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October 12, 2012

A Record-Setting 1,500 Pastors Deliberately Break Law, Yet Fail To Provoke IRS

Election-year Pulpit Freedom Sunday contrasts with view of most Protestant pastors, per LifeWay research.

Melissa Steffan

More than 1,500 pastors explicitly broke the law last Sunday by endorsing political candidates from the pulpit. Amid a tense election year, their participation in the annual protest "could hold more sway than in previous years," CNN reports.

Pulpit Freedom Sunday, an annual event organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly the Alliance Defense Fund), flaunts an IRS tax code restriction stating that churches risk their tax-exempt status if they endorse specific political candidates or positions on ballot issues. The aim of the event is to "provoke a challenge from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in order to file a lawsuit and have its argument out in court."

The IRS has not responded with direct legal action against churches participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday since the event began in 2008.

But the event could foster tension among the majority of Protestant pastors who believe pastors should not foray into political endorsements. New research from LifeWay indicates that "only 10 percent (of Protestant pastors) believe pastors should endorse candidates from the pulpit." LifeWay Research president Ed Stetzer noted on his blog that this percentage is down from a similar survey conducted in 2010, when 15 percent of respondents supported political endorsements by pastors.

"This is not to say that pastors approve of the IRS regulating the ability of pastors to endorse candidates," Stetzer wrote. "The question here is whether pastors SHOULD, not whether the IRS should have the POWER to keep them from doing so."

CT has previously reported on how pastors are double-daring the IRS yet punishment is unlikely, as well as the ironies of the ADF seeking punishment in order "to protect freedom".

posted by Melissa Steffan | Comments (5)

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Comments

Break the law to endorse a politician? How about you break it preaching the gospel.

Posted By: Matthew | October 12, 2012 3:46 PM

No irony at all, just a recognition that leviathan is out there watching and waiting, ever eager to pounce.

Posted By: DiverCity Jones | October 13, 2012 7:51 AM

Technically, these pastors did not break the law. This IRS ruling only specifies the requirements for tax-exempt status; it does not make political endorsements illegal, it makes them costly.

Posted By: James Aist | October 13, 2012 10:40 AM

I am in favor of removing the Johnson Amendment in the tax code related to non-profits. I believe it contradicts the 1st Amendment.

Also, I think non-profits, including churches, need to communicate about the substantial reasons the tax exemption is warranted. We relieve suffering. We feed the poor. We promote the healing of relationships and families. With the message and actions of Jesus we help people recover from the broken experiences in their lives. The work of the body of Christ is vital to a stable and healthy society. I recommend NT Wright's How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels. In it he makes the case that Christianity has allowed the government to take over our role in relieving human suffering. IMHO, the government is a very inadequate replacement for the church in this regard.

Lastly, though I am in favor of removing the Johnson Amendment, I am NOT in favor of pastors endorsing specific candidates from the pulpit or stage. I think we should teach and proclaim the Gospel. I think we should apply the Gospel to every aspect of human life, and that includes political issues. But I believe endorsing candidates divides the Body of Christ. Teaching the Gospel should unite the Body of Christ. Some in the Body of Christ lean right, some lean left. The Gospel is much more powerful at keeping us Christ-focused rather than candidate-focused which is more likely to transforms our thinking and our vote.

Posted By: Kurt Oheim | October 14, 2012 8:17 AM

I think that pulpit freedom Sunday is beautiful and in the great traditions of freedom and religion. I hope it expands and I will tell a my pastor friends to participate. It's pathetic that "Christians" think unity is more important than calling out a president who believes its ok to butcher unborn children and wants you to pay for it. Personally I'd love to know which "Christians" support such an evil man. It would make it easier to know who to stay away from.

Posted By: Kellan | November 3, 2012 10:46 PM

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