INTERFAITH ALLIANCE POLICY AMBITIONS SHOWING
October 30, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Bob Larimer
Vancouver—It has come to our attention at Washington for Traditional Values (WTV) that The Interfaith Alliance of Washington State, a cabal of liberal church organizations, has been mailing warning letters to churches in our state, informing church leaders (The letters begin: "Dear Clergy Friend,") that distributing or making available voter guides from Christian Coalition may be breaking the law or jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.
We can find no evidence that The Interfaith Alliance has been granted authority by the Internal Revenue Service to issue such warnings to any organization, whether it is comprised of people of faith or not, and we are confident that should it deem such action necessary, the IRS is fully capable of communicating such information without the help of a para-religious organization which has its own demonstrable political leanings.
WTV Executive Director Bob Larimer today noted:
It is abundantly clear that Christian Coalition voter's guides can be effectively utilized by any member of the body politic, no matter what their religious affiliation - if any - to make voting decisions. Any interested citizen may comb such voters guides to either find or eliminate an acceptable candidate from any point along the political spectrum, and from a political party of his or her choice.
Contacting churches or their leaders only to issue patronizing denunciations of other organizations and their legitimate voter information, not to mention issuing thinly-veiled threats, somehow does not seem appropriate for an organization that claims to prize 'diversity' and value 'tolerance.'
I recommend in strongest terms that The Interfaith Alliance tend to the business of its own affiliated churches and cease attempting to influence religious organizations and individuals who have not chosen to align themselves with the beliefs and practices of The Interfaith Alliance. It is up to the IRS to determine any potential violations of tax law, and such notifications are certainly not in the province of an organization which has public policy ambitions of its own.
At WTV, we appreciate Christian Coalition's efforts to help inform voters and believe that any information which equips citizens to make informed decisions at the voting booth should be applauded. We also believe in the intelligence and fairness of Washington's citizens, and in their right to gather any information they choose in order to help them in evaluating issues and candidates. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America guarantees this right. None should dare usurp it in any way.
Contact: Bob Larimer
(360) 993-7286
E-Mail: BLarimer@e-z.net