The Won't Be Bullied Pulpit - Rev. George Regas, All Saints Church

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-regas9nov09,0,7916457.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

The won't-be-bullied pulpit
A Pasadena cleric cited by the IRS refuses to surrender 'the very soul of our ministry.'

By George Regas

THE REV. DR. GEORGE REGAS was rector of All Saints Church in Pasadena from 1967 to 1995.

November 9, 2005

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During my 28 years as rector of All Saints Church, I often preached sermons that touched upon what some would characterize as "political" issues. So many of the political issues that we confront today coincide with deeply held, core religious beliefs: issues relating to marriage, family, community and yes, even war and foreign policy.

It seems to me that fundamentally moral issues, such as peace and the alleviation of poverty, are indisputably the province of church pulpits, regardless of which politicians are debating that week or where a Sunday happens to fall in an election cycle. My successor, Ed Bacon, has continued this tradition of proclaiming a theologically based commitment to alleviating poverty and promoting peace and social justice.

An IRS audit will not diminish the prophetic ministry of All Saints Church. Peace and the alleviation of poverty are core values of the congregation. If we were to allow the IRS to silence us, we would lose our integrity and the very soul of our ministry. That will not happen.

Some fear that the threats of the IRS and the publicity surrounding my sermon will have a chilling effect on other churches that would like to speak out for peace in this war-fractured world. Perhaps it will for a few.

But I think many more will take courage from this story and find ways to be true to the core values of their faith. They will find creative ways to proclaim that religious communities must stop blessing war and violence. I am heartened by the outpouring of support that All Saints has already received from many in the faith community whose beliefs span a wide spectrum. They realize this matter involves 1st Amendment principles we all hold dear.

continued

The values and platforms of the political parties on occasion may intersect with those of Christians of conscience, and sometimes they will not. To depend on them will eventually lead to a corruption of religious values. Regas can "stay the course" without attaching himself or his church to a particular ideology. Good for him. He reiterates the Christian values and asks his parishioners to decide who to vote for based on their understanding of who may best support those values in the political realm. He can't be any clearer than that.

"The rightful role of communities of faith is not to speak and act as though God is in the pocket of the Democratic or Republican parties. Our role is to boldly proclaim the biblical themes of justice for all, peace on Earth, the sacredness of all life and the preciousness and fragility of the environment."

Who do you think brought the IRS down on this church? I'm guessing someone whose political ideology wasn't being strictly upheld by the pastor.

but the church lost some parishioners over
the peace stand on this invasion of Iraq also.