Minnesota pastor violated tax law, watchdog group says

Nit: It seems pretty obvious he's a Republican, but no one registers by party affiliation in Mn.

Secondary students from Angle Inlet School (Minnesota) take the school bus across a foreign country [Canada] to attend school in Warroad, Minnesota every school day.

If Gus Booth is a delegate for the Republican National Convention it will be interesting if he will vote on any party platforms that not only include church/state issues, but also issues that include border crossings.

[Angle Inlet School has an easy to understand website on how the tip of Minnesota came to be US land. It was negotiated by Ben Franklin, John Jay and two others after the Revolutionary War in a four way treaty.]

Gus Booth may believe that God wants him to address the great moral issues of the day, and perhaps it is so.

Will Angle Inlet students need Passports or the newer passport cards to cross the border each day? Will the State of Minnesota pay for those cards? Are any children, or relatives of children, in the congregation of Gus Booth involved in the daily border crossings?

Will Gus Booth advocate the fencing of the border of Minnesota [USA] and Ontario [Canada] at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul?

I hope that Gus Booth can both hear God's calling to discuss great moral issues of the day, and I hope that some day he will be well enough informed that a local, city, county, state, national, inter-national DISCUSSION on border crossings can be one of those great moral issues that he may be able to lead.

Nit: It seems pretty obvious he’s a Republican, but no one registers by party affiliation in Mn.

Secondary students from Angle Inlet School (Minnesota) take the school bus across a foreign country [Canada] to attend school in Warroad, Minnesota every school day.

If Gus Booth is a delegate for the Republican National Convention it will be interesting if he will vote on any party platforms that not only include church/state issues, but also issues that include border crossings.

[Angle Inlet School has an easy to understand website on how the tip of Minnesota came to be US land. It was negotiated by Ben Franklin, John Jay and two others after the Revolutionary War in a four way treaty.]

Gus Booth may believe that God wants him to address the great moral issues of the day, and perhaps it is so.

Will Angle Inlet students need Passports or the newer passport cards to cross the border each day? Will the State of Minnesota pay for those cards? Are any children, or relatives of children, in the congregation of Gus Booth involved in the daily border crossings?

Will Gus Booth advocate the fencing of the border of Minnesota [USA] and Ontario [Canada] at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul?

I hope that Gus Booth can both hear God’s calling to discuss great moral issues of the day, and I hope that some day he will be well enough informed that a local, city, county, state, national, inter-national DISCUSSION on border crossings can be one of those great moral issues that he may be able to lead.

I'm no lawyer. That said, seems like there are a couple of violations of the law here…

Obviously, first and foremost, this church should lose its tax exempt status. Pure and simple. The church's most public spokesperson, knowing the consequences, willfully violated the law anyway.

And secondly, Mr. Booth should be sued by his church board for abdicating his responsibility in leading a nonprofit organization and threatening the organization's financial health by jeopardizing its tax exempt status. According to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, Minnesota law “imposes on [board] directors the fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and obedience to the law.” Obviously, Mr. Booth as an employee disregarded all three of these duties, and the board should be forced to take action accordingly, including not only firing Mr. Booth for obviously failing to protect the organization, but also attempting to recover from Mr. Booth legal fees and compensation for the loss of the church's tax-exempt status, if it is revoked by the IRS (which it should be.)

All said, there should be serious, serious consequences here.

I’m no lawyer. That said, seems like there are a couple of violations of the law here…

Obviously, first and foremost, this church should lose its tax exempt status. Pure and simple. The church’s most public spokesperson, knowing the consequences, willfully violated the law anyway.

And secondly, Mr. Booth should be sued by his church board for abdicating his responsibility in leading a nonprofit organization and threatening the organization’s financial health by jeopardizing its tax exempt status. According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, Minnesota law “imposes on [board] directors the fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and obedience to the law.” Obviously, Mr. Booth as an employee disregarded all three of these duties, and the board should be forced to take action accordingly, including not only firing Mr. Booth for obviously failing to protect the organization, but also attempting to recover from Mr. Booth legal fees and compensation for the loss of the church’s tax-exempt status, if it is revoked by the IRS (which it should be.)

All said, there should be serious, serious consequences here.

How dare the audacity of some Christians to believe they are above the law and believe they are doing God's calling by violating the common good of our nation? To follow this logic would mean anything could be justified under God. This sounds more like fanaticism than Christianity. Who is intimidating him into silence? He is free outside of his pulpit to advocate whatever he pleases. It is when someone is in the position of power and control that they feel envious to seize it. Now that is the moral issue of the Church today.

How dare the audacity of some Christians to believe they are above the law and believe they are doing God’s calling by violating the common good of our nation? To follow this logic would mean anything could be justified under God. This sounds more like fanaticism than Christianity. Who is intimidating him into silence? He is free outside of his pulpit to advocate whatever he pleases. It is when someone is in the position of power and control that they feel envious to seize it. Now that is the moral issue of the Church today.

By challenging the IRS the pastor has revealed a staggering stupidity.

I'm sure he believes that god speaks to him,as do many other people living in padded cells. You're right ericjames, outside of America people are concerned about the right wing christian fundamentalism in american churches. Did'nt another pastor running for the republican presidential nomination say that as president he would re-write the constitution to incorporate religious dogma? I refer of course to Mike Huckerbee.

By challenging the IRS the pastor has revealed a staggering stupidity.

I’m sure he believes that god speaks to him,as do many other people living in padded cells. You’re right ericjames, outside of America people are concerned about the right wing christian fundamentalism in american churches. Did’nt another pastor running for the republican presidential nomination say that as president he would re-write the constitution to incorporate religious dogma? I refer of course to Mike Huckerbee.

I agree that the church where Booth spoke politics should lose it's tax exempt status just as rev. wright's church should lose his. The law is the law. Albion should study up on the constitution. The president cannot just change it to suit his religious fancy. What church a person goes to is a very personal choice, but following the Bible would do many people good. With all the crime in the intercities, drug use, unwanted and uncared for children, porn, and school dropouts, it would do these citizens good to get some religion or personal responsibility. Going to church as a family is another tool in raising children to be productive members of society. I am not referring to “cult-type” churches that do more harm to children than good.

I agree that the church where Booth spoke politics should lose it’s tax exempt status just as rev. wright’s church should lose his. The law is the law. Albion should study up on the constitution. The president cannot just change it to suit his religious fancy. What church a person goes to is a very personal choice, but following the Bible would do many people good. With all the crime in the intercities, drug use, unwanted and uncared for children, porn, and school dropouts, it would do these citizens good to get some religion or personal responsibility. Going to church as a family is another tool in raising children to be productive members of society. I am not referring to “cult-type” churches that do more harm to children than good.