From Americans United for Separation of Church and State:
In recent months, the IRS has launched an action against All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Calif., for partisan politicking. The investigation focuses on a sermon given two days before the 2004 election. While the news media has dubbed it an ‘anti-war sermon,’ in fact, the subject was the presidential election. The Rev. George Regas, former rector of the church, preached on what Jesus would say to presidential candidates John Kerry and George W. Bush. While the sermon mentioned both Kerry and Bush, it aimed most of its criticism at Bush’s war in Iraq, his policy of pre-emptive military strikes and his proposal to resume development of nuclear weapons. The sermon criticized both Kerry and Bush for failing to talk about assistance for the poor, but singled out Bush’s tax cuts for giving help to the top 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans.
I can understand why the IRS might regard this sermon as evidence of campaign intervention. What I cannot understand is why the tax agency did not take the same view about an even more partisan sermon by a Baptist pastor in Arkansas who preached on the successes of George Bush. On July 4, 2004, the Rev. Ronnie Floyd of First Baptist Church of Springdale praised Bush for his war on terrorism and his stands against abortion and same-sex marriage, while lambasting Kerry. Floyd even employed the church’s audio-visual system to show large pictures of the candidates in the auditorium while he spoke, using a flattering photo of Bush and a smaller unflattering picture of Kerry. According to a July 21, 2005, report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the IRS has decided not to pursue action against the church for this obvious campaign intervention.
Comments