothing.

Put a fork in it. The US is done

The unholy alliance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin 

Patriarch Kirill is one of the most vocal defenders of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine

The Economist

@Npars01 @QasimRashid

Russian Orthodox and, to a lesser extent, Orthodox Church in America, which used to be ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) already have been active in far right action.

@QasimRashid Fuck this asshole administration
If a Church gets political than it should be taxed.

@QasimRashid

Meh... you're telling me MAGA don't go to church on Sundays and posture as Christian?

Any American who goes to church and believes it is already brainwashed.

@QasimRashid nothing good but also nothing much effective either. Religious folks who want to be in a orange cult - are in orange cult.
This suddenly not gonna make it work better.
On principle it sucks huge balls, bet lets use it to our advantage.
@QasimRashid Christians don't vote. It's against the values in the bible.
@QasimRashid Wait till they find out mosques are also allowed to support Muslim political candidates. The RAGE!
@QasimRashid It is essential that we move towards secular government globally. This is the only sane course for the world. Any opposition to this view is simply the political bodies of religion trying to hold onto and increase their oppression.
@QasimRashid Yeah, I wonder how well Vance's prayers are helping in Texas?

@QasimRashid

This actually is just making official what has been quietly done for decades by both parties.

In 2008, when CA Prop 8 (anti-gay marriage) was passed, three major denominations backed passage publicly from the pulpit. Proof was posted on YouTube prior to the vote. News stories were run about people being banned from congregations over questioning their clergy..

The IRS didn't even blink. Nobody was investigated. The rule was never enforced even then.

@QasimRashid footsteps?

Nah, you're balls deep.

@QasimRashid

GOP admin IRS ruling not recognizing religion per se , but embracing and promoting right-wing theocracy groups.

@QasimRashid Feel like that boat sailed long ago around the time we had officials still wearing their ash crosses on their foreheads, we've passed the door's threshold and are comfortably leaving the mud room. Neo-puritanism is ahead.