Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Today Is Pulpit Freedom Sunday
Today is Alliance Defense Fund's annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday, devoted to overturning provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that bar non-profit organizations (including churches) from endorsing or opposing candidates for any political office. An FAQ document explaining the initiative says that participating pastors today will preach a sermon "discussing the intersection of the political realm with scriptural Truth." ADF promises to represent, free of charge, churches or pastors under investigation by the IRS as a result. Friday's New York Times, reporting on this year's plans, says that participating ministers plan to send tapes of their sermons to the IRS, inviting a challenge. None of the churches which sent tapes in past years have been pursued by the IRS. ADF traces the history of the ban on political involvement to a 1954 Internal Revenue Code amendment pushed by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson to keep two Texas non-profits from supporting his opponent.