Pasadena church faces federal sanctions for anti-war sermon

[E-Z-B]

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- One of the state's largest and most liberal churches could lose its tax-exempt status because of an anti-war sermon that a former rector delivered two days before the 2004 presidential election, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

In his sermon, the Rev. George F. Regas did not urge parishioners at All Saints Episcopal Church to support either George Bush or his opponent, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. But he was sharply critical of the Iraq war and Bush's tax cuts.

The IRS in a June 9 letter warned the church that its tax-exempt status was in jeopardy because the federal tax code prohibits such organizations from intervening in political campaigns and elections. The church's current rector, J. Edwin Bacon, told his congregation about the problem on Sunday.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...AOL-?SITE=CADIU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

It's only fair to next go after Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, the church in North Carolina that expelled their democratic members, the church that denied Kerry communion, etc., etc.

 

[alonzomourning23]

We're smart. We don't invent laws to chase down political opponents, like some stupid 3rd world country. We just use existing laws and ignore violations unless it's committed by a political opponent. USA! USA!

 

[Cheese]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/l...ll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

How come you can't be anti war, but anti abortion and it's fine and dandy.

At some Catholic parishes around Los Angeles, it came in a glossy "yes on 73" flier slipped into the church bulletin. At Methodist and Lutheran churches in the Bay Area, it was dished up by organizers who set up information tables behind the pews and urged a "no" vote.

And at some evangelical Christian churches, including the Rock in Roseville, a suburb of Sacramento, pastors made time for a two-minute DVD featuring teenage actresses promoting support for the measure.

"The essence of Prop. 73 is to protect young girls from abortion and allow parents to be part of that equation," said Senior Pastor Francis Anfuso at the Rock, where the video rolled on twin screens shown to about 900 weekend churchgoers. "There's a wonderful simplicity to it, and it's definitely a message we wanted to spread here."

And in the interest of full disclosure, the article goes on to mention some liberal churches are opposing the prop. vocally from the pulpit too.

 

[Duo_Maxwell]

Anti-abortion and anti-war talks in sermon don't seem too out of place seeing as how they are at least thought by some as dealing with morality, which is a key subject in many religous sermons. But what everybody has apparently chosen to ignore, what IMO is a very political stance, arguing adainst tax cuts at the pulpit. That's a pretty cut and dry example political denouncment if you ask me seeing as how tax cuts have little to do with religion and you are not supposed to encourage church patrons either way politcially as a tax-exempt church. They might not have said directly "don't support Bush", by they are are essentially saying "we like the other guy better, support him". I can argue against this war and even the concept of war without mentioning Bush if need be, however it's hard to argue against Bush's tax cuts without mentioning and certainly implying that he is wrong. However, I do feel they should go after chruches that expell democratic supporters and the like as well.

 

[kakomu]

[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Anti-abortion and anti-war talks in sermon don't seem too out of place seeing as how they are at least thought by some as dealing with morality, which is a key subject in many religous sermons. But what everybody has apparently chosen to ignore, what IMO is a very political stance, arguing adainst tax cuts at the pulpit. That's a pretty cut and dry example political denouncment if you ask me seeing as how tax cuts have little to do with religion and you are not supposed to encourage church patrons either way politcially as a tax-exempt church. They might not have said directly "don't support Bush", by they are are essentially saying "we like the other guy better, support him". I can argue against this war and even the concept of war without mentioning Bush if need be, however it's hard to argue against Bush's tax cuts without mentioning and certainly implying that he is wrong. However, I do feel they should go after chruches that expell democratic supporters and the like as well.[/QUOTE]

Tax cuts can harm the community. That's reason enough for the church to talk about it.