This church at 38th & Sheridan in Indianapolis, First Christian Missionary Baptist, has endorsed the presidential candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama by the looks of this sign affixed to the church's permanent sign. Churches are prohibited under federal tax-exempt laws from engaging in partisan political activities.
21 comments:
What are the chances that the IRS will do anything? The answer is 2. Slim and none. This is what this country is coming to. The best thing to do is take away all of their tax exempt status. The fact that the governemnt sanctions a religion by giving it tax exempt status is unconstitutional in my opinion. How do they decide what is actually a religion? I would like to see a similar sign in front of a mosque so that Obama himself would ask that it be taken down.
They can't take that sign down. It's a black church.
Only if it were a white church would they be violating the law.
It appears that the building is no longer occupied by that church. The signage is derelict. Both telephone numbers for it are disconnected. There are several small signs slightly visible in the wide shot that are cropped off in the tight shot -- I suspect they are "For Sale" signs.
It looks like an enthusiastic Obama volunteer put up a sign on an abandoned property -- it's hardly the skullduggery you assume.
There were several cars in the parking lot today. Let me add another picture to prove that point.
Leave it to Wilson46201 to defend a criminal act by a Democrat.
If they were supporting McCain, Mr. Wilson would be calling André Carson to get that church burned to the ground.
Next he will be stating that Minton-McNeill was a victim of and should be rewarded for "outing" those brutal cops!
Several cars on a Sunday? Wow! Giant congregation!!! What's the tent about in the new picture?
The pastor of that church is Rev. Damon Roach who is a republican.
Damon Roach is the pastor, and owner of Roach Bail Bonds and Road to Recovery Drug Rehab...which, I believe, is a service that the probation dept. authorizes for those sentenced....
...and as for him being a Republican, NOT
Does anyone know how to file an official complaint with the IRS to get the tax-exempt status revoked?
I've noticed signs like this one popping up all over town. A lot of them are in residential neighborhoods. I've seen some of them attached to homes. They are illegal. Metropolitan Development should be citing these folks for putting up these signs without a permit. You can't get a permit to put up a sign like that in your yard.
I just checked the Marion County records and found First Christian is tax exempt (today) and that it shares a listing with Damon Roach & Associates.
Parcel #: 4005617
Owner Name: CHURCH, THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY
Property Address: 6190 E 38TH ST
2006 Post Reassessment Gross Assessed Value: 2,759,700.00 This Assessed Value will be used on the Reconciliation Bill
2005 Gross Assessed Value: $2,122,800.00
2006 Pre Reassessment Gross Assessed Value: $2,122,800.00
Township: LAWRENCE
Neighborhood Code: 918C
Property Class Type: EXEMPT
Taxing District: 401
411 has no listing a church in that name.
"Rev." Damon Roach has a somewhat checkered past [immense understatement]. Yes, he was considered a Republican...
I drove by the church. The smaller sighs are advertising day care service, no for sale signs anywhere. A school bus is parked out front advertising Bingo.
This is a functioning church. Maybe they forgot to pay the phone bill.
Is that an unmarked police car in the photo? A badge and 11809 on an Indiana plate. The plate appears to be police issue. Is Roach supplied a city car?
That's where the Pulliam family went to church. Also Dan Burton.
As of a few a years ago, there was a bail bond shop and a beauty salon operating from the church building. And the church was visited by Reverend Moon. And the congregation "voted" to give Roach a gold Rolls Royce.
btw, there's not much the city can do about people putting up campaign signs in their yard.
First, DMD doesn't even respond to complaints about illegal business signs, they are broderline effective.
Second, though there is a reg about "opinion signs", it's probably unconstitutional. Put up a 20' Obama or Mccain banner and see if the cityc omes after you - they will not cause they know they would be shot down.
This is the city, after all, that recently passed a law that said you cannot park a car in your own driveway and put a 'for sale' sign on it. Years after similar laws were thrown out in other cities.
You would have to ask Republican Mayor Ballard if long time republican Pastor Damon Roach is issued a city car.....
What a lot of fuss over a sign on what looks to be an almost-empty church in a despairing neighborhood. This is not exactly Christ Church Cathedral on the Circle; maybe HOPE has some intrinsic appeal at 38th and Sherman. Or would you rather THEY were out rioting? Or selling crack?
As for the Pulliams going to church there, gimme a break. Gene Pulliam was an Episcopalian and worshiped at Trinity Episcopal Church on Meridian. His funeral was there. Russ is a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church; his congregation used to be on Michigan Road. Myrta goes to the Church of Whatever.
I doubt if Dan Burton could set foot in the place.
Good Lord.
Do your homework, Wilson! Why would the church need it's own phone line when it can share with Roach Bail Bonds? The Bondsman NEEDS the business listing...the front, I mean church, does not need a listing in the phone book.
The church is listed in the phone book as Damon Roach & Associates....and check out the places of worship the Lawrence chamber of commerce lists:
http://www.lawrencechamberofcommerce.org/Resources-Worship.pdf
-Pitiful, Wilson!
I did some checking. The car with police plates isn't a city or county owned vehicle.
I would look into Pike Township for answers.
OK, Ruth, let them pay their fair share of property tax if they want to run a bail bond agency out of that building. I, personally, don't care about a bondsman who wants to work out of what looks to be an almost-empty church in a despairing neighborhood.
I DO CARE that he is getting TAX EXEMPT status for his business when my own property taxes increased $600+/yr and my sales tax increased to 7%, the highest ever in Indiana!!!
Let him advocate the person of his choice for political office...and pay taxes like I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Indy4u2c, but Mitch Daniels said if only we would increase the sales tax 1% that our property taxes would go down......
Art: Damon Roach is NOT PAYING ANY TAX on this tax-exempt property (that purports to be a church) and is really being used to advocate a candidate for political office!!!!!!!!!!
Post a Comment