Sunday, June 10, 2007
Fla. Evangelist Backs Attack on Romney
A Florida televangelist dismissed criticism that he is illegally mixing religion and politics by telling followers that a vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, "is a vote for Satan."
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate St. Petersburg-based evangelist Bill Keller, who has used his online columns and late night TV show to assert that Romney is not a Christian because he belongs to the Mormon church.
The group says Keller's anti-Romney rants violate federal tax law, and it wants the IRS to look into revoking the tax-exempt status of his nonprofit ministry. The law prohibits tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing candidates.
Keller, who regularly refers to the Mormon church as a cult, was unmoved by the complaint.
"I have never told anybody who to vote for or who not to vote for — ever," Keller said. "I have every right to speak on matters of life and culture, including political issues, and to educate people on the spiritual implications of those issues."
Keller writes a daily devotional published on his Web site and e-mailed to more than 2 million subscribers. His live, call-in program is televised weeknights at 1 a.m. in the Tampa market.
"Having Romney as president is no different than having a Muslim or Scientologist as president," Keller wrote in a recent column. "I'll stay home and not vote before I will vote for Satan, since if you vote for Romney you are voting for Satan!"
The Romney campaign declined to comment.
A Florida televangelist dismissed criticism that he is illegally mixing religion and politics by telling followers that a vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, "is a vote for Satan."
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate St. Petersburg-based evangelist Bill Keller, who has used his online columns and late night TV show to assert that Romney is not a Christian because he belongs to the Mormon church.
The group says Keller's anti-Romney rants violate federal tax law, and it wants the IRS to look into revoking the tax-exempt status of his nonprofit ministry. The law prohibits tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing candidates.
Keller, who regularly refers to the Mormon church as a cult, was unmoved by the complaint.
"I have never told anybody who to vote for or who not to vote for — ever," Keller said. "I have every right to speak on matters of life and culture, including political issues, and to educate people on the spiritual implications of those issues."
Keller writes a daily devotional published on his Web site and e-mailed to more than 2 million subscribers. His live, call-in program is televised weeknights at 1 a.m. in the Tampa market.
"Having Romney as president is no different than having a Muslim or Scientologist as president," Keller wrote in a recent column. "I'll stay home and not vote before I will vote for Satan, since if you vote for Romney you are voting for Satan!"
The Romney campaign declined to comment.
