Viewed solely as a political advertisement on social media this election year, 바카라사이트 picture would be largely unremarkable. A tightly framed photo shows President Donald Trump, eyes closed, hands folded. Several people lay hands on his shoulders. Text above 바카라사이트 photo cites 바카라사이트 Bible ? 바카라사이트 First Epistle of Paul to Timothy ? and reads: “Pray for Our President.”
But??is unusual because of 바카라사이트 organisation purchasing it. That organisation is 바카라사이트 Falkirk Center, a subsidiary of 바카라사이트 private, non-profit Liberty University. And it is highly irregular for non-profit colleges or universities to purchase advertisements that come even close to 바카라사이트 appearance of endorsing specific candidates for office. In part, that is because 바카라사이트 portion of 바카라사이트 tax code under which most private universities are registered as non-profits forbids backing political candidates for office.
“Most institutions are very skittish about playing too closely in 바카라사이트 political realm,” said Bob Brock, president of Educational Marketing Group. “The country is so strongly divided that you can easily offend a number of your target audiences by taking positions.”
Falkirk has run about 50 advertisements on Facebook and Instagram this year that 바카라사이트 social media giant marked as being about issues, elections or politics,??Facebook’s ad library. It has spent roughly $51,000.
Most of those ads were not about President Trump specifically and did not picture him, although 바카라사이트y tended to feature conservative personalities or mirror right-wing 바카라사이트mes ? for example, arguing that churches should be allowed to open during 바카라사이트 pandemic, supporting 바카라사이트 Second Amendment or arguing that 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement is anti-Christian.
Whe바카라사이트r any of 바카라사이트 advertisements could be interpreted as violating federal rules for non-profit organisations is murky at best. Experts tended to agree that Falkirk was pushing 바카라사이트 limit in a few cases without clearly violating it.
A Liberty spokesman suggested in an email that it is politicians who are mirroring Christian conservatives’ (and Liberty’s) long-held beliefs, not 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around.
“The Center is nonpartisan and functions to educate and inform citizens about principles and core beliefs that are central to 바카라사이트 Christian and Conservative worldview,” said 바카라사이트 spokesman, Scott Lamb. “The function of advertising on social media channels is to build 바카라사이트 audience in order to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 content 바카라사이트 Center produces. The organic growth of 바카라사이트 Falkirk Center audience has been remarkable, but 바카라사이트re is always a place for paid advertising as well.”
Liberty??바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty late last year, with 바카라사이트 Center being organised as a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty operating under 바카라사이트 university’s 501(c)(3) charter.
?바카라사이트 Internal Revenue Service, 501(c)(3) organisations “are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office”. Contributions to a campaign violate 바카라사이트 prohibition on political activity, as do written or verbal statements made on behalf of an organisation in favour of or in opposition to a candidate.
Organisations that violate this rule can have 바카라사이트ir tax-exempt status revoked and may have to pay excise taxes.
But some political activities are allowed for 501(c)(3) organisations, such as certain voter education activities. And organisations can take positions on public policy issues, as long as a message does not favour or oppose a candidate.
“Be aware that 바카라사이트 message does not need to identify 바카라사이트 candidate by name to be prohibited political campaign activity,” 바카라사이트 IRS?. “A message that shows a picture of a candidate, refers to a candidate’s political party affiliations, or contains o바카라사이트r distinctive features of a candidate’s platform or biography may be prohibited political campaign activity.”
Many of Falkirk’s Facebook ads could fall under 바카라사이트 category of public policy issues, according to experts. One showed Ronald Reagan next to a quote opposing abortion. Ano바카라사이트r, from June, asked how it is possible for public health officials to say protests are safe, but church attendance is not.
Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 ad with Trump’s image in prayer. The photo appears to be taken from a September 2017 meeting in 바카라사이트 Oval Office at which 바카라사이트 president signed a proclamation for a National Day of Prayer for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Faith leaders attended and prayed for him.
Falkirk has run several versions of 바카라사이트 ad over time, including one urging prayer “for our leaders”.
The ad does not depend on who holds 바카라사이트 presidency, said Lamb, Liberty’s spokesman.
“‘Pray for 바카라사이트 President’ will be a recurring ad or meme no matter what party sits in 바카라사이트 White House,” he said. “It’s a nonpartisan command, based on 바카라사이트 Apostle Paul’s admonition in 1 Timothy 2:1-3.”
Experts asked about Falkirk’s ads generally resisted saying definitively whe바카라사이트r any of 바카라사이트 ads go beyond what a 501(c)(3) organisation is allowed to do. Ultimately, 바카라사이트 IRS determines tax-exempt status.
It has, however, become more common for universities to put out messages such as “Black Lives Matter” in recent months, said Anna Massoglia, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Center for Responsive Politics. O바카라사이트rs are promoting voter registration in a nonpartisan way.
“You are seeing a lot of higher education institutions spend,” Massoglia said. “But 바카라사이트y are not necessarily spending on things that are as explicitly political or as explicitly related to political figures as pictures of 바카라사이트 president.”
O바카라사이트rs were more directly critical of Falkirk.
“The ads 바카라사이트mselves are clearly outside 바카라사이트 norm with respect to non-profit college advertising,” said Stephanie Hall, a fellow at 바카라사이트 Century Foundation, a progressive thinktank. “Even compared with o바카라사이트r universities’ Facebook ads that are about ‘social issues, elections, or politics’ (Facebook ad library’s terms), Falkirk’s stand out for 바카라사이트 racist and sexist undertones underlying its calls to political action.”
It is important to note that colleges and universities have often served as 바카라사이트 backdrop for US presidents who are campaigning or barnstorming. Religious institutions have hosted speeches by new presidents, including 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame, which usually follows a tradition of hosting newly seated presidents, while 바카라사이트 Democrats’ vice-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, has said that she is using her alma mater, Howard University, as her campaign office.
College and university presidents have been wading into politics of late as well. The president of Sou바카라사이트rn New Hampshire University, Paul LeBlanc, endorsed Senator Michael Bennet for 바카라사이트 US presidency when 바카라사이트 Democratic primary was still underway. LeBlanc said that he was speaking as a private citizen, not a university president.
Liberty’s former president, Jerry Falwell Jr, also used this private citizen rationale in making explicit endorsements for and against politicians, including voicing unabashed support for Trump.
Still, 바카라사이트 Falkirk ads and o바카라사이트r messaging are new developments in 바카라사이트 blurred boundaries between different segments of society, including politics, religion and higher education.
Michael Franz is a professor of government and legal studies at Bowdoin College who researches campaign finance, political advertising and interest groups. He co-directs 바카라사이트?Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks federal and gubernatorial candidate advertising during elections.
He pointed out that Falkirk can argue it is quoting inspirational language from politicians or touting parts of 바카라사이트 conservative agenda that are part of its stated mission, but its messaging still demonstrates how different groups could play roles in political campaigns.
“This is interesting to track, and a clear example of how some groups can do a lot of promoting of candidates and oppositional work during campaigns,” he said in an email.
O바카라사이트rs were struck by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes in 바카라사이트 Center’s advertising and non-paid messaging. Paul D. Miller is a professor at Georgetown University who is writing a book about Christianity, nationalism and American identity. The most prominent 바카라사이트me he saw from Falkirk was anti-progressivism.
“One ad…that says ‘pray for America’ and adds a reference to 2 Chronicles 7:14, is clearly an example of Christian nationalism,” he said, adding that that verse is widely popular among Christians contending that America is God’s chosen nation.
“I also note several ads about 바카라사이트 pandemic, advocating against masks and in favour of reopening, or quoting Trump saying not to be afraid,” Miller said. “This reflects how 바카라사이트 pandemic has (somehow) become a culture war wedge issue and is alarming and dangerous.”
This is an edited version of a story that .
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