The large and liberal All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California””after squirming on the hook for two years as the Internal Revenue Service examined the content of a preelection sermon””has been tossed back into the religious stream because its “political intervention” favoring one candidate “appears to be a one-time occurrence.” The church will not lose its tax-exemption over the October 31, 2004, sermon.
In delivering that judgment, the Department of the Treasury letter that arrived September 10 also noted that policies were in place at the 3,500-member church to prevent prohibited political campaign activities. But the department urged the church to remind future speakers not to endorse candidates.
Because the IRS did not indicate where rector emeritus George Regas may have crossed the line in his sermon (“If Jesus Debated Senator Kerry and President Bush”), the present rector, J. Edwin Bacon Jr., announced September 23 that the church is mounting a counteroffensive.
“While we are pleased that the IRS examination is finally over,” Bacon said at a news conference, “the IRS has failed to explain its conclusion regarding the single sermon at issue. Synagogues, mosques and churches across America have no more guidance about the IRS rules now than when we started this process.”
While of course I vehemently disagree with their viewpoints – I do agree that the IRS is vauge and inconsistently enforces the regs/law on Religious orgainizations and politics. I think churches should be able to take positions and provide forums but not make direct contributions of cash.
Yep, never a dull moment at All Saints Church.
And yet they seem fine with the vagueness of the New Orleans statement…
And really find with the ambiguity of C051.
If All Saints demands a diminution of IRS ‘vagueness’ then they possibly may get exactly what they do not want. They were advertising political gatherings where a $2500.00 ‘donation’ was the price of admission. They seem unable to know when to shut up.