Back in Oct 2004, on the eve of the election Rev. George F. Regas of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California preached a sermon, in which he imagined how Jesus would admonish Bush and Kerry if he debated them. Regas never urged parishioners to vote for one candidate over the other, but he did say that he believes Jesus would oppose the war in Iraq, and that Jesus would be saddened by Bush's positions on the use and testing of nuclear weapons. 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.
Now the IRS is threatening his church that it may be endanger of losing its tax exemption. The present Rector J. Edwin Bacon said the church had retained the services of a Washington law firm with expertise in tax-exempt organizations. And he told the congregation: "It's important for everyone to understand that the IRS concerns are not supported by the facts." The tax law provides non profit status to religious organizations but forbids the endorsement of candidates, and pending legislation, Speaking about public issues of concern to a religious body is protected by the Constitution. The religious right flagrantly violates the law by specific instructions to congregants about who to votes for, and what legislation to support or oppose. Thus this appears to be a case of political interference with a church that opposes the Bush administration.
In an October letter to the IRS, Marcus Owens, the church's tax attorney and a former head of the IRS tax-exempt section, said, "It seems ludicrous to suggest that a pastor cannot preach about the value of promoting peace simply because the nation happens to be at war during an election season." Owens said that an IRS audit team had recently offered the church a settlement during a face-to-face meeting. "They said if there was a confession of wrongdoing, they would not proceed to the exam stage. They would be willing not to revoke tax-exempt status if the church admitted intervening in an election."
The church declined the offer. "I'm appalled," said 70-year-old Anne Thompson of Altadena, a professional singer who also makes vestments for the church.
"In a government that leans so heavily on religious values, that they would pull a stunt like this, it makes me heartsick."
Joe Mirando, an engineer from Burbank, questioned whether the 3,500-member church would be under scrutiny if it were not known for its activism and its liberal stands on social issues. "The question is, is it politically motivated?" he said. "That's the underlying feeling of everyone here. I don't have enough information to make a decision, but there's a suspicion."
The above is adapted from Common Dreams Newsletter, the full story by Patricia Ward Biederman and Jason Felch
Yet I believe Jesus would say to Bush and Kerry: 'War is itself the most extreme form of terrorism
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Yet I believe Jesus would say to Bush and Kerry: 'War is itself the most extreme form of terrorism.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.peoplesobold.net/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/122
As motivated as the last time IRS did this,
The IRS has revoked a church's charitable designation at least once. A church in Binghamton, N.Y., lost its status after running advertisements against Bill Clinton's candidacy before the 1992 presidential election. Link is http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/07/D8DO0I2G0.html
The Church that should be looked at closer is Congressman Rush's Church in Chicago. He's ordained minister besides being a US Congressman. From the Chicago Sun Times, link is http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-sweet09.html
U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), pastor of Beloved Community Christian Church, is using his federal political war chest to help support the church he founded in Englewood. Since last June, Rush has donated $72,200 to the church in a series of checks, according to disclosures on Rush's Federal Election Commission reports.
I'm posting this comment in hopes of helping get the right action out of the liberal community. I've posted this on Americablog based on some of the postings there:
I'm a member of All Saints Church in Pasadena. I resent the calls by those on the left who would lump our progressive faith community with the "Christian" community as defined by the media.
It is my faith that served as the underlying foundation for my wife's and my work for Howard Dean. We are called to embody Christ's life. Christ's life was always about inclusive love of one another. Taking care of the least of these. Trying to co-create the kingdom of heaven here and now ("thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven").
Our faith community has the radical notion that there are many ways to get to God and we don't claim to have a lock on what that is. It is why, before communion, these words are spoken - "Wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome here." An invitation to ALL to participate in the central liturgy of our worship service. (look up George Regas' sermon delivered at the Riverside Church in NYC in which he talks about this most clearly).
Too often people on the left dismiss people of faith as being part of the problem. I'm tired of this kind of ignorance. It is people like us whom you should be relying on more and encouraging to be involved in the political process. I suggest going to these sites to see just how important we people of faith will be if the Left is ever going to succeed in its work - http://www.sojo.net/ and http://www.tikkun.org/ or even to here http://www.allsaints-pas.org/all_saints_church.htm to read past sermons from our church.
Church and politics do mix. Past rectors at All Saints have repeated this phrase time and time again, "to hold a bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other". Our faith calls us into the world, into our communities to make it and them better places to live for all.
Salvation is not some other worldly place after we are dead - it is right here and now, each of us realizing our fullest human potential to heal the world and each other in whatever ways our talents and passions call us to. You can see this in the Lord's Prayer in these words "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".
Our community, ideally, is one which shows up on Sunday, is inspired, and goes out into the world the other 6 days seeking in our own unique ways to make this a better place to be.
Don't disregard us and don't disrespect us by not taking a strong stand against this anti-democratic action by the IRS. We are among your strongest most capable organizers and activists.
Regards,
Patrick Briggs,
Pasadena, CA