Religious Leaders Offered Sermons on Sunday Designed to Break Federal Law

September 29, 2008

Religious Leaders Offered Sermons on Sunday Designed to Break Federal Law

Thirty-three pastors from across the country on Sunday attempted to break a federal tax law that forbids members of the clergy from endorsing political candidates lest their organizations lose their tax-exempt status, reports The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

The Post quotes one pastor, the Rev. Ron Johnson Jr., who said that voting for the Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama was proof of “severe moral schizophrenia.”

The actions of the 33 pastors are part of a campaign organized by the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal consortium in Arizona, hoping to spark a lawsuit that will eliminate the law that prohibits tax-exempt religious organizations from politicking. The law was set in 1954.

Although the Defense Fund says it tried to recruit both liberal and conservative pastors to take part in the campaign, most of the participants seem to be socially conservative, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Of the law, the Rev. Johnson said, “The point that the IRS says you can’t do it, I’m saying you’re wrong.”

Nancy Mathis, an Internal Revenue Service spokeswoman said, “We’re aware of recent press reports, and we’ll monitor the situation and take action as appropriate.”

(Free registration is required to view the Post article.)

Comments

You can not have it both ways.Either pay taxes and speak your mind or follow the laws on the books .

— Larry0928 Sep 29, 02:34 PM #
I find it disheartening that our own spiritual advisors have decided to show their “sense of righteousness” by breaking the law. Especially when there has been so much criminal investigation of charities in the United States breaking the laws. Such a shame that it has to come to this. What is this world coming to?

— Ken G. Sep 29, 03:00 PM #
sometimes the law needs to be broken…just a thought. and since when did paying taxes become the prerequisite to be “allowed” to speak one’s mind?

— mackj Sep 29, 03:18 PM #
The following excerpt from the Washington Post article sited above says it all:

“I have no objections to clergy taking off their robes and walking out the door of their church, synagogue or mosque and immersing themselves in political campaigns,” said Rabbi Jack Moline of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, chairman of the Interfaith Alliance board. “But a sanctuary should not be a place of political agitation on behalf of a candidate. On behalf of issues, yes. Of candidates, no.”

Clergy can and should speak to issues of faith that come up in elections, but campaigning for or against a particular candidate or party violates their tax-exempt status. It is a fine line, but an important one.

— Melissa Sep 29, 03:40 PM #
If they want to preach politics then they need to pay their taxes. They don’t get to be tax-exempt and partisan. Non-profit organizations do not have those privileges and for obvious reasons. Of course, on the hypocrisy level, it’s astonishing who these churches choose to support politically. I have never figured out their particular warped version of “on the side of life” philosophy: no choice for women who are pregnant or want to use birth control, but supporting the death penalty and war….talk about moral schizophrenia!

— Fabiana Sep 29, 05:37 PM #

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