You might have read on these pages recently about the pastor whose anti-war pulpit messages drew the unwelcome attention of the IRS. The IRS concluded that the sermons, by retired rector George Regas, amounted to an endorsement of John Kerry over George Bush and thus violated IRS rules.

Regas went out of his way to point out he was not endorsing one candidate over another and encouraged his congregation to vote its values. But it was clear to most who listened that he found Kerry more in keeping with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

But so what? The church, particularly the church in the United States, has a strong history of aligning itself with political causes. And every political cause has a leader.

Political advocacy is not restricted to the left, of course. For every Rev. Jesse Jackson there is a Rev. Pat Robertson.

The IRS said it would back down if the church, All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, would apologize and promise not to get involved in politics again.

Ridiculous.

It's true there have been examples of groups seeking to avoid government responsibilities by painting themselves as a church or a religion. That clearly is not, and was not, the case in this instance.

Over the years, some of the strongest and most profound social and political commentary has come from the pulpit. There is no point in putting a cloud over that through narrow-minded enforcement of tax rules.