There was discussion in the comments on my previous blog about whether I am violating IRS regulations by supporting Mike Huckabee.
Since there is misunderstanding on this, let me clarify. (Not just for me, but for countless Christian leaders and pastors in the same position.) I have carefully examined IRS regulations in the past, and this week reviewed them again. A nonprofit 501c3, such as Eternal Perspective Ministries, cannot maintain its tax-exempt status if it, as an organization, endorses a political candidate. A tax-exempt ministry can take a position on moral issues and ballot measures, but not candidates.
However, a leader of a nonprofit organization may publicly express his personal support for any candidate he chooses. He can do this as long as he makes clear it is his personal endorsement, not that of the organization.
The following is directly from the IRS:
The political campaign intervention prohibition is not intended to restrict free expression on political matters by leaders of organizations speaking for themselves, as individuals. Nor are leaders prohibited from speaking about important issues of public policy. However, for their organizations to remain tax exempt under section 501(c)(3), leaders cannot make partisan comments in official organization publications or at official functions of the organization. To avoid potential attribution of their comments outside of organization functions and publications, organization leaders who speak or write in their individual capacity are encouraged to clearly indicate that their comments are personal and not intended to represent the views of the organization.
That’s exactly what I’ve done in the previous two blogs. I’ll "clearly indicate" it again now: my comments about candidates are personal and not intended to represent the views of EPM.
EPM has not and will not donate money or resources to the Huckabee campaign. Nanci and I have offered to donate copies of my book Why Prolife? We agreed that if they want them, we’ll gladly pay the bill ourselves. EPM is not supporting Mike Huckabee. Nanci and I are. EPM pays me minimum wage for forty hours a week, but I work far more, and I can use those extra hours for anything I wish, including writing my blog.
In this blog, I frequently talk about my family, grandchildren, old friends and even my dog. They are not EPM’s grandchildren. They are not the EPM board’s old friends. And Moses is not EPM’s dog. We pay for his dog food, the ministry doesn’t, and no board member has stepped forward to cover his vet bills. All this reinforces my claim that this is my blog, not EPM’s. This is not, in IRS terms "an official organization publication." EPM has a website. This isn’t it. (Look at my blog address--it doesn't say EPM it says randyalcorn.)My point here is more to clarify than to defend, because so many leaders seem hesitant to speak out about what they believe. A prevalent misunderstanding of the law is part of that. By becoming a pastor in 1977, and then the director of a ministry in 1990, I never surrendered my first amendment rights. I didn’t check free speech at the door. And though I think generally it's not wise for most pastors to endorse specific candidates, I strongly encourage them and all Christian leaders to speak out on the issue of abortion and urge their people to vote only for prolife candidates, regardless of which they choose.
Now, the time may come when the IRS declares I can no longer speak freely about candidates, moral issues or objectionable interpretations some regard as hate speech (such as saying that abortion or homosexual behavior is wrong), without forfeiting EPM’s tax exempt status. When that happens it will make things simple. I’m confident our board would vote to forgo tax exempt status. If they didn’t, I’d have to resign. Why? Because I belong to Jesus, not to the government or IRS.
As long as EPM can offer our supporters the financial benefit of tax deductable giving, without sacrificing principle, that’s good stewardship. But if doing so would require forfeiting our rights and biblical responsibilities, that’s not a price we’d be willing to pay. Countless things are far more important than tax exemption. America is not God. Government is not God. The IRS is not God. God is God. Jesus has never needed tax exempt status to build his church.
Nevertheless, it has long been my strong preference to take positions on moral issues, not candidates. That’s why I haven’t publicly supported a political candidate for many years, and I completely understand other Christian leaders’ reluctance to do so. Issues won’t betray you, candidates sometimes do. Could Mike Huckabee change his mind, compromise his commitments, or fail morally? Yes, just as I or anyone else could. We should place our faith in God, not men. If Mike Huckabee or his campaign brings dishonor to Christ, I will no longer support them. Likewise, if I dishonored Christ I hope they’d remove my name as a supporter.
I see many reasons to believe that Mike Huckabee is a man of character, who will not violate his stated principles. I like his position on most issues, but I admire most his unapologetic stand for unborn children. I consider abortion the defining moral issue of our day, just as treatment of the Jews was the defining moral issue in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. See the Scriptures I shared in the previous blog about the shedding of innocent blood. Huckabee’s defense of the unborn is the main reason I’m willing to do what I normally don’t—endorse a candidate.Two weeks ago I expressed my support of Mike Huckabee.
Last week I explained why I think Rudy Giuliani would be a terrible choice for the Republican Party.
For the same reason I said I couldn’t vote for Giuliani, I couldn’t vote for the Democratic nominee unless he or she were prolife. It appears none are. But what about other Republican candidates?
To answer the question of which candidates believe what on major issues of interest to Christians, I’ve found no better resource than the Values Voter Summit. I read the entire transcript of the debate portion (it’s distracting that it’s all in caps, so if you know of another version, tell me). I’ve also watched candidates’ presentations on video. Really worth checking out. National Right to Life announced last week its support for Fred Thompson. Upon hearing this was coming, I wrote the following letter to NRLC, and many others wrote similar letters:
I am the author of ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments and Why ProLife? I have been involved in the prolife movement for twenty-five years. I’ve just received word that the National Right to Life Committee plans to endorse Fred Thompson.
As a long-time supporter, this is very disheartening. Senator Thompson has not only lobbied for pro-choice groups as a lawyer, but just last week told Tim Russert that he would not support a human life constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
Mike Huckabee is the strongest pro-life candidate in the race. If organizations such as yours would get behind him, he would have the financial backing and support he needs to win this race. Huckabee has just surpassed Thompson in polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire and his campaign continues to move forward.
If you decide to endorse Thompson, you will have chosen pragmatism over principle. (Though I believe the choice will prove pragmatically unwise too.) This will be extremely disappointing.
Thank you for considering my concerns.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s position on abortion and other significant issues has radically flip-flopped. At the Values Voter Presidential debate, this was captured in a question asked by Peter LaBarbera:
Governor Romney, you are running as a pro-life, pro-marriage candidate, but you have a history of being strongly pro-abortion on demand and pro-homosexual. You supported Roe v. Wade and said abortion should be “safe and legal.” In 2002, you opposed a state constitutional amendment that would have stopped homosexual so-called 'marriage' in Massachusetts. You said homosexuals should be allowed in the Boy Scouts of America, and as governor, you officially celebrated 'Gay-Straight Youth Pride Day.' You sat on Marriot's Board of Directors for 10 years while it profited off the sale of hard-core pornographic videos to its guests. Why should voters trust you after you spent so much of your career aggressively promoting anti-life and anti-family positions? I understand a “change of heart,” but a “change of position” on life, marriage, gun control, pornography, and immigration all preceding your run for president?
This question was asked to an empty podium, because Mitt Romney left early, as did Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and John McCain, presumably to avoid these kinds of questions. (McCain has strengths, but among other things, he is a supporter of embryonic stem cell research, which means using preborn human beings as medical materials.)
Regarding Romney, there is another problem. This is difficult for me to say, and I know it will offend some, but as much as I love my Mormon friends, I am not comfortable voting for a Mormon. I have studied Mormonism in depth, have read its holy books, and met at length with Mormon leaders. I consider Mormonism to be an unbiblical cult based on historical deceptions. It misleads people as to who Christ truly is. Jesus is called a created being, “the spirit brother of Satan.” Mormonism teaches “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.” To claim God was once a man and men can become gods is heresy on the grandest scale.
Mormonism is a serious misrepresentation of the Christian faith that has long tried to gain mainstream acceptance as Christian. I’m concerned that this could happen through a Romney presidency. And, honestly, I’m bothered by the idea of a U.S. president being part of a cult. To better understand the differences between Mormonism and the Christian faith, check out this website put together by ex-Mormons.
I know and respect some Christian leaders who support Romney. But months ago if Huckabee had been positioned as he is now, neck and neck with Romney in the polls, I think most of those would have chosen Huckabee instead. I hope they’ll move over to support Huckabee now.
What about Ron Paul? I read or watched every word of his at the Values Voters Summit. I’ll express my opinions concerning him in my next blog, which may (or may not) be my last on the election, for a while.
Mike Huckabee said at the Summit: “There are many who will seek our support. But it’s important that people sing from their hearts and don't merely lip synch to our songs. ...Some things are not negotiable, the sanctity of life, the definition of marriage. ...Let us never sacrifice our principles for anybody’s politics—not now, not ever.”
Huckabee also said, “I come today as one not who comes to you, but as one who comes from you. You are my roots.”
That’s one reason I support him. His are long-term commitments, woven into the fabric of who he is, not recent finger-in-the-wind positions adopted to win certain people’s vote, only to abandon them later.
I’ll close with this statement by Mike Huckabee:
The greatest thing that ever happened to me was coming to know Jesus Christ. Because there is no limit and no terms are set and it is a position I’ll hold forever and ever. It doesn’t just influence my life, it shapes it, it defines it and in simple terms in public policy it reminds me, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It gets real simple after that.
Oh, have you seen the new Huckabee ad with Chuck Norris? Check it out. (I like Huckabee’s sense of humor. Chuck’s too.)
Randy Alcorn
http://www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com/
http://www.epm.org/
Comments:
Out of curiosity, when does a pastor's personal opinions become separate from that of the church he preaches in? Having a board of trustees and such makes for a nice little corporate arrangement, but for a pastor to publicly endorse a candidate without claiming to speak for his church strikes me as pure legalese. Pastors are supposed to be the moral leaders for their congregation, so it goes without saying that a pastor who makes a political statement is perceived by the community as making a moral judgment on the available candidates.
It's one thing to have someone ask you who you would vote for. It's another thing to broadcast it, knowing the weight your word carries in your community.
I too have been leaning toward Mike Huckabee, but I would like to comment on the separation between a pastor or leader's opinion and that of the church or organization. Being a Baptist, this is not a strange concept for me. While a church an her pastor are frequently in agreement, there are many occasions where a pastor may want to do something but when it is taken before the church the measure dies because the church is not as enthused about the idea as the pastor is. When a pastor endorses a political candidate, he is saying this is the person he plans to vote for, given his current knowledge. A church can’t vote, only its members, so for the church endorse a candidate the church is saying that they agree with what the man teaches. Few candidates will agree with every single doctrine a church teaches, so endorsing a candidate may make it appear that the church is endorsing something then they are against. It is better for the church to teach the principles behind choosing the right man for the job.
I believe that pastors should have the right to participate in the political process without feeling that he must abide by the direction of his church or that the members of his church must do as he does. Still, he may have duties with the organization in which he must state the opinion of the organization rather than his own.
I am sorry you felt led to defend yourself. I have no problems with your position or stance. In fact, I'm thankful for them and the light you shed on things for me, personally. :)
I'm in Christian leadership and work for a parachurch organization. I am also a private citizen. Randy has the right to personally endorse any candidate he chooses on his personal blog. If this were the EPM blog/website that would be a different manner all together, but this is his personal blog.
Exactly what is wrong in influencing peoples decisions? I don't tell people who to vote for - I explain why I'm endorsing a particular candidate and let that person make up their own mind.
Randy - there is nothing inappropriate with this endorsement or the previous posts.
http://lonestartimes.com/2007/11/16/you-say-you-want-a-revolution/
This is all I have read on R. Paul. Not sure how correct it is. Not sure if anyone else has seen it. I just happened upon it, actually.
On the topic of what Mormonism is all about the following link might prove useful. It compares Christian Biblical teaching to that of the false teaching of Mormonism.
http://www.geocities.com/srose_ix/mormonism.html
Simon
11/21/07
Randy Alcorn,
I read your books, Edge of Eternity, Deadline, Dominion, Folgrin's Letters, Ishbane Conspiracy and Safely Home during the ages of 11 to 15. I looked up to you as an author, admired your discernment on issues pertaining to the church and was glad to learn much from you and from your writings about abortion and what it means to feel part of a minority group.
When I was 13, the church I attended asked some handicapped people who attended the meetings to leave because, in the senior pastor's words, they made it look as if Jesus doesn't heal people anymore. My mom found out about this and went directly to the pastor and peacefully and honestly confronted him about the matter and about the people who he had hurt. He refused to listen or change.
At the same time that this was happening we were having some problems in our home. My mom's husband, who she had married when she was 18 and quite naive, though a devout Christian, was becoming more and more abusive of my mother, brother and I. He had been abusive of my mom for many, many years, but only recently had he become violent and verbally abusive of my brother and I - which my mom would not put up with. She asked him to leave when he refused to stop harassing us and he did, actually, quickly move out. (BTW - you can see that I don't call him a father because, by all means I can see, he never was one to my brother or I.)
When the pastor of the church we attended found out that we had "kicked kevin out of the house," he immediately sided with kevin and started looking for ways to get us - my brother, mom and I, to leave the church. kevin had lied to the pastor and leaders of the church a lot. We didn't know exactly what he said, but almost right away my brother was asked to leave the youth group and unusual and untrue supposed wrong-doings were mentioned by the youth pastor about him. Then one Sunday, when I was hanging out in the sanctuary of our church after the main service, kevin came up to me and started tapping me on the shoulder, harassing me, mocking me - I had asked him not to touch me so he was, of course, making fun of me. I went and told my big brother right away, who found kevin in the parking lot walking to his car. I wasn't there in time to see the confrontation, but my brother told me that when he questioned his father, kevin started harassing him too. The pastors were watching and suspected a physical fight (or just what they had been waiting for, I presume,) so called the police and put a restraining order against my mom, my 18 year old brother, and (just barely) 13 year old me.
I couldn't believe it. I stood in the parking lot in awe. Hurt. I couldn't talk to anybody about it. We tried to attend another church, an Assemblies of God church, but the church that had so unjustly kicked us out had called in advance to tell the youth pastor, etc., to not allow us to attend. My brother was on his way to their Winter camp when this was found out and they had him sent home in a police car.
Honestly, I found some solace reading your books, reading what you believed, reading how you knew "all about" church leaders being jerks. Then, some years later, I was looking for a moment or so at the website of this church and saw that their, at the time, rather successful drama program had done a play adapted from the story of one of your books that I had read. I saw pictures of you and your wife posing with smiles, honored, and happy to be honored, by this cruel church and its pastors and leaders. I was stunned, angry and saddened by what I saw. I was young then and have grown a lot in Christ since, (outside of church, of course!) but the feeling of betrayal has never gone away. I saw you as someone who agreed with what was right and good and who had discernment. I saw you as someone of justice and morality and the courage to stand up for true Christianity. I saw you, until that day, as a person who knew God's Heart and who believed truth and who would not compromise. But then all at once, I saw utter hypocrisy staring me in the face with those pictures of you and your wife standing at that church and taking in all of their phony praise of you and your accomplishments.
I have been unable to read your books through since then so sent them out with our paper to be recycled some time ago. I couldn't stand the messages they presented to me. I couldn't stand the lack of a real Christian author to back them up. I couldn't stand them sitting in the basement with BETRAYAL written all over them in my mind. I really liked them before. I cried when the character died in Ishbane. I felt honored and impassioned when I read of the character's death in Safely Home. I tried really hard to sacrifice my own life for my friends in all the ways that the good characters you wrote of did. I tried really hard to read the books again, believe me, I did. It felt like walking in a gutter though.
Moral: Do not use your mind to determine whether someone is good, i.e., to decide who to vote for. You may make a horrible mistake. Your mind is not adequate to reveal the truth to you about someone - none of our minds can do that, can discern what is good and what is simply pretending to be good.
I made a horrible mistake by using my own judgments. Don't get yourself hurt like I did. Ask for the mind of Christ and for His Discernment and Perspective. Ask to always know His Heart and for it to consume your own.
Don't fall in with hypocrites or you'll be taken for one. It's happened.
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This article http://mormonsarechristian.blogspot.com/ helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity's comprehension of baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) adheres more closely to First Century Christianity and the New Testament than any other denomination. Harper’s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.”
Perhaps the reason the pastors denigrate the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is to protect their flock (and their livelihood). It is encouraging that Paul Weyrich, Wayne Grudem and Bob Jones III, (along with Jay Sekulow and Mark DeMoss) have rejected bigotry and now support Mitt Romney on the basis that he is the most moral candidate with the best qualifications.
I agree with Timothy, and definitely not the first comment.
Randy, I understand people look up to you, but I admire you for standing up for Christ. Quite honestly, I do not think you are standing up for yourself, or even what you believe in. I think you are stabding up for Christ. Period.
People get so caught up in legalities sometimes, but if we are standing up for our King we are going to have opinionated people questioning our actions.
That is a serious annoyance to me. You shouldn't need to defend yourself for those posts. And if you were my pastor I'd admire the fact that you are not afraid to state your opinion regardless of who it may offend.
Bless you, brother!
in our present times the discussion of worthiness found in a candidate revolves so much around personality... it is time that Christians took a harder look at principles.
A Christian Votes for Ron Paul in the Primary (but I'll still love you if you don't)
Matthieu Bernard Nov. 16, 2007
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Gal.5:1
Sometimes I don't vote because I find myself compromising values for "the lesser of two evils." However as a Christian I am compelled to vote for Ron Paul because he is NOT a Christian politician. Now when pressed about it he will say that Christianity is his religion and you can see his ethical system follows suit. But he doesn't pander to that to try and win votes from "Christian Voters." I like this because if there is one thing that instantly zaps the Church it is looking to the government for power. Also when we focus our efforts on moralizing society through government laws and injunctions rather than prayer, testimony and acts of compassion and charity we tend to forsake the "inner cleansing" effect of the gospel. (Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Romans 3:31) I believe this is injurious to spiritual health on a personal level and at large. Lastly, the general awareness of the populace today is that Christianity is a militant religion. We have to acknowledge that TV-fueled, money driven, false teaching has made it so. With respect to your opinion of President Bush's leadership and faith, all Christians can agree that Jesus Christ, not the President, is our example in life. Yep, as a Christian I love separation of Church and State. That's an issue of Freedom.
Now as an American, I really like this guy because he brings it back to the Constitution. One thing we've all forgotten is that the Constitution holds the key to our national identity. It is the tender yarn that knits our vast and diverse congregation of souls together in the union we call a Republic. Freedom is a radical idea in every sphere of life and it is from God. True Freedom is exclusively God stuff. We say it all the time as Christians but sometimes we limit it to the context of theology, worship, and church-oriented settings. Where Freedom meets government or commerce or artistic expression or a context where the world can get a taste some Christians back off and call it secular and treat it as "unclean" or beneath them and God to interest themselves in the affairs of man. It implies that unbelievers can't enjoy the common grace of God or worse yet, that God is small. But it really reveals how little we enjoy God. Now as a Christian I don't want to have small or weak faith in God. No, I desire to see God glorified and enjoyed for His benefits by every man, woman and child in every sphere of life, including politics and government.
Our Founding Fathers loved Freedom. They brooded long hours over it and they found that Man's Government is naturally tyrannous and corrupt. What a surprise. This is stirring because the conclusions that they reached are the ones we were all raised to respect but forgot about. Let me say, The Republic is NOT expressed in the individuals' subjection to government. The Republic is found in the government's subjection to the individuals. True Patriotism therefore values the interest of the individual and not government. The USA does not belong to the President but to the People! This talk is common sense but out of place today. Why?!
Freedom is wonderful to celebrate. As a boy I loved the 4th of July, not just for the pyro-fun of it but for how it made me feel as an American celebrating Liberty with my fellow man in the land of the Free and the Brave. Not because we are all the same but because we are all free! Government off our backs! Some might think this is rebellious but the great thing is, it isn't! We are all honor bound by the writings of those who founded this nation to celebrate freedom from government interest. American government is, "of the people, by the people, for the people." It is not the body of government which is sovereign, but the people who are sovereign. ("People," referring to the body of individuals, not mob rule or rule of the masses.)
Liberty can be such a blessing in America. But it's not like that now and we have to put our house in order and honor the traditional American principles of individual freedom and responsibility or suffer in poverty under certain tyranny.
So I am voting for love of America and all her inhabitants and all their livelihood invisible to me with the prayer that their lives would be free and happy, that we may all dwell in peace with our neighbors.
If you are a Christian concerned with love for your family, neighbors and troops please consider registering right away as a Republican and voting for Ron Paul in your State's soon approaching Republican primary.
for more info about Ron Paul please visit www.ronpaul2008.com, www.ronpaulforums.com, and www.teaparty07.com
You will find him to be empassioned, principled, humble and genuine.
Join the r3V0Lution!
http://www.bebo.com/TheologiaCrucis
(First attempt didn't show up on the site, so I'm trying again...sorry if this is a duplicate.)
Dear Rev. Alcorn -
"Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s position on abortion and other significant issues has radically flip-flopped."
I think this misrepresents Gov. Romney's record on these issues. The term "flip-flopped" is indicative of changing from position A to B and then back again to A. But I know Gov. Romney hasn't done that on abortion, for example. At best he has "flipped" his position: he has only changed his position from pro-choice to pro-life. But that's what we want people to do, remember? And having someone in the White House who has undergone that conversion, and can tell that story to the American people, may be a significant advantage for the pro-life movement.
Furthermore, on the pro-life and pro-traditional-marriage fronts, at least, I know there is a lot more to the story than your post hints at. There are committed Christians who know Romney's record on these issues, and find the explanations compelling enough that they are working for his campaign. There is a history to his changes in thinking (context is central to exegesis, remember?) and there are positive elements to his record on these issues, too. Yet there is no sense of chronology in the question you posted, nor was an opportunity given to respond, which you simply assume was to avoid such issues.
Your post raises some important issues about Romney for Christians, but I find it both uncharitable (e.g. your unwarranted assumption, above) and close to "bearing false witness" (Exodus 20:16), because it does not attempt to represent the situation accurately, as far as I can tell.
Regards,
Steve Thomas
So Randy and fans of Randy, who are only on this "private" blog because Randy is a well known author, which then makes this blog a "public" blog, what will you all do when Gov. Huckabee is announced as Rudy's running mate in August or so?
Will you vote for Rudy then?
Such myopia over one topic is tragic.
Anonymous said
"what will you all do when Gov. Huckabee is announced as Rudy's running mate in August or so?"
Do you have inside information that not only will Huckabee get the Republican nomination, but also who his running mate will be?
Please supply your sources.
Who do you think the best President was in our country's history?
Hi Randy,
At this point I plan on voting for Alan Keyes. He represents what I believe and I think he would use the power well.
From,
Michael
How do you do it Randy?
I've read through each of the comments on this particular posting and I'm wore out. My emotions went from 'what?' when I read about using your pastoral role to influence when you haven't been a pastor for many years, to 'hurt' when I read from "a friend" about his ordeal with Kevin and their local church, to complete 'confusion' when I read Matthieu's discourse on why he's voting for Ron Paul over Mike Huckabee.
Thank you for your clear and excellent research on these candidates. Whether we're dealing with constitutionalism, morality, strength or the combination of all of them, Mike Huckabee has risen to the top as an incredible choice for president. I watched Mike answer candid questions on the Glen Beck show: http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=597, and was completely overwhelmed with his concise, strong answers to every question. I've never seen that type of political and personal straight-forwardness in his responses.
Once again Randy... how do you do it? Thank you!
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