IRS GOES AFTER CHURCH FOR ANTI-WAR SERMON

[reynaud]

Here is another Case of the Church and State coming to blows.

On the Sunday before the 2004 Election, Episcopalean (the American Church of England) retired rector Reverend Ed Bacon presented a sermon that critized the war in Iraq based on his understanding of the morality of war.

Because of this the IRS wants to pull the tax exempt status of the church. It doesn't make sense to me that by speaking out against something that is unpopular would make an organization a for profit organization.

The IRS wants copies of the sermon, and the cost that the church paid to host the minister's presentation.

The IRS has a prohibition against non profit organizations' making statements that can favor a political position.

Recently Los Angeles Times posted an article that was picked <a You can view it at
www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0916-01.htm

[PHILIP RACUEL]

The IRS has a prohibition against non profit organizations' making statements that can favor a political position.

It's probably a given that the IRS has not gone after those who use the pulpit to prop up the Bush administration, the war in Iraq or the Israeli conflict because they are hoping to be taken up, naked by their "cloud being" (I borrowed that from Malloy).

And could you imagine the sermon Jesus would give about needless killing and war?



It's pretty sad when government agencies go after people that preach about what Jesus actually would endorse...we live in an age where you get punished for telling the truth or for practicing the values the prophet Jesus taught- what a sick world we live in.

[PHILIP RACUEL]

btw- getting an error message on the URL you have in the post-

"Hello.
We're sorry but the page you've requested does not exist on our server.
Please check the spelling of the URL and try again."

but when you go to:

www.commondreams.org/

and click on the link it works- odd!

[wyldberi]

It's clear the present administration is dominating the process used by the IRS to combat the right of free speech when it is used to criticize the administration.

If this were not so, the religious icon Pat Robertson would have to be investigated for his comment advocating the assassination of Venezuelian President Hugo Chavez. This was definitely a political position. It also violated anti-terrorism legislation by inciting violent action against a sitting head of state.

[reynaud]

Good point. I only wish that we could turn him in without getting audited ourselves whether or not we deserve one.

[powers]

No, it doesn't seem fair and probably isn't. BUT this church says they have not violated anything and have not broken their non-profit status by donating funds to any political organization or backed a candidate in their weekly newsletters. Unfortunately, the chruch has also voted that they are "above the law" and decided that they would not comply with the audit.

I would not want to be audited myself, but whenever it happens for whatever reason, I know that I'm going to have to gather my info and have my math checked. I know I did it right and if they throw me in jail anyway, I would have full power to fight that. Of course, if I had daily news articles about my situation in the LA Times and a whole congregation standing behind me I would have even MORE trust that I wouldn't fall by the wayside.

I don't think that the IRS should get away with bullying the "pulpit." Likewise, I certainly don't think that a church should get away with saying "no" to an audit.