Doggedly searching for the crux of the biscuit.
Well, isn't this interesting?
The Internal Revenue Service has warned one of Southern California's largest and most liberal churches that it is at risk of losing its tax-exempt status because of an antiwar sermon two days before the 2004 presidential election. Rector J. Edwin Bacon of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena told many congregants during morning services Sunday that a guest sermon by the church's former rector, the Rev. George F. Regas, on Oct. 31, 2004, had prompted a letter from the IRS.
In his sermon, Regas, who from the pulpit opposed both the Vietnam War and 1991's Gulf War, imagined Jesus participating in a political debate with then-candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry. Regas said that "good people of profound faith" could vote for either man, and did not tell parishioners whom to support. But he criticized the war in Iraq, saying that Jesus would have told Bush, "Mr. President, your doctrine of preemptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster."
On June 9, the church received a letter from the IRS stating that "a reasonable belief exists that you may not be tax-exempt as a church." The federal tax code prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from intervening in political campaigns and elections.
Now, I happen to believe they ought to tax all churches, but let's back up for a second. The entire Republican strategy is built around politicking in churches, and in a much more blatant fashion than this. I haven't heard of any similarly threatening letters being sent to James Dobson's church or to the bishop that insisted priests not give communion to John Kerry. Or, for that matter, any right-wing church, though it's possible I may have just missed the news. I doubt it, though, since they would have screamed to high heaven about the violation of their First Amendment rights.
So I have to wonder: where exactly did this originate? If the IRS is willing to apply this standard across the board, then more power to them. However, I somehow doubt that is in the plans. Accordingly, this ought to get somebody fired quickly and publicly.
Unbelievable.
TrackBackWhat's more disturbing is, of course, the abandonment of enforcement of literal violations (evangelical churches handing out "who to vote for" cards and acting as Bush-CHeney recruitment centers).
That said, the preacher here did fuck up. Don't use the candidate's name. Tie your policy disagreement to Scripture, for shit's sake. Express your conclusions in terms of some sort of perceived disappointment of the Sky Fairy, not the actual pragmatic failure of preemptive war.
Posted by: norbizness at November 7, 2005 01:00 PMI smell a set-up; I bet some evangelical in the IRS called this down.
He/she will be fired, and publicly, and wingnuts will, somehow, be able to call it a witch hunt (doesn't really matter that there will be no logic to it. at. all.)
Stir the embers, add gasoline, collect Christian Right votes.
Repeat each November.
Posted by: Sterling at November 7, 2005 07:18 PMAs I recall, one of the articles of impeachment against Nixon was a similar abuse of the IRS. So wouldn't it be worthwhile to look into whose idea this was anyway? Hmmm?
Posted by: Charles Watkins at November 8, 2005 12:08 AM
"If the IRS is willing to apply this standard across the board, then more power to them. However, I somehow doubt that is in the plans. Accordingly, this ought to get somebody fired quickly and publicly."
Hah hah! That's fuckin' likely, I don't think.
This is BUSHVILLE, US of A political manoeuvrin' sonny, and fairness ain't no criteria, boy.....Only our people do the opinin', and the rest o' you goddam peaceniks, commies and anti-American America haters shut the fuck up! You hear me boy? I don't care if you're Jesus come back to earth with a broom out your ass to sweep the goddam floor, NO-ONE, BUT NO-ONE says any goddam thing 'less Cheney OK's it, and Rush and O'Reilly say it on their show first.
An' you think we're not serious, let me intr'duce y'all to my friend with the baseball bat....
This is so clearly bullshit. As terminally pessimistic as I am about American government, even I think this'll get thrown out of court. If it doesn't, things are even worse than I thought.
Posted by: Jake at November 8, 2005 03:36 AMI posted a link to your blog at my blog.
Nice artwork, btw. Are you the artist?
If so, very talented. God bless.
Posted by: qrswave at November 8, 2005 11:29 AMAre you the artist?
Oh, if only. Unfortunately, I can't even draw a convincing stick figure. Clicking the works will take you to a page about the work/artist.
Posted by: apostropher at November 8, 2005 11:36 AMSpeaking of the art, for the longest time I thought the one on the top was the kind where if you stare long enough you see a dog or einstein or something. I eventually gave up and clicked the link.
Posted by: Charles Watkins at November 8, 2005 12:04 PMHaving covered the issue of political activity by nonprofits for several years, from both the political beat and the religion beat, I can assure you that if the IRS follows its own guidelines, this case will never see the inside of a courtroom.
But if it does, then-Cardinal Ratzinger's 2004 campaign to "keep John Kerry from being given Communion" (read: signal to American voters that they should not vote for him) should, too. And wouldn't THAT be fun ....
The Church should say what it needs to say in accordance with its version of the world and not give a crap about whether the government taxes it or not. If its going to change what is says based on whether it is taxed or not, well, then what it has to say either isn't very interesting or it makes no difference to begin with. (sorry for the ending preposition). That the IRS should threaten it so might say something about the quality of its proclamation.
Posted by: Jimmy at November 9, 2005 01:04 AM