The IRS has started an investigation into whether the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena should retain its tax exempt status because a few days before the 2004 election campaign the rector emeritus, George Regas, gave a sermon arguing against the Iraq war on moral grounds. The letter from the IRS complains that Regas “delivered a searing indictment of the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq, criticism of the drive to develop more nuclear weapons, and described tax cuts as inimical [opposed] to the values of Jesus.” The church has a long history of supporting progressive activism.

Here’s the sermon: “If Jesus debated Senator Kerry and President Bush.” Regas begins by explicitly acknowledging that people of faith support each candidate, and he’s not going to tell anyone how to vote. Then he looks at how he thinks Bush and Kerry stack up on three issues, war, poverty and hope. The section on war is explicitly a condemnation of Bush’s policies. The section on poverty is neutral until he gets to the question of abortion rights where he explicitly contrasts his views with conservatives’. The hope section is generically uplifting. He ends by urging congregants to take “Jesus, the peacemaker” into the booth with them. (Here’s a copy (pdf) of the sermon at the church on November 13, 2005, about the IRS action.)

This sermon was an argument against Bush’s policies. (There’s almost nothing about Kerry in it.) But so what? The line between religion and state does not and should not keep religious leaders from talking about political issues. From abolition to civil rights to Vietnam, we have a long and admirable tradition of churches being engaged in social and political issues. There was nothing coercive in Regas’ speech. He didn’t tinstruct congregants to vote for Kerry or threaten to excommunicate or shun those who vote for Bush; in fact, Regas acknowledges that faithful, good people may well decide to vote either way. He wasn’t covertly collecting money and using the church to organize voters. He was applying his understanding of his religion’s values to the issues of the day. Isn’t that what we want?

And, yes, I would say the same things about a different sermon that argued that Bush’s policies are exactly What Jesus Would Do.

BTW, the Interfaith Allilance thinks that the IRS action might have been intended to soften opposition to House Bill 235, legislation supported by the religious right that would permit sermons endorsing candidates.

There’s a public statement you can sign here. It tries to find the right balance between permitting our religious organizations to proffer moral advice, and even to rail against the government, and preventing them from becoming political action committees. It is not an easy line to draw, but in this particular case, it seems clear to me that the All Saints church did not cross it. [Tags: religion politics irs]

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