The National Association of Evangelicals is working with the National Council of Churches to defend All Souls Episcopal Church against an IRS audit aimed at an anti-war sermon. Good.
As I’d hoped, a report in the LA Times says that the National Association of Evangelicals has weighed in on the side of the liberal Episcopalian congregation under IRS audit for an anti-war sermon.
This is a great opportunity for liberals to reach out to theologically conservative churches, and no such opportunity should be neglected. Not every Bible Christian is Jerry Falwell.
I’d suggest an appropriations rider telling the IRS to butt out except in cases where there’s systematic partisan activity. Let the Republicans vote against it if they dare.
Footnote Ampersand has some evidence suggesting political bias at the IRS: at least, evidence that pro-war and pro-Bush churches have gone much further than All Saints went without catching any IRS flak.
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
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