{"id":105402,"date":"2013-05-18T00:01:32","date_gmt":"2013-05-18T04:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/?p=105402"},"modified":"2013-05-20T09:58:24","modified_gmt":"2013-05-20T13:58:24","slug":"irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/","title":{"rendered":"IRS scandal and ‘easy’ religion ghosts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/iframe><\/p>\nOn a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year\u2019s major news stories have to do with religion. A cursory glance at the headlines proves it, year after year. But even the non-religion news stories frequently have religion angles.<\/p>\nAnd so it is with one of the scandals embroiling the Obama administration right now. IRS officials have admitted (via a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/blogs\/dc\/2013\/05\/crowley-levin-seek-ouster-of-irs-official-who-planted-question-on-scandal\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">cartoonish plot<\/a> to plant a question in front of reporters) the agency wrongly targeted certain groups that had applied for tax-exempt status. Most of the news has focused on the surprising\/appalling news that groups were singled out for scrutiny if their group hoped to be \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.wsj.com\/washwire\/2013\/05\/17\/irs-timeline-what-we-know-so-far\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights<\/a>\u201d among other Tea Party-ish things. This being an egregious abuse of power, looks like we\u2019re in for a long hot summer of getting to the bottom of just what he heck went wrong.<\/p>\nBut there is a religion angle. Some reporters have conflated two separate issues. On the one hand, we know that the IRS was targeting groups applying for tax-exempt status. They\u2019ve admitted it. On the other hand, we have many stories about the IRS scrutinizing groups (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.religionnews.com\/2013\/05\/15\/franklin-graham-calls-irs-probe-of-ministry-finances-un-american\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">including religious groups<\/a>) that already had tax-exempt status. These might be related stories but we\u2019re really still in the fact-gathering stage of this scandal. So keep that in mind when you hear reports from hear and there about curious goings-on. Here\u2019s an RNS report about religious groups that talked about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.religionnews.com\/2013\/05\/17\/religious-groups-that-claim-they-were-irs-targets\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">scrutiny they\u2019d faced<\/a>.<\/p>\nAt a hearing today about the initial issue, Rep. Aaron Shock asked IRS officials about why they had asked some groups to provide information about their prayer vigils. You can watch the 2:00 clip <a href=\"http:\/\/www.c-spanvideo.org\/clip\/4451911&newclip\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">here<\/a>, which includes the IRS official responding that he was unable to say whether this line of questioning was appropriate or not.<\/p>\nYou can read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomasmoresociety.org\/2013\/05\/15\/broadening-irs-victims-include-pro-life-advocates-as-congress-investigates\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Thomas More Society\u2019s documents<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lifenews.com\/2013\/05\/17\/documents-prove-irs-harassment-of-pro-life-groups-dates-to-2009\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">pro<\/a>-life <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lifenews.com\/2013\/05\/17\/irs-commissioner-unsure-if-its-ok-pro-life-group-asked-to-disclose-prayer-content\/?utm_content=buffercdb90&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">media<\/a> for more on this story and why it\u2019s important to the larger debate (e.g., the scrutiny of these groups began in 2009, earlier than the IRS claims its higher scrutiny of some groups began). I\u2019m <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=irs+prayer&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=irs+prayer&client=firefox-a&hs=XBD&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=EOCWUZWPEKfh4AO6woGoAw&ved=0CA0Q_AUoBA&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.46751780,d.dmg&fp=a677ccc7b9680943&biw=1920&bih=1017\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">surprised we haven\u2019t seen more mainstream media coverage<\/a> of this angle.<\/p>\nBut <a href=\"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/blogs\/ticket\/irs-conservative-group-2009-members-pray-193833144.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Yahoo had a good report<\/a> which included the original language from the IRS. (And props to the Washington Examiner<\/em> for <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/article\/2529750#.UZPlbwyseSA.twitter\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">having this story days before the hearing<\/a>, with a solid report on the initial claims.) The Washington Post<\/em>\u2018s Slate site had a fascinating spin on this that gets to the desire of some reporters to move on from the fact-gathering stage \u2026 and with less-than-ideal results. Reporter Dave Weigel says that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/blogs\/weigel\/2013\/05\/17\/the_irs_asked_a_pro_life_group_to_explain_its_prayers_outside_planned_parenthood.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">the story may sound incredible, but <\/a>\u2026.:<\/p>\n<blockquote>Like I said, incredible \u2014 which when you think about it tells you how quickly the Overton Window has shifted. If you read the document trove, CFLOI ended up handing the feds documentation on stem cells, on the viability of life in the womb, etc. The IRS accepted this; the group got tax-exempt status. The scandal, obviously, is that there\u2019s something inherently evil about inquiring into the \u201ccontent of prayers.\u201d But the agency was easily satisfied. The point of the story isn\u2019t that Christianity is being oppressed in America.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nI\u2019d just encourage reporters to stick with the first job of explaining the whos and the whats and the wheres of the story. I mean, where do we get the idea that the IRS was easily satisfied? Seriously? Where does that come from?<\/strong> Because if you read the Thomas More Society\u2019s side of things, that is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomasmoresociety.org\/2013\/05\/15\/broadening-irs-victims-include-pro-life-advocates-as-congress-investigates\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">precisely the opposite of what went on<\/a>. Dramatically different, in fact. I don\u2019t know how you could read their document dump and get that idea:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<blockquote>In one case, the IRS withheld approval of an application for tax exempt status for Coalition for Life of Iowa. In a phone call to Coalition for Life of Iowa leaders on June 6, 2009, the IRS agent \u201cMs. Richards\u201d told the group to send a letter to the IRS with the entire board\u2019s signatures stating that, under perjury of the law, they do not picket\/protest or organize groups to picket or protest outside of Planned Parenthood. Once the IRS received this letter, their application would be approved. After a series of letters following a request for more invasive information, Thomas More Society special counsel Sally Wagenmaker sent a letter to the IRS demanding the tax exempt status be issued immediately.<\/p>\nWagenmaker summarized her concerns about what she called \u201cthe IRS\u2019s disturbing ability\u201d to stall and suppress legitimate applicants. She explained how through lengthy questionnaires and wrong citations of applicable law (as in the case of Coalition for Life of Iowa), applicants with less fortitude or without access to legal advocates like the Thomas More Society will be effectively silenced from exercising their constitutional freedoms. Wagenmaker added, \u201cThe IRS\u2019s role should only be to determine whether organizations fit the section 501(c)(3) test for \u2018charitable, religious, or educational\u2019 qualification, not to inquire about the content of prayers, protests, and petitions. It\u2019s high time that the IRS be called to account for its workers\u2019 potential to trample on our constitutional rights, through such ostensibly innocuous means\u2026what the Ways and Means committee will discuss may only be the tip of the iceberg of IRS abuses.\u201d<\/p>\nIn another similar case, the IRS withheld approval of an application for charitable tax-exempt recognition of Christian Voices for Life, questioning the group\u2019s involvement with \u201c40 Days for Life\u201d and \u201cLife Chain\u201d events. The Fort Bend County, Texas, organization was subjected to repeated and lengthy unconstitutional requests for information about the viewpoint and content of its educational communications, volunteer prayer vigils, and other protected activities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nEach and every one of these things is majorly newsworthy, if true. There is nothing \u201ceasy\u201d about fighting the IRS and these groups had star legal counsel to help them, unlike many of the groups whose stories are coming out.<\/p>\nBefore reporters dismiss or downplay or ignore these stories, or decide that conservatives\/pro-lifers\/religious adherents are going overboard in freaking out about them, I think we really just need to spend much more time on Reporting 101 \u2014 finding out whether the shocking claims of groups such as the Thomas More Society are true. But I don\u2019t think we can journalistically countenance taking those claims about lengthy and invasive scrutiny from the IRS that was only overcome via high-powered legal help and translating that as \u201cIRS approves groups easy peasy so what are the yokels complaining about?\u201d<\/p>\nOnward and upward with the fact-finding, first.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year\u2019s major news stories have to do with religion. A cursory glance at the headlines proves it, year after year. But even the non-religion news stories frequently have religion angles. And so it is with one of the scandals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":605,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3,12,4],"tags":[1618,1611,1613,1615,111,1616,1614,1617,215,1612],"class_list":["post-105402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journalism","category-politics","category-religion","category-social-issues","tag-aaron-shock","tag-chris-moody","tag-dave-weigel","tag-irs","tag-pro-life","tag-scandal","tag-slate","tag-tax-exempt-status","tag-washington-post","tag-yahoo"],"yoast_head":"\n<title>IRS scandal and 'easy' religion ghosts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zHSp50EzJxU On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year's major news\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"IRS scandal and 'easy' religion ghosts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zHSp50EzJxU On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year's major news\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"GetReligion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-05-18T04:01:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-05-20T13:58:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"mollie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"mollie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/\",\"name\":\"IRS scandal and 'easy' religion ghosts\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2013-05-18T04:01:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2013-05-20T13:58:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#\/schema\/person\/74ed2f03f6e3aa3c3c4c3ce885b10255\"},\"description\":\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zHSp50EzJxU On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year's major news\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"IRS scandal and ‘easy’ religion ghosts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/\",\"name\":\"GetReligion\",\"description\":\""The press . . . just doesn't get religion." - William Schneider\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#\/schema\/person\/74ed2f03f6e3aa3c3c4c3ce885b10255\",\"name\":\"mollie\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fdd9488c7657bf391bdf276b5c392eb9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fdd9488c7657bf391bdf276b5c392eb9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"mollie\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/author\/mollie\/\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"IRS scandal and 'easy' religion ghosts","description":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zHSp50EzJxU On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year's major news","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"IRS scandal and 'easy' religion ghosts","og_description":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zHSp50EzJxU On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year's major news","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/","og_site_name":"GetReligion","article_published_time":"2013-05-18T04:01:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2013-05-20T13:58:24+00:00","author":"mollie","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"mollie","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/","name":"IRS scandal and 'easy' religion ghosts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#website"},"datePublished":"2013-05-18T04:01:32+00:00","dateModified":"2013-05-20T13:58:24+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#\/schema\/person\/74ed2f03f6e3aa3c3c4c3ce885b10255"},"description":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zHSp50EzJxU On a recent Crossroads podcast, host Todd Wilken remarked with interest on how many of the year's major news","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/05\/irs-scandal-and-easy-religion-ghosts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"IRS scandal and ‘easy’ religion ghosts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/","name":"GetReligion","description":""The press . . . just doesn't get religion." - William Schneider","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#\/schema\/person\/74ed2f03f6e3aa3c3c4c3ce885b10255","name":"mollie","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fdd9488c7657bf391bdf276b5c392eb9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fdd9488c7657bf391bdf276b5c392eb9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"mollie"},"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/author\/mollie\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/605"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105402\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}