During Sunday worship services, more than 30 fundamentalist preachers across America deliberately broke U.S. law by publicly denouncing Democrat Barack Obama and endorsing Republican John McCain for president in the Nov. 4 election.

Their pulpit lawbreaking was organized by a conservative outfit called the Alliance Defense Fund, which hopes to provoke a Supreme Court challenge against Code 501(c)(3), which specifies that charities shall lose their tax exemption if they engage in politics.

At First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., the Rev. Wiley Drake - evidently trying to fan an untruthful smear about Obama's faith - told believers "there is no way in the world a Christian can vote for Barack Hussein Obama."

At Warroad Community Church in northern Minnesota, the Rev. Gus Booth told worshipers they "need to vote for the most righteous of candidates. And it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out. The most righteous is John McCain."

At Calvary Chapel near Philadelphia, the Rev. Fran Pultro declared that McCain is "the only candidate I believe a Christian can vote for."

At Anchor Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, Va., the Rev. Kenneth Card said Obama "stands outside the word of God."

At Faith Presbyterian Church Reformed in Mesquite, Texas, the Rev. Richard Bacon said "We must vote against the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Amen."

Etc., etc., etc.

Nearly all the evangelists based their political declarations on abortion and homosexuality. This is somewhat strange, because the Bible says nothing against abortion. It mandates that gays be killed, but the pastors evidently didn't recommend this action.

We've never understood why U.S. fundamentalists embrace Republican policies that contradict teachings of Jesus. The Messiah urged help for the poor and underdogs - yet the GOP lavishes trillion-dollar tax giveaways on the wealthy. Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers" - yet Republican President Bush started the unnecessary Iraq war on bogus grounds. Jesus said believers should pray in private - yet the "religious right" wants public, government-sponsored worship.

Jesus fit the modern definition of "liberal" - yet many fundamentalists flock to the political party that sneers at liberals. It's puzzling that their political views oppose Jesus.

We have no idea whether the Internal Revenue Service will revoke the tax exemption of the lawbreaking churches. That's what the Alliance Defense Fund wants, to provide grounds for a Supreme Court appeal.

We hope that millions of other Americans are repelled by this distasteful mixture of religion and politics.

Their pulpit lawbreaking was organized by a conservative outfit called the Alliance Defense Fund, which hopes to provoke a Supreme Court challenge against Code 501(c)(3), which specifies that charities shall lose their tax exemption if they engage in politics.

At First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., the Rev. Wiley Drake - evidently trying to fan an untruthful smear about Obama's faith - told believers "there is no way in the world a Christian can vote for Barack Hussein Obama."

At Warroad Community Church in northern Minnesota, the Rev. Gus Booth told worshipers they "need to vote for the most righteous of candidates. And it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out. The most righteous is John McCain."

At Calvary Chapel near Philadelphia, the Rev. Fran Pultro declared that McCain is "the only candidate I believe a Christian can vote for."

At Anchor Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, Va., the Rev. Kenneth Card said Obama "stands outside the word of God."

At Faith Presbyterian Church Reformed in Mesquite, Texas, the Rev. Richard Bacon said "We must vote against the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Amen."

Etc., etc., etc.

Nearly all the evangelists based their political declarations on abortion and homosexuality. This is somewhat strange, because the Bible says nothing against abortion. It mandates that gays be killed, but the pastors evidently didn't recommend this action.

We've never understood why U.S. fundamentalists embrace Republican policies that contradict teachings of Jesus. The Messiah urged help for the poor and underdogs - yet the GOP lavishes trillion-dollar tax giveaways on the wealthy. Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers" - yet Republican President Bush started the unnecessary Iraq war on bogus grounds. Jesus said believers should pray in private - yet the "religious right" wants public, government-sponsored worship.

Jesus fit the modern definition of "liberal" - yet many fundamentalists flock to the political party that sneers at liberals. It's puzzling that their political views oppose Jesus.

We have no idea whether the Internal Revenue Service will revoke the tax exemption of the lawbreaking churches. That's what the Alliance Defense Fund wants, to provide grounds for a Supreme Court appeal.

We hope that millions of other Americans are repelled by this distasteful mixture of religion and politics.