IRS Warns Church Over Anti-War Sermon

POSTED: 2:13 pm PST November 7, 2005

PASADENA, Calif -- Worshippers at a prominent liberal church were told that the Internal Revenue Service has warned that the church could lose its tax-exempt status because of an anti-war sermon that a former rector delivered two days before the 2004 presidential election.

In his sermon, the Rev. George F. Regas did not urge parishioners at All Saints Episcopal Church to support either George Bush or his opponent, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. But he was sharply critical of the Iraq war and Bush's tax cuts.

The IRS in a June 9 letter warned the church that its tax-exempt status was in jeopardy because the federal tax code prohibits such organizations from intervening in political campaigns and elections. The church's current rector, J. Edwin Bacon, told his congregation about the problem on Sunday.

"It's important for everyone to understand that the IRS concerns are not supported by the facts," he told the congregation.

An IRS spokesman in Washington, D.C., declined comment Monday, saying the law prohibits him from discussing particular cases.

The IRS has revoked a church's charitable designation at least once. A church in Binghamton, N.Y., lost its status after running advertisements against Bill Clinton's candidacy shortly before the 1992 presidential election.

Some All Saints members and officials said they feared the politically active, 3,500-member church was being singled out. Churches across California on Sunday took stands on both sides of Proposition 73, which would bar abortions for minors unless parents are notified.

"The question is, is it politically motivated?" said Joe Mirando, an engineer from Burbank. "That's the underlying feeling of everyone here."

Marcus Owens, the church's tax attorney and a former head of the IRS tax-exempt section, said he doubts that's the case.

"I think it is more a case of senior management at IRS not paying attention to what the rules are," he said.

Owens wrote in an October letter to the IRS that "it seems ludicrous to suggest that a pastor cannot preach about the value of promoting peace simply because the nation happens to be at war during an election season."

He said the IRS recently offered to drop the proceedings if the church admitted wrongdoing. The church declined the offer, he said.

He said the IRS recently offered to drop the proceedings if the church admitted wrongdoing. The church declined the offer, he said.

Maybe it had more to do with the tax cuts, which are a bit more specific than the whole idea of war. 'Liberal Church'? Sounds like a bunch of Unitarian pussies to me.

My thinking is that a preacher speaking peace in church can only be a good thing, I mean, isn't that Christ's example. Plus, I don't see how this is any different than churchers preaching anti-choice in their churches. They are, in fact, not telling you who to vote for, but giving a strong nudge to who they want to win. This is no different.

ranting in e-minor wrote:
My thinking is that a preacher speaking peace in church can only be a good thing, I mean, isn't that Christ's example. Plus, I don't see how this is any different than churchers preaching anti-choice in their churches. They are, in fact, not telling you who to vote for, but giving a strong nudge to who they want to win. This is no different.


Can you teach me how to simplify reality to the lowest common denominator?