Oklahoma pastor speaking against Gay Agenda attacked by Americans United for Separation of Church and State claiming he endorsed a Republican candidate
-- From "Edmond Pastor, Church Group Under Fire Again for Preaching Politics" by Jon Jordan, WorldNow and NEWS 9 KOTV 8/15/10
The leader of Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ Pastor Paul Blair said even though the group sent out an e-mail titled "RALLY FOR SALLY" for Republican Sally Kern, it was no way an endorsement and even if it was, Blair said constitutionally he would be well within his rights.
Pastor Paul Blair has quickly become one of the state's most controversial pastors, most notably for giving a sermon in 2008 where Blair said he would be voting for John McCain.
Federal law clearly states tax exempt organizations like Blair's Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond are "absolutely prohibited" from endorsing a candidate.
[Pastor Blair said,] "The First Amendment guarantees my right as a pastor to proclaim truth in here and not have the government tell me what I can and cannot say."
"We are always going to address issues that affect our culture. If there are issues that pertain to morality in our culture, we are going to address those issues," Pastor Blair said.
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From "Watchog Group Urges IRS to Investigate Oklahoma Pastor for Endorsing Conservative Candidate" by Sarah Netter, ABC News 8/18/10
In a letter sent last month to the Internal Revenue Service, the Washington D.C.-based [atheist] watchdog group pointed to an e-mail sent ahead of a June campaign kick-off event, "Rally for Sally," in which Blair urged parishioners and supporters to lash back at what he called an attempt by the "homosexual lobby" to take over the elected position.
An IRS spokesman declined to comment.
Blair, pastor of the 400-member Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, said he has been disturbed by gay rights activist Tim Gill's national move to elect candidates who will support LGBT issues. He pointed to Kern's transgender opponent, Brittany Novotny, as what he calls proof that the "homosexual lobby" has come to Oklahoma.
"In my few years, we've gone from Andy Griffith to 'Brokeback Mountain' and it's not getting any better," he told ABCNews.com. "We are just continuing to spiral into a moral abyss.
"We have never officially endorsed or gotten into politics," he said. "We get into cultural issues."
Kern said she wishes the country would go back to the days before President Johnson's 1954 amendment banning churches' political involvement, when pastors could speak freely on politics and candidates.
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Also read, South Dakota Pastor Defies IRS Muzzle
