All around the country today, pastors are speaking out on politics from the pulpit. Many will videotape their sermons, and mail them to the IRS.
Since passage of the Johnson Amendment in 1954, the IRS has banned political advocacy by tax-exempt non-profit organizations, including churches. This law has obviously been ignored flagrantly by the left. The law has been a real hinderance to conservative Christians-- i.e. Christians who obey the law-- who have tried to exercise their rights in our democracy.
The Johnson Amendment is obviously unconstitutional. The government has no authority to ban political speech from churches, using the threat of taxation. The law will not survive judicial review.
There are several thousand lawyers who have agreed to represent the churches, and the hope is to get this to court and get this unconstitutional law dumped.
We need the voices of all our Christian citizens participating fully in our democracy.
There is no "right not to be taxed". If this were challenged in Court, the Churches would lose. Badly.
ReplyDeleteThere is a right (free speech clause) not to be punished by taxation for political speech.
DeleteOtherwise, when we conservatives take congress and the presidency, we could pass a law taxing liberal speech.
Heh.
This is clearly a speech tax. If it's upheld, we can safely say that the court doesn't give a hoot about the Constitution. I'm not surprised that Anonymous is not standing up for our freedom. Typical.
DeleteBen
No, this is a voluntary status: if a church wants to speak on political matters, then they pay taxes like everyone else. But churches who voluntarily choose to seek and obtain non-profit (and thus tax free) status are expected to abide by those rules. There is no right to a tax free status.
DeleteNo one made these churches choose to operate as non-profit organizations. They made that decision of their own choice.
@anon:
DeleteCould you point me to comments you've made insisting the Rev. Wright's church be taxed?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAH!
DeleteSo, if I just agree to never again express a political opinion, I can forever after escape taxation?
Who knew it was so simple, and staring us right in the face all this time?
Anonymous,
DeleteYes, it's voluntary. They can choose to maintain the full measure of their constitutional rights. They'll just be taxed for it. Hey, if you'd like to have rights, you have to pay us. If you don't, no charge.
That's called a speech tax. A voluntary speech tax, but a speech tax no less.
How do you feel about poll taxes? Isn't being a voter a voluntary status? Hey, if you'd like to vote, you can pay us. Non-voting is still free. Your choice.
So what if everyone else pays taxes? Everyone else isn't required to keep their mouth shut.
This law, besides being unconstitutional, also serves no purpose whatsoever other than to protect politicians' backsides. They don't want heat from the pulpit so they came up with this scheme.
Anon, you're a little fascist. I hope no one ever allows you anywhere near a bench or a gavel.
Ben
Democrats campaign openly from the pulpits at black churches. No one does anything.
ReplyDeleteThen churches lose their tax exempt status for criticizing Bill Clinton.
http://publiceye.org/body_politic/news/irs90331.htm
Also, Anon:
ReplyDeleteThe president of Planned Parenthood, an alleged non-profit organization, is campaigning for Barack Obama. The organization itself endorsed him in May.
So I guess non-profits aren't restricted. Just churches. Other types of non-profits can endorse candidates all they want.
Ben
Ben,
DeleteGreat point. The reality is that Dems are terrified of the political and cultural influence of Christianity, and that explains a lot of their machinations.
After all, they booed God at their recent convention.