Pasadena Church May Fight IRS Summons

[Rose Siding]

A liberal Pasadena church facing an IRS investigation over alleged politicking sounded a defiant note Sunday, with its leaders and many congregants saying the probe amounted to an assault on their constitutional rights and that they were inclined to defy the agency's request for documents.
...
Bacon dedicated about half of his 20-minute sermon to the IRS issue, explaining that defiance could land the church in federal court. He asked parishioners to send him e-mails with their thoughts. He also noted that the summonses and other correspondence related to the case would be posted on the church's website, http://www.allsaints-pas.org .

Bacon told the congregation that, although he recognized that the church could not endorse or oppose a political candidate, neither could it remain silent in the face of "dehumanization, injustice and violence."

"History is shamefully littered with the moral bankruptcy of people who were Christian in name but not behavior," Bacon said, citing indifference by some Christians to slavery and the Holocaust.

"Neutrality and silence in the face of oppression always aids the oppressor," he said. When he was done, Bacon received a minutelong standing ovation.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-allsaints18sep18,0,7816136.story?coll=la-home-headlines

At issue is a single sermon by a guest speaker whose suggestion that "Jesus would have told Bush his preemptive war strategy in Iraq 'has led to disaster' prompted a letter from the IRS in June 2005 stating that 'a reasonable belief exists that you may not be a tax-exempt church.'"

[fasttense]

1. I wonder when our church will be put on the IRS hit list?

Our pastor preaches peace at every single sermon. He preaches peace, love and tolerance too.

[Rose Siding]

2. Very subversive!

:applause:

[Wilber_Stool]

3. If this is the new standard

the IRS better get busy. A church that excommunicates it's parishioners if they don't vote republican should be on their list.

[Loki]

4. What part of "Blessed are the peacemakers"

doesn't the IRS understand? We Episcopalians have long been the most progressive voices in this country and since the 70's when we decided to ordain women and then the election of our gay Bishop Gene Robinson, we have had a bullseye on our backs. The conservative bigots are intent on destroying the church from within and without, and they may just accomplish it. Stand up and fight this.

[Vidar]

5. Good for them.