Ark. Dem-Gaz: Pastor: IRS Quiet as Church Mouse (re. pulpit politics)

[DeepModem Mom]

(Note: I am aware that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette skews right, especially on its deplorable editorial page, but I think this article has value.)


Publication:Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Date: 16 September 2004 ; Section:Arkansas; Page:15

Pastor: IRS quiet as church mouse

Political grievance called ‘baseless’: Give it time, complainant says

BY LAURA KELLAMS ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE


SPRINGDALE — The Rev. Ronnie Floyd of Springdale’s First Baptist Church hasn’t heard a peep from the Internal Revenue Service regarding a complaint that accuses him of using the pulpit to make a political endorsement.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State asked the IRS in July to investigate First Baptist based on Floyd’s July 4 message outlining differences between President Bush and John Kerry. The leader of the Washington-based group, Barry Lynn, accused Floyd of endorsing Bush, albeit without using the candidates’ names. His presentation was accompanied by pictures of the candidates.

In a news conference Wednesday, Floyd said that because the church hasn’t even received notice of the complaint advances his argument that he did nothing wrong and that the complaint will go nowhere.

"The baseless and false allegations by the Americans United group have proven to be just that — baseless and false," Floyd said. But Lynn said in a telephone interview later that the IRS sometimes takes years to investigate such claims. He said his organization learned Just last week that the IRS was looking into a two-year-old complaint regarding a Democrat, Janet Reno, speaking at a historically black Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla....


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