Its about time that some national organization stood up against the unconstitutional decrees of the IRS. If the IRS wants to go to court on this issue lets go at it. The IRS will lose. The fact that no one has ever lost tax-exempt status for what they preached from the pulpit is evidence that they do not want a court fight. They would just rather bully everyone into compliance. It is time that this self censorship by Christians stopped and now you have a national organization that will defend you if the IRS revokes your tax-exempt status.
Pastors called to defy IRS censorship rules
Christian pastors should stop censoring themselves in fear of an “unconstitutional” 1954 provision in the IRS code that has threatened to eliminate their church tax-exempt status if they speak out against positions held by political candidates, urges a leading legal alliance.
The Alliance Defense Fund today announced a new initiative that will challenge the IRS ban on political comment from churches and their pastors.
“Churches have for too long feared the loss of tax exempt status arising from speech in the pulpit addressing candidates for office,” the ADF’s white paper on the campaign confirmed. “Rather than risk confrontation, pastors have self-censored their speech, ignoring blatant immorality in government and foregoing the opportunities to praise moral government leaders.
“ADF believes that IRS restrictions on religious expression from the pulpit, whenever the IRS characterizes it as ‘political,’ is unconstitutional. After 50 years of threats and intimidation, churches should confront the IRS directly and reclaim the expressive rights guaranteed to them in the United States Constitution,” the group said.
Another thing these churches could do is forgo the use of the tax-exempt status. You know “render to Cesar the things that are Cesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). Then you can say what ever you want and there is nothing the IRS can do or threaten to do. I would even say do not even have a corporation, I am sure these churches would be able to figure out how to support missions and other programs.
True, and a few have done that but the reality is that most people will not give or at least not give as much if they cannot deduct it from there income tax. So the fact of the matter is that few Christian organizations will take that route and few have the guts to speak up on which elected representatives are representing Christian views. So in the final analysis this unconstitutional law stops Christians from being informed or educated by their leaders. Better to get rid of the unconstitutional law than to lose half of your donations.
“but the reality is that most people will not give or at least not give as much if they cannot deduct it from there income tax.”
I really believe that the story about the widow’s two small copper coins being put into the temple treasury was written for right now! People do not understand that God does not need their money or their incomes. What they would receive in benefits from God far, far and far again out-weigh what benefits from the government. God provided ALL when He lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Now who wants a pair of shoes will not wear for 40 years!
True. When it really comes down to it most of the donated funds are wasted on pet projects anyway that have nothing to do with God. However, as long as we have a constitution that guarantees free speech in this country why should we let some bureaucratic IRS law take that right away from pastors? If we are willing to give up the constitution for government tyranny then the IRS will be the least of Christians problems.
If you do not plug the dike when it starts to leak you had better like water.
Amen to what you said, Don, but the government is already not listening to those of us who put them there. They want the power now, I just get the feeling that things are not headed back to a Constitutional Government by the People for the People!
I sincerely doubt it will either. We are too far gone.