Google WWW Talk To Action


The Indian River Incident : What You Can Do

link > The "Stop the ACLU Coalition" Shaming Project
How you can help stop "Stop The ACLU" just by sending a few emails



 'Left Behind' video game imageThe Shaming Project

does the violence of "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" bother you ? If so, what can you do ? Well, to begin with you can email Jonathan Hutson's stories to people you know. That will help to bring more public scrutiny of the game. Public shaming really works ! Just click on the "email" icon and link at the top or bottom of the story and you'll be taken to a form that will allow you email the first story, The Purpose Driven Life Takers or the latest installment without leaving this site. Thanks. 'Left Behind' video game image




Financial Fiddling at Fidelis?
By Frank Cocozzelli Sat Jun 28, 2008 at 08:37:23 AM EST printable version print story
The Catholic Right, Part Sixty-one
A little more than a year ago Fidelis, an umbrella advocacy group consisting of various not-for-profit entities, sought to derail the presidential prospects of pro-choice Republican (and Catholic) Rudy Giuliani. It is now going after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (the junior senator from Illinois is also pro-choice, pro-embryonic stem cell research, and perhaps what truly horrifies these folks, he favors contemporary liberal economics).

However, my question of May 2007 still stands: Is Fidelis violating the Internal Revenue Code's provisions regarding not-for-profits?

topic: Church/State Separation
If you visit the Fidelis web site, you will be confronted with a cornucopia of Catholic Right causes. Under "Issues" the only subsections we find are Abortion, Education (focusing exclusively on school vouchers) and Traditional Marriage ("Marriage is the union of one man and one woman"). A November 14, 2007 press release congratulates the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops "...for asserting the primacy of opposing abortion."

The site makes no mention of deeply established Catholic Social Justice issues such as distributive justice economics, immigration or poverty. Fidelis quickly reveals a Catholicism that is dark, exclusionary and joyless. At the top of the home page there is a banner that reads "Headlines," under which parades an endless stream of angry storylines often with hard-line conservative overtones (and having precious little relevance to Catholic social teachings).

Also revealed is Fidelis's dislike of Senator Barack Obama's candidacy for president. The Media Center's Press Section links to pronouncements such as Obama Slams Door on Education 'Change' as well as Jindal Record of Reform Making Strong Case for VP.

The piece on Obama and vouchers contains the very political exhortation "Despite the rhetoric, Barack Obama is not the candidate of change in education" while the one on Jindal contains similar-sounding electioneering content such as:

"A strong record of ethics and education reform is just what the doctor ordered to combat the perceptions of a lethargic, corrupt GOP that voters ousted from Congress in 2006," said Brian Burch, President of Fidelis.

"With his ethics bill and education plan, Governor Jindal is blazing a trail for Republican reform in the Bayou," said Burch.

"Adding Bobby Jindal to the ticket would reinforce John McCain's strong message of reform and would convince independents that the GOP learned the lessons from 2006."

There are other excellent reasons for selecting the Louisiana governor, Burch said.

In Part Thirteen of this series, I questioned the financial dealings of the Catholic Right group Fidelis. What drew my attention was this observation from a flyer the fervently anti-abortion organization was handing out against then-presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani:

...this brings us to a possible legal problem for the Fidelis family, as the activities of one family member may get another in trouble. ...At the bottom of both of the Giuliani-targeted Fidelis press releases is a statement very much worth noting:

Paid for by Fidelis America PAC_P.O. Box 277 Chelsea, MI 48118_Joseph J. Cella, Treasurer Not Authorized by Any Candidate or Committee

These releases-very clearly designed to influence the 2008 presidential election--are posted on what appears to be the joint web site for several related organizations, Fidelis, Fidelis America, Fidelis Media Fund, and Fidelis Center for Law and Policy, respectively, a political lobby, a PAC, a 527 political committee. On the donation page the organization describes itself as a 501 (c)(4) tax-exempt organization, but has no separate donation capability for its PAC.

Still, at the writing of this piece, the About" page describes Fidelis in this manner:

Fidelis consists of four organizations:

The universal name Fidelis is our flagship 501(c)(4) membership organization engaged in lobbying, public education, and the advancement of issues related to life, faith, and family.

Under its universal designation, Fidelis works to shape public debate and formulates public policy that promotes religious freedom, values human life and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family.

Fidelis Political Action is a federal Political Action Committee (PAC). Members of Fidelis can contribute to this PAC to help elect candidates who support a culture of life, traditional marriage and family friendly policies.

Fidelis Center for Law and Policy is our 501(c)3 legal and educational arm established to organize, coordinate, and engage in strategic litigation designed to defend religious liberty, the traditional family, and a culture of life. The Center works with expert attorneys across the country to initiate, fund, and coordinate legal efforts.

Fidelis Media Fund is a public-education entity set up as an IRS Section 527 organization. The Media Fund participates in public education campaigns to champion religious freedom, a culture of life and marriage and the family by engaging voters and concerned citizens on important policy issues and judicial nominations. The media fund develops compelling and sharply-focused mailings, print, radio and television advertising to reinforce grassroots initiatives on these same fronts. Our team is reinforced by media experts who have a wealth of experience in political and corporate media projects.

There is still no separate donation capability for its PAC.

Internal Revenue Code; 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charities or foundations are described as:

organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. (italics added)

The activities Fidelis's various entities raise a few troubling questions. Do the pro-Jindal and anti-Obama pronouncements constitute what the IRS describes as behavior designed to "intervene in a political campaign" -- activities from which non-profit tax exempt organizations are prohibited?

The IRS was very clear about this kind of thing in the run-up to the last federal elections:

"...all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office."

...further down stating in no uncertain terms:

Although section 501(c)(3) organizations may engage in some activities to promote voter registration, encourage voter participation, and provide voter education, they will violate the prohibition on political campaign intervention if they engage in an activity that favors or opposes any candidate for public office.

While a visit to the Fidelis web site reveals many things, its finances remain murky and suggests a possible -- and possibly illegal -- co-mingling of its efforts, and its contributions to both its PAC and 527 Media Fund.

The question still stands: Is Fidelis violating the Internal Revenue Code's provisions regarding not-for-profits?

The Catholic Right: A Series, by Frank L. Cocozzelli :

Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five  Part Six   Intermezzo   Part Eight   Part Nine  Part Ten   Part Eleven   Part Twelve   Part Thirteen   Part Fourteen   Second Intermezzo   Part Sixteen   Part Seventeen   Part Eighteen   Part Eighteen   Part Nineteen   Part Twenty   Part Twenty-one   Part Twenty-two   Part Twenty-three   Part Twenty-four   Part Twenty-five   Part Twenty-six   Part Twenty-seven   Part Twenty-eight   Part Twenty-nine   Part Thirty   Part Thirty-one   Part Thirty-two   Part Thirty-three   Part Thirty-four   Part Thirty-five   Part Thirty-six   Part Thirty-seven   Part Thirty-eight   Part Thirty-nine   Part Forty   Part Forty-one   Part Forty-two   Part Forty-three   Part Forty-four   Part Forty-five   Part Forty-six   Part Forty-seven   Part Forty-eight   Part Forty-nine   Part Fifty   Part Fifty-one   Part Fifty-two   Part Fifty-three   Part Fifty-four   Part Fifty-five   Part Fifty-six   Part Fifty-seven   Part Fifty-eight   Part Fifty-nine   Part Sixty




Display:
Fred Clarkson noted this about the Fidelis web site: Unlike most organizations, and even though this web site is a portal for four organizations, there is not a single person listed in connection with any of the Fidelis groups. Not one.  

This does not pass the smell test.

by Frank Cocozzelli on Sat Jun 28, 2008 at 08:39:14 AM EST


What would be a surprise is if these folks would demonstrate more ethics in nonprofit activities than they do in for-profit secular activities. They seem to be following the decidedly non-religious principle that "all's fair in love and war." They seem to be following the example set by Bill Donohue.

by khughes1963 on Sat Jun 28, 2008 at 09:44:25 PM EST
Actually Kathy they're following the buccaneer capitalistic "ethics" of Michael Novak and Fr. Robert Sirico.

As Novak says in justifying his version of capitalism, "it's a system for sinners," and boy, do they sin. They're using faith to defend bad economics.

I prefer my capitalism (which I do support) regulated so that the economic sin does not get out of hand.

by Frank Cocozzelli on Sun Jun 29, 2008 at 08:31:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

It is buccaneer capitalism written large. I am not against capitalism per se, but it needs to be regulated in the public interest. I don't trust the folks running the system to act in the public interest without regulation. In the last 30 years, we have been seeing a return to the Gilded Age, and it doesn't make me very comfortable or hopeful about the future of the United States. The mortgage crisis is just one example of how the economic deregulation has led to economic disaster.

I suppose this resonates with me especially since I just finished reading Sen. James Webb's "A Time to Fight." He gives an excellent discussion of just how wrong the economy has gone for those of us who have to work for a living.

I wonder if despite their Catholic beliefs, they might agree with the early and later Calvinists about worldly wealth being a sign of divine favor. The preachers of the prosperity gospel appear to believe this as well.

by khughes1963 on Sun Jun 29, 2008 at 09:41:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]






Donate to or support
Talk to Action



Help Talk To Action
Beyond financial assistance, there are other ways you can help this website and effort to prosper. One of those ways is through voting on TTA stories. When you sign up for a free user account at news promotion websites such as Digg, Reddit, Buzzflash and Newsvine you can then vote up Talk To Action stories via the little buttons to the right of each story. Thanks for your support.

Removal of Petraeus Endorsement from "Spiritual Handbook" Not Enough
As a result of the exposure by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) of endorsements by Gen. Petraeus and Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling on......
By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Short Takes
Crooks & Liars:  Ralph Reed has gone radioactive -- as a no-show at the fundraiser he was to host for McCain. McCain, who takes......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Are Nouveax Moderate Evangelicals, Actually Immoderate?
In light of the recent appearance by John McCain and Barack Obama on the Rick Warren Show, this recent post seems to be timely......
By Frederick Clarkson (2 comments)
A Really Stupid Idea
For decades I have heard 501c3 reminders about what is legal to do in a church.  Groups like Americans United for Separation, the ACLU,......
By wilkyjr (0 comments)
Who Was the First Christian President?
Andrew Sullivan picked up on this post I did reacting to the recent forced display of Presidential piety. The bottom line is that evangelicals......
By Jonathan Rowe (0 comments)
Make Me Ralph: Former Christian Coalition Head Resurfaces -- Again
When we last caught up with Ralph Reed, former Christian Coalition director and disgraced lobbyist, he was flogging his first novel, a political thriller......
By Rob Boston (1 comment)
Short Takes
BeliefNet:  In the wake of his much ballyhooed Civic Forum with candidates McCain and Obama --Religious Right leader Rick Warren doesn't think Obama and......
By Frederick Clarkson (13 comments)
Militant Settler Group to Guide Huckabee and Hikind to Western Wall
From Arutz Sheva: Baptist preacher and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee soon will be accompanied by religious Jewish New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind......
By Richard Bartholomew (0 comments)
Petraeus Endorses "Spiritual Handbook," Betrays 21% of Our Troops
As is often the case here at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), while in the course of investigating one report of constitutionally questionable activity within......
By Chris Rodda (4 comments)
WND Puffs Bizarre Jerusalem Temple Theory
WorldNetDaily offers up one of its more absurd "exclusives": a puff-piece for a book entitled Temple at the Center of Time: Newton's Bible Codex......
By Richard Bartholomew (1 comment)
Texas Roots of the Religious Right
I am indebted to a late missions' director for a story about an East Texas lad who decides he wants to attend Texas A&M.......
By wilkyjr (7 comments)
Shepard's All Wet: Rain Man Reined In At Focus On The Family
It's good to know that there are some members and supporters of Focus on the Family (FOF) who do not believe God is petty......
By Rob Boston (4 comments)
Short Takes
Street Prophets:  Pastordan wonders why John McCain made such a big deal about Georgia being "one of the world's first nations to adopt Christianity......
By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)
Short Takes
Buzzflash: Meg White analyzes the flap over John McCain's anti-Obama ad, "The One." Street Prophets: Pastordan discusses the implications of an NPR story about......
By Frederick Clarkson (4 comments)
When Opposites Attack
Two seemingly unrelated recent events have something important in common.  The dust-up between the University of Minnesota's P.Z. Myers and the Catholic League's Bill......
By Frank Cocozzelli (29 comments)

"Yes on 8" RSVP? Need your advice.
Schubert Flint Public Affairs has been hired to run the Yes on Prop. 8 ("Protect Marriage") initiative.  If you've happened to notice the names Jennifer Kerns, Frank Schubert, or Jeff Flint in media coverage......
By Chino Blanco (2 comments)
Alabama PSC Cantidate Matt Chancey: His Views on Suffrage, Women, Marriage, etc.
Promoted from the diaries -- FC Alabama voters should be made aware that Matt Chancey opposes"one person, one vote" suffrage, apparently on religious grounds. Matt Chancey, a Republican, is running for president of the......
By CynthiaGee (2 comments)
Jews and Christians Unite against the Empire of Neo-cons and 'Christian' Zionists
Late last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources...Everything is justified in......
By eileen fleming (1 comment)
Patriot Follows the Money and Exposes Foreign Agents
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official."-Theodore Roosevelt ......
By eileen fleming (0 comments)
The Alleged "Church of Liberalism"
4th July, Independence Day. I was at a party in Paris. As usual, when one of the guests learned that he was speaking to an American the conversation turned to the election and Obama.......
By TMurray (0 comments)
Hope Never Dies for Extremists
The extreme political Religious Right hasn't given up hope of getting something out of this election. Their latest ploy involves petitioning the parties for a "True Christian" in the vice-presidential slot. The Christian Anti-Defamation......
By John McKay (0 comments)
Catholic religious right wing: Legion of Christ
Frank L. Cocozzelli's weekly series of posts on "The Catholic Right" (listed here) includes quite a few posts about Opus Dei. There's another, similarly ultra-orthodox Catholic religious order he might want to examine in......
By Diane Vera (3 comments)
Prosyletization in Iraq: A threat to national security
As amazing as it sounds, dominionists may in fact be fomenting terrorism--not just the domestic terrorism like bombings of women's clinics we normally associate, but the very "Islamist terror bombings" that the GOP loves......
By dogemperor (0 comments)
Proselytization in Iraq: A minor history
The recent incident where a Marine was recently found distributing "Bible coins" promoted by a fundamentalist "Bible church" is, sad to say, far from the first incident of overt prosyletisation in Iraq. The truth......
By dogemperor (1 comment)
Source of "Bible coins" distributed by USMC in Iraq discovered
In what is--sadly--yet another case of the extent of which blatant prosyletisation is tolerated in the modern US military, a recent incident where members of the US Marine Corps were handing out coins to......
By dogemperor (0 comments)
What Does the Religious Right Fear the Most?
A poll that one of the giants on the right, Coral Ridge Ministries, sent to their members gives a revealing insight into their world view. ......
By John McKay (3 comments)
UK Abortion Limit Stays at 24 Weeks Despite Washington Think Tank's Tactics
IN GOD'S NAME is a revealing documentary about how the Alliance Defense Fund is using its tactics to try to restrict abortion in Europe as well as in America.  Watch this trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeTfW8-dCNE ......
By TMurray (3 comments)
'Christians United For Israel' Joyfully Sing of Israel's Invasion and Destruction
An open letter, from Ray McGovern, a 27-year intelligence analyst with the CIA, to Admiral William J. Fallon, warns of an impending US attack on Iran. If such an event occurred, the resulting war......
By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
The Petrification of John McCain
We are very pleased to welcome Frederick Lane as a guest front pager. He is the author of several books,most recently, The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme......
By Frederick_Lane (3 comments)
More Biblical Precedent for Allowing Abortion
This is a follow up to my most recent diary entry. ......
By TMurray (3 comments)
John Hagee Says God Made AIDS and Bird Flu But Lord will Protect Him Personally
John Hagee claims 1) that he knows with absolute certainty the will of God (as he told a BBC interviewer in 2003), is 2) sure that he, John Hagee, has a place in heaven......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Biblical support for abortion, who knew?
It turns out that our present legal understanding of when a life is entitled to legal protection is consistent with the Old Testament Biblical understanding of when a fetus becomes a 'life' warranting legal......
By TMurray (2 comments)
2001 John Hagee Film Shows Gangsterish Rabbi, Foppish Catholic Priest In League With anti-Christ
The following somewhat satirical video is built around a brief excerpt from Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee's 2001 55-minute film "Vanished", which followed the prophetic, premillennial plot line of Tim LaHaye's and Jerry Jenkin's......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
PBS "Carrier": A Mixed Blessing
Watching the PBS miniseries "Carrier" was a revelation, but not always a pleasant one... ......
By bughouse square (0 comments)
Will We Ever Learn?
Ever looked at something or did something which at the time seemed good and beneficial only to learn that it was not what you thought?  If we could all have the opportunity to live......
By truthngrace (0 comments)
McCain-Endorser's Church Casts Out "Demon of Anal Fissures", Teaches Vomiting Evil Spirits
[NOTE: for a related story, see Mai Tai Dogs: Pics Show Bush Administration, McCain-Endorser Hagee Schmoozing at Chinese Restaurant] I have to admit, on one level it sounds more entertaining than a church full......
By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
Bush 41 salutes Sun Myung Moon's effort to subdue the planet.
Sun Myung Moon's end time political front, the Universal Peace Federation had a summit from April 28 to May 2 in Washington DC. The participants took a tour of the Moon owned Washington Times......
By Lou (2 comments)
Advancing The Kingdom
Over the past four years, I've researched the darkest regions of the Christian right for the non-fiction film Silhouette City. The film tracks the movement of apocalyptic Christian nationalism from the margins of American......
By MichaelWWilson (2 comments)
Newspaper Profiles Army of God Spokeman
We have written a great deal about the anti-abortion terror organization, Army of God. One recent post prompted God Tube to take down videos posted by the proprietor of the Army of God web......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Judicial Council Chief James Holsinger and $20 million of UMC Money
Dr. James Holsinger, a leader in the IRD-linked Methodist renewal movement has, until now, been best known for his crack-pot anti-gay views. - FC Dr. James Holsinger, the Bush nominee for Surgeon General  and......
By AJWEAVER (0 comments)
No Constitution Party home for Keyes
Well, that didn't take long.  All the speculation about Alan Keyes finding a home with the rabidly right-wing Constitution Party has quickly come to naught as the CP convention picks radio talk show host,......
By tacitus (0 comments)
Florida Christian License Plate
Well, Florida is at it again. They're considering a "Christian" license plate.  It's supposed to have a cross and a stained glass window on it with the words "I Believe!" More below the break!......
By ArchaeoBob (3 comments)
The Alleged 'Atheist Delusion'
John Gray's ample Saturday Review column in the March 15th edition of London's  Guardian newpaper diagnosed the current climate surrounding religion as one of `moral panic'.  This is true only of the irrational fear......
By TMurray (0 comments)
A Real GI Bill of Rights
As much as I admire Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel for their efforts to reform the military, I respectfully submit that their proposed bill doesn't go far enough... ......
By bughouse square (2 comments)
Mikey's War
There comes a time when ordinary citizens need to step up and openly challenge the perverse Christianization of our national instutions, particularly the military. What follows is an introduction to someone who is doing......
By bughouse square (1 comment)

More Diaries...


Donate to or support
Talk to Action


Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here
(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)