WASHINGTON (ABP) — Americans United for Separation of Church and State wrote the IRS July 21 requesting an investigation about whether Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ violated tax law by hosting a rally for a Southern Baptist candidate.
AU Executive Director Barry Lynn said he believes a June 24 rally sponsored by the group for a Republican seeking re-election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives violates a law that prohibits organizations that accept tax-exempt donations from engaging in electioneering.
"Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ can't be tax-exempt and engage in partisan politicking at the same time," Lynn said in a press release. "If the group wants to help Sally Kern or other candidates get elected, it must first forgo tax-exempt status."
Bruce Prescott, a Baptist minister in Norman, Okla., and a member of the Americans United board of trustees, called on the IRS to act.
"Organizations like Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ should not be permitted to make a mockery of our laws," Prescott said. "I urge the IRS to hold this group accountable for its actions."
"Religion should never be politicized," Prescott said. "It undermines the integrity of our houses of worship and is certain to divide congregations and communities."
According to its website, Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ exists: "To educate our pastors, legislators, educators, students and all citizens as to the truth about America's Christian Heritage and the role of fundamental, Biblical Christianity in the establishment and function of our legal, legislative and educational systems; and to work towards the successful reestablishment of these values in our society today."
Paul Blair, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Okla., and founder of Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ, says he believes the IRS ban on charities endorsing candidates is unconstitutional.
Blair was part of the Alliance Defense Fund pulpit initiative, aimed at challenging the IRS statute in hopes of prompting a lawsuit to get the law into the judicial system. "We heard nothing from it," he said.
Blair called the group's complaint to the IRS "just another attempt by Barry Lynn and Americans United for Separation Church and State to intimidate Christians and pastors in America into silence."
"They have a habit of filing frivolous complaints," Blair said. "Apparently as Christians we are supposed to forfeit our American citizenship…. If you're a fundamentalist Christian, you're supposed to remain silent."
Kern is a member of Olivet Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, where her husband, Steve, is pastor.
She made national headlines in March 2008 with comments posted on YouTube that compared America's "gay problem" to "cancer or something on your little toe," that unless stopped will eventually destroy the nation.
"I honestly think it's the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam, which I think is a big threat," Kern said.
She also gained notoriety last year for being the driving force behind an "Oklahoma Citizens Proclamation for Morality" document. It blamed a number of social ills on departure from the "rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built." It criticized President Obama for scaling back National Day of Prayer ceremonies and for issuing a proclamation in 2009 declaring June "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month."
Critics said the Kern proclamation was riddled with revisionist history.
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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
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Baptist newspaper apologizes for misusing governor's signature (6/21/2009)