[Hoot Gibson]

I'm a firm believer that churches shouldn't receive tax exempt status, unless they can prove that they are putting out the same amount of what they save, to do things like help the poor, and things that they claim they do, that you and others here have said they should do, at the local level. If they push a political candidate, or party, they should be stripped of that tax free status immediately. The church here in Paintsville that got caught endorsing political candidates should never again receive tax breaks.

The power to tax is the power to destroy and once the federal government begins taxing legitimate churches, our freedom of religion will be gone. As for endorsing political candidates, there are no bigger offenders than predominately black Christian churches, which frequently give hypocrites like Obama a Sunday forum during campaigns. Liberals never seem to have a problem with all of the money that Democrats raise through black churches but they waste no time condemning churches for supporting traditional religious values usually held by Republican candidates without actually endorsing any candidate or party.