A national gay-activist group is accusing the Diocese of Maine of violating Internal Revenue Service rules by collecting signatures to place a marriage-protection amendment on the ballot.
The Empowering Spirits Foundation filed a similar complaint last year against a California church that supported that state's marriage amendment.
“That complaint was similarly frivolous," said Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "The IRS has done nothing against them. Under IRS regulations, churches have the right to take a position and to advocate in support of a public referendum on traditional marriage.”
A "people's veto" is in the works in Maine after the Legislature legalized same-sex "marriage" this month. It allows voters to place an issue on the ballot.
Mike Heath, executive director of the Maine Family Policy Council, said gay activists "are interested in controlling people’s speech and going beyond that to control what they believe. Folks in other parts of the country need to understand this soon will land on their doorstep.”
— Roger Greer
