Church Investigations: What ARE the IRS procedures and why are they refusing to release that information?

'The IRS has a legal obligation to explain why it is hiding things or else produce documents.'

The IRS was strongarmed into creating procedures and rules to follow should it ever be forced to investigate a church. Though the rules exist, the IRS refuses to release details to the public, making atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) furious - and leading it to sue the Internal Revenue Service.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - If you think the Freedom From Religion Foundation sounds familiar, it's because the atheist group prides itself on forcing schools, police officers and sports teams to shut down any God-related activities, artwork or phrasing.

The hateful organization is no doubt angry at the IRS' refusal to release the rules and procedures it has created ti instigate the investigation of churches. In fact, the IRS may be choosing to keep the information private in an effort to protect religious institutions from falling prey to the notoriously spiteful group.

Alliance Defending Freedom and Judicial Watch (ADF joined the FFRF in suing the IRS in an effort to get the information on how to initiate church investigations.

ADF legal Counsel Christina Holcomb put out a press release in which she stated: "The IRS is not above the law, and Americans deserve to know the truth about the agency's secret deals with activists. The IRS has a legal obligation to explain why it is hiding things or else produce documents.

"Its ongoing refusal to follow the law is absurd, particularly since much of [what] we are asking for is information that the IRS has already provided voluntarily to Freedom From Religion Foundation."

According to the Washington Times, the IRS was forced to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request, but still withheld over 10,000 of the 16,000 requested documents, while thousands of the released information was redacted.

In accordance with separating religion from politics, FFRF demands churches become responsible for paying taxes when and if they interfere with politics, which the recent Mississippi law does.

When asked if churches would be forced to pay taxes after interjecting on laws banning same-sex marriage, Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. replied, "It's certainly going to be an issue. I don't deny that."

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