The Old "We Won't Yank Your Non-Profit Status If You Just Say You Love Bush" Ploy

The Internal Revenue Service has warned one of Southern California's largest and most liberal churches that it is at risk of losing its tax-exempt status because of an antiwar sermon two days before the 2004 presidential election

On June 9, the church received a letter from the IRS stating that "a reasonable belief exists that you may not be tax-exempt as a church … " The federal tax code prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from intervening in political campaigns and elections.

The letter went on to say that "our concerns are based on a Nov. 1, 2004, newspaper article in the Los Angeles Times and a sermon presented at the All Saints Church discussed in the article."

The IRS cited The Times story's description of the sermon as a "searing indictment of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq" and noted that the sermon described "tax cuts as inimical to the values of Jesus."

Note here, that the IRS is going after the church based on an L.A. Times article. Mind you, no one from IRS attended the service, and the article is pretty clear that no one from the church "informed" IRS.

Trolling, as usual. That's our government. If you are a right wing nut job and want to hold Justice Sunday rally's and preach from the pulpit how Tom Delay, et al, are righteous god fearing individuals, that's ok. But as soon as you criticize that piece of shit called the Preznet, and his policies, well, we're just going to Rove your ass. Take that.

Owens said that an IRS audit team had recently offered the church a settlement during a face-to-face meeting.

"They said if there was a confession of wrongdoing, they would not proceed to the exam stage. They would be willing not to revoke tax-exempt status if the church admitted intervening in an election."

What a crock of shit! How long is it going to be before this country realizes their civil rights have all been tossed out the window? The article goes on to state that the church has retained lawyers that are specialists in tax exemptions and will fight this.