Arkansas: Pastor's Sermon Challenged as "Too Political"

A complaint has been filed with the IRS against Ronnie Floyd, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Springdale, because a recent sermon allegedly crossed the line separating church and state. According to the complaint, he went too far endorsing President Bush and attacking John Kerry.

  The Arkansas News Bureau reports:

Floyd's sermon was in favor of President Bush's re-election, according to Lynn's letter, which says in part: "The pastor's description of the candidates' stands and their personal religious beliefs was obviously aimed at encouraging congregants to cast ballots for Bush. The church is known for its stands on social issues and its opposition to legal abortion and gay rights. By lauding Bush's stands on these and other issues and attacking (Sen. John) Kerry's, Floyd was plainly telling his congregation to be sure to vote for Bush.

"I have enclosed a videotape that includes the entire sermon as well as a partial transcript. About 45 minutes into the message, Floyd begins to discuss the differences between Bush and Kerry. Please note that even the imagery employed by the church is designed to promote Bush. A huge photo of Bush is projected onto a screen that shows the president next to an American flag. By contrast, small photos of Kerry are used that show him as one person in a larger crowd. In addition, Bush is shown signing a ban on late-term abortions, an act most church members will laud, while Kerry is shown as one of a group of senators who opposed a law banning same-sex marriage, a stand most church members will likely oppose."

It’s not that hard to avoid crossing the lines drawn by IRS guidelines — so long as no specific candidates are mentioned or referenced in anyway, the chances of saying something wrong are almost nonexistent. That leaves lots of things to say because pastors can talk all day long on any moral or political issue they want. If they take chances by talking about specific candidates, it’s because they want to — they almost certainly know just what they are doing and are deliberately trying to find a way to come as close to the line as possible without crossing it.

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Church and State News
• Secularism 101