Disinfopedia, a non-partisan watchdog wiki for political spin doctoring, led me to a story today that the Bush-Cheney campaign has been asking religious volunteers “to turn over church directories to the campaign”.
My gut reaction here? That’s just repugnant.
My wife and children, all church-goers, have their information on the records of their church so that other church members can contact them about church-related business. Not that I think that here in Utah, the Republican political equivalent of Nirvana, there’s any doubt who our electors will be voting to be President this fall.
But encouraging church members to be activists for a campaign by having them submit rosters of church members to the GOP without the consent of those on that list? Ugh, that’s vile. Particularly when (at least on our local church rosters) there’s a big, important-looking notice informing readers that any non-church-related use is prohibited. And volunteers doing this could endanger their church’s tax-exempt status.
Maybe I’m way off base here. I’d love to learn that I am, since I voted for Bush in 2000, and I supported him through 9/11 and the early days of the Iraq war. I’d love to learn this was some kind of big mistake by an overzealous Bush campaign writer. But this latest bit of information sure seems to be another black mark against Bush for the “John Kerry Is A Douchebag But I’m Voting For Him Anyway” page.
Lose Tax-Exempt?
It’s wrong for any establishment to violate the privacy clause of its membership data.
Matt, you raise an interesting point. How would a church put it’s tax exempt status in jeopardy by providing its membership list to a political party?
Sammy G
I’m gonna have to back Sammy here.
Many people give their phone numbers only if under the impression that the numbers would be used for that organization alone.
In that regard it is a bad call for any organization to give out those numbers.
As for the campaigns.. it is also a stupid stupid move. What are they going to do, cold call you? Do they REALLY think that is going to help their cause? I’ll tell you what, if Bush OR Kerry capaigns call my house, they have guaranteed not to get my vote. Telemarketing type calls lead to animosity.
Hmmm
Well, I’m just postulating here…
Religious organizations are granted tax-exempt status because government and organized religion are not meant to intermingle. If a religious organization was perceived as participating in the political process, for example providing lists of names to campaign volunteers, the argument could be made that the government is within its rights to collect taxes from that organization.
Not that the current administration would do anything of the kind – this is all hypothetical.
But this reminds me of all the airlines that are in hot water for turning passenger lists over to the Department of Justice for use in anti-terrorist databases.
— Ben Schuman Mad, Mad Tenor