Churches as the new GOP Headquarters?

AMERICAblog comments on a story from the NYT about a couple of churches from Columbus, OH who are in trouble with the IRS for their part in getting Bush Jr elected.

In their complaint, the clergy members contend that the two Columbus-area churches, Fairfield Christian Church and the World Harvest Church, which were widely credited with getting out the Ohio vote for President Bush in 2004, have allowed their facilities to be used by Republican organizations, promoted the candidate, J. Kenneth Blackwell, among their members and otherwise violated prohibitions on political activity by tax-exempt groups.They are asking the I.R.S. to examine whether the churches' tax exemptions should be revoked and are requesting that Mark W. Everson, the federal tax commissioner, seek an injunction to stop what they consider improper activities.Thirty-one clergy members representing a variety of Christian and Jewish denominations signed the complaint, which was shown to the news media on Sunday. Rabbi Harold J. Berman said he had signed because he was concerned that the line between church and state was becoming blurred. "I think government is clearly impaired when churches get too actively involved in government," he said, "and I think religion gets impaired when government acts in religious affairs."

I have an interest in this because not only did I live in Columbus for many years but I also attened World Harvest once with a friend who was a member there. I didn't go back because that kind of Hellfire and Brimstone preaching isn't representative of my God and I didn't like it. I do remember the leader of World Harvest being investigated many times for different things. I'm so glad that these other churches had the guts to call these 2 churches on their indiscretion.