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.
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 White House hates criticism of their wars. Just ask Valerie Plame. Hell yes, I think this is politically motivated, especially considering the retired paster who gave the sermon, George Regas, is active in the LA peace movement and co-founded ICUJP. a faith-based peace group formed during the build-up to the Iraq War.
Also on the front page of the LA Times
Will any of them get warned by the IRS?
You could not be more off base in your analysis. Conservative Christian churches do not pontificate politics from the pulpit. My chrge with over 6000 members never, ever speaks of poltics and won’t even allow voter registration drives.
On the other hand I seem to remember several instances of John Kerry being intoduced in black Christian churches by Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackass.
If you become more intellictually honest in your liberalism, you will only assist us conservatives in our efforts to keep your ilk out of power.
Kevin
Spare me the sanctimonious (and erroneous) lecturing
IRS denies Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition tax-exempt status
http://www.commondreams.org/pressreleases/june99/061099h.htm
Also, if you’d actually read the entire post, you’d have seen that churches (on both sides) are currently politicizing and proselytizing about Prop 73.
[…] Conservative evangelicals are also concerned by the IRS threat to revoke the tax-exempt status of a liberal church in Pasadena because a retired minister who is active in the peace movement gave an anti-war sermon. When Ted Haggard, head of the 30-million-member National Assn. of Evangelicals, heard about the All Saints case Monday, he told his staff to contact the National Council of Churches, a more liberal group. […]