So maybe you've heard of this incident which happened right here in North Carolina. Basically, nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church, a member of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, which is in turn a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, were more or less forced to leave the church because they weren't Republicans.

That's right, you heard me correctly. It all started when the Pastor, Chan Chandler, began to preach a steady stream of politically charged sermons during this past election season. Many congregants asked him to stop but he refused. He also required every member of the church to sign a document agreeing with his political beliefs. This "pastor" (I use the term as loosely and with as much contempt as possible), then called a special meeting which some parishioners called a "lynching", where he and his supporters, most of them over-zealous and apparently brainwashed teenagers, informed the unrepentant democrats that they either support George Bush, or get voted out of the church. Nine of these sinful liberals walked out of the meeting before any such vote could be taken, at which point the most holy Chandler's teenage followers clapped and cheered. Real christian.

Chandler has now resigned, probably at the prodding of the Baptist Convention, since it has been pointed out that his activities could cause the church to lose it's tax-exempt status. The IRS prohibits churches from "directly or indirectly participating in...any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for elective office.”

Categories: Politics, Religion