Churches Preach for a 'Yes' Vote on Gay Marriage Ban

Cupcakes from West Hollywood's Wedding Park Day (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist

Remember when the IRS investigated All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena for a sermon that they thought might void the church's tax-exempt status due to political endorsement during the 2004 Presidential Race (it was a What Would Jesus Do if he were Bush or Kerry on the war)? Now churches in California, including one nonprofit, are using their pulpits as political platforms against Propositions 4 and 8, the abortion and gay marriage state props that are scheduled to appear on November's ballot. The Gay & Lesbian Times reports:

James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, a group that has nonprofit status and allows contributors to deduct contributions from federal taxes, has raised $336,000 of the $2.3 million that groups opposed to same-sex marriage have donated to support Proposition 8, the Nov. 4 ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The president of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) issued a letter last Sunday “from the pulpit” urging members to donate “means and time” to pass Proposition 8.

Pastor Jim Garlow of the 2,500-member Skyline Church in San Diego, recently convened a conference call in which “more than 1,000 ministers, most from evangelical congregations, discussed tactics for passing [Proposition 8].”

Now, the question is, will the IRS investigate these churches too?