Antiwar Sermon Brings IRS Warning

[SofaKingLiberal]

Antiwar Sermon Brings IRS Warning
All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena risks losing its tax-exempt status because of a former rector's remarks in 2004.

By Patricia Ward Biederman and Jason Felch, Times Staff Writers


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.
(Cont.)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-allsaints7nov07,0,6769876.story?coll=la-home-headlines:eyes:

I wonder if any of the churches that support Bush's policies got a letter. :eyes:

[LisaM]

1. I think it's political for any Christian church to SUPPORT war

since Christianity is supposed to be a religion of peace.

[asjr]

2. Have they checked on Pat Robertson? He advocates

blowing up Hugo Chavez. They could get much more money out of him.

[serryjw]

3. How many Ministers down south

did the opposite. Support Bush, abolish abortion, support faith based anything, support abstinence education etc. I like them to try and THIS would definitely be challenged to SCOTUS by the ACLU under the 1st amendment