A right-wing Tennessee pastor who mentioned Democrats couldn't be Christians because of the celebration's pro-abortion rights stance has claimed he has given up his tax-exempt standing.
Pastor Greg Locke, of Mt. Juliet's World Imaginative and prescient Bible Church, close to Nashville, beforehand informed his congregation that he thought of Democrats to be "child butchers."
He mentioned earlier this month: "You can't be a Christian and vote Democrat on this nation. I do not care how mad that makes you. You will get as p***ed off as you need to. You can't be a Christian and vote Democrat on this nation. They're God-denying demons that butcher infants and hate this nation."
Following his feedback, the spiritual advocacy group Individuals United For Separation of Church and State (AUSCS) mentioned the Inside Income Service (IRS) wanted to analyze Locke and decide whether or not he had made partisan political remarks.
The AUSCS mentioned Locke's feedback violated the Johnson Modification that stops homes of worship from opposing political events or endorsing candidates.
A Could 14, letter despatched to the IRS by AUSCS legal professional, Ian Smith learn: "Although Locke acknowledged he was not a 'full-fledged Republican,' he clearly informed his congregants to vote in opposition to the Democrats, from the pulpit of his church. This violates the regulation and we ask for an investigation into Locke's conduct beneath 26 U.S.C. § 7611."
However in a reside stream uploaded on Fb on Sunday, Locke claimed he had renounced his tax-exempt standing and mentioned he nonetheless held the identical views about Democrats.
He added: "Guess what I did this week. I received an legal professional and I dissolved our stinking 501c3 on this church as a result of the Authorities ain't gonna inform me what I can and what I can not say. So, IRS we do not want your silly tax-exempt standing. You possibly can put it in a bag and burn it in your entrance yard for all we care. I renounced 501c3 communism on this church."
Newsweek reached out to the World Imaginative and prescient Bible Church and the AUSCS for remark.
Locke has beforehand made headlines over his incendiary feedback, together with threatening to reveal members of his church for being "witches." In January, Locke organized a burning of Harry Potter and Twilight books in addition to different objects on the church.
The controversial pastor additionally referred to as President Joe Biden the "actual virus on this nation" throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and mentioned that solely "crack-smoking, demon-possessed leftists" believed he gained the 2020 election over Donald Trump. He additionally vowed to take away anybody from his church who wore a face masks on account of concern about their well being throughout the pandemic.
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