Boston Globe: Clergy warned on partisan preaching

[Glenda]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/10/27/clergy_warned_on_partisan_preaching/

Clergy warned on partisan preaching
Several faiths act to keep tax status
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | October 27, 2006

In the face of increased federal scrutiny of politics in the pulpit, religious denominations are warning clergy against overtly partisan preaching.

As Election Day approaches, with the Massachusetts governorship and both houses of Congress up for grabs, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has sent a memo to all priests instructing them not to provide parish directories to political candidates, not to allow the distribution of campaign literature on church property, and not to express support or opposition for political candidates.

The memo warns explicitly that the tax-exempt status of the Archdiocese of Boston could be at risk if those rules are violated.

...
The increased concern among religious denominations has been triggered by a highly publicized IRS investigation into All Saints Church, an Episcopal parish in Pasadena, Calif., where a preacher in 2004 mused aloud, in a sermon, about a hypothetical debate between Jesus and the two major-party candidates for president, President George W. Bush and US Senator John F. Kerry

...
The IRS has been outspoken this year about its concern about violations; the issue is currently highlighted on the agency's Web page, irs.gov, and the agency's commissioner, Mark W. Everson , gave a major speech on the subject in February -- in the swing state of Ohio -- in which he declared, "at the IRS we have stepped up our efforts and are vigorously enforcing the law."

[ixion]

1. huh... so it seems just fine for the evangelical right to brazenly support

their chosen candidates, and to even invite those people to the xian pep rallies.

But if a sermon goes the other way, then it prompts 'increased concern'. :eyes:

[Tesha]

3. If the Archdiocese of Boston is preaching politics, you can be sure...

If the Archdiocese of Boston is preaching politics, you can be sure
it *WON'T* be supportive of Democrats. To the hierarchy, there's only
one issue around here that matters to them: Abortion.

(Well, that and covering up priestly paedophilia, but they don't
preach much about that.)

So if they've shut their mouths politically this season, that's
good news for Democrats.

Tesha

[xchrom]

2. only republick party supporting evangelicals can

preach from the pulpit, put out ''voter guides'', make mass phone calls, etc and not be investigated.

[gratuitous]

4. Don't forget the "Justice Sundays"

Although those mega-rallies seem to have dwindled in their last couple of incarnations. It looks like the next one might be held in a porta-potty.