A Taxable Separation of Church and State

By: Christopher Stanley

ORLANDO, Fla. – Michael Murphy, former Op-Ed Editor for the Orlando Sentinel, spoke to students at Valencia last Thursday about the role of religion in political campaigns. The forum was hosted by Students for Liberty, a student organization dedicated to promoting personal and economic liberty. Murphy spoke about the tax exemption status given to houses of worship and other non-profit organizations with the stipulation that they refrain from partisan politics.

"At the end of September dozens of clergy nationwide challenged Internal Revenue Service rules that prohibit church from politicking by supporting or opposing candidates," he said. Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code states that the recipient of said tax exemption status may not be an action organization. According to the IRS website, "it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."

The Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance aimed at defending religious freedom, held Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Sept. 28. The purpose of Pulpit Freedom Sunday was to challenge the IRS code that would negate tax exemption status for any non-profit organization endorsing a candidate or political position. According to the Alliance Defense Fund, it is "simply about overturning an unconstitutional regulation."

"At first it seems simple: if a church wants to endorse a candidate, it's the church's business, right?" Murphy said. "But then you stop and think a little: tax laws don't stifle free speech; it applies conditions for tax exemptions." Murphy posed that if the rule were eliminated, people could have a tax deductable contribution to a church's partisan political efforts. "…the IRS cannot afford to forgive and forget – and neither can the American people," Murphy said.

Chantal Vouziers, a student at Valencia and a contributor to the Valencia Voice, said "there should be restrictions on politicians speaking about religion. It shouldn't be one way and not the other." Murphy disagreed. "Absolutely not," Murphy said. "It's free speech the other way because politicians aren't taking money."

Another student at Valencia, Alex Barrett, said that he did not attend church that often, but when he did, he'd never heard anything about politics. "I'm not used to associating the two," he said.

Murphy recalled one of the rules of the Orlando Sentinel during his 28 years as editor: speak out but don't proselytize. "A pastor who thinks it would be a great idea to elect John McCain can wear out his sneakers going door to door in his neighborhood saying so. He just can't do it in his capacity as pastor," he said. "His free speech is not being 'stifled' when he can say anything he wants on his own time."

Dr. Kohrs Advises Students On How To Get The Most Out Of Community College

By: Christopher Stanley

KISSIMMEEE, Fl. -- Dr. Dean Kohrs spoke to students at Valencia's Osceola campus last Wednesday about how to use their time at community college to advance academically. His presentation, titled "Hacking Community Colleges", focused on the advantages of community college and the requirements to be successful.

"If you use this place right, you can go anywhere you want to go," he said. "Harvard has a $35,000,000,000 endowment program to reach out to smart community college students. If you make under $180,000 a year, they will pay for you to go to school there. If you make under $60,000 a year, they will pay for your tuition, room and board," he said. Dr. Kohrs is paid by community colleges to speak to students nationwide. He warns of avoiding the difficult subjects and advises students to start early, set goals and stretch themselves.

Dr. Kohrs received his associates degree from St. Petersburg College (formerly St. Petersburg Junior College), his bachelors and masters from USF and his PhD from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He joked about attending a community college, a liberal arts college and a state university.

Nancy Prevalus, who is studying nursing at Valencia, attended Dr. Kohrs' presentation. "I was unaware that I could get into any school," she said.

"You are vastly fortunate to be at a community college," he said. "There are an average of five hundred people in class at state universities. Only private colleges compare to the ratio of students in a community college classroom."

"[Dr. Kohrs] finds a way to relate to the students and put in the forefront of their minds what they might already know," said Professor Groccia, a professor of mathematics at Valencia.

Dr. Kohrs also emphasized the importance of making time for extra curricular activities. "Stop treating community college like thirteenth grade," he said, "and start getting involved with student activities."

Dr. Kohrs' book "Hacking College" can be found on Amazon.com. He can also be reached on his website, www.hackingcollege.com, or on Myspace at www.myspace.com/hackingcollege.

News Reporting Assignment #1

Christopher Stanley


Orlando - Pastor Jim Poorman addressed the congregation at his church last Sunday dressed in jeans and boots. “Church has gotten back to the professional clergy mindset,” he said, “and that’s wrong.” H20, formerly The Edge and 8 Seconds, is a bar-turned-church located directly beside the Orlando Weekly building in Downtown Orlando.

“A friend owned The Edge and was closing it. I saw the potential in making it an inviting place for people to come,” Poorman said. The sermon began at 11a.m. Refreshments were served at what used to be the bar. The H20 Band, consisting of three guitarists, a drummer and a lead singer, performed on a candle-lit stage while lyrics were projected on a screen overhead. Pastor Poorman addressed the congregation directly afterward, interrupted only briefly, midway through, as a train roared by outside, shaking the foundation of church.

Last Sunday was part 7 of a series titled Living Missionally. The sermon, which urged listeners to "operate throughout their day as if they were missionaries in a dying world," lasted approximately an hour and was concluded by two more songs from the band. Mario Giancini, who has been a member of the church for 3 years, appreciates that “the people and staff are real and know how to relate to others.”

“This church differs from my contemporary upbringing,” said Linda Kitchens, a former member from 1995 to 2003. “It has allowed me to be more open to change.” Linda has since been doing missionary work in Amsterdam.

H20, whose mission statement is “a church for the new generation”, boasts a progressive attitude toward change. “We’re artistic, informal, slightly sarcastic…” Poorman said. “In the future, we hope to have a stronger presence in the community as word spreads about us being a comfortable church.”