In the U.S., churches are tax exempt but they can lose that status if they're found to be openly, politically partisan. As anyone who's read the papers for the last six years knows, the fundamentalist and evangelical churches in America have been flaunting that law with impunity in a ceaseless campaign to support 'their' party, the Bush/Cheney Republicans.
In fairness to them, the Internal Revenue Service probably doesn't have anywhere near enough agents to investigate the fundamentalists on this one. They probably don't even have enough stationery to write up the reports. However they still have plenty to go after the other side, maybe a progressive church - you know the kind that continuously harp on all that Jesus stuff. Man, don't these people know there's a war going on?
Who is the IRS after? The target is All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasedena, California, an Anglican church. The IRS has served a summons requiring the church and its minister to turn over all documents it produced during the 2004 election year that may have referred to political candidates.
What horrible crime is alleged? Two days before the last election the church's former Rector of 28-years delivered an anti-war sermon. In his sermon, George Regas depicted Jesus in a mock debate with then presidential candidates Bush and Kerry.
According to the L.A. Times, the sermon didn't endorse or oppose either candidate. Instead, Regas is said to have "addressed the moral and religious implications of various social issues facing the nation at the time."
You would think the IRS would be happy to get a copy of the sermon. Not hardly. It has summoned the church to even produce its utility bills to establish costs of hosting Regas' sermon. Get this, they've even summoned the Rector to furnish "a copy of all oral communications identifying candidates for public office delivered at All Saints Church or at events sponsored by All Saints Church between January 1, 2004 and November 2, 2004." Can you recall your conversations about any political leader over the span of ten months from two years ago?
A Subversive Cell
Another minister, Rev. Bob Edgar of the United Methodist Church and general secretary of the National Council of Churches said, "I'm outraged. Preachers ought to have the liberty to speak truth to power. ...Since 9/11, the IRS, like the FBI, has been moving back to the 1950s and 1960s wen a great deal of such activity was propagated against church leaders like Martin Luther King."
A truly dark and brutish society. Besides, why blame the church? Isn't it this guy's fault?
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