David Barton, Founder and President of WallBuilders, explains why the IRS is not pursuing pastors who defiantly preach from the pulpit in manner that is claimed to risk the church's tax exempt status: Experts believe the IRS would lose in court, and the entire regulation would then be null and void.
" . . . contrary to the misunderstandings of many, tax-exempt status is not a 'gift' or 'subsidy' bestowed by the government."
-- From "Pulpit Freedom Sunday - Sept. 28, 2010" Alliance Defense Fund
Pastors participating in the Alliance Defense Fund’s “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” will preach from their pulpits Sept. 28 about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office. The pastors will exercise their First Amendment right to preach on the subject, despite federal tax regulations that prohibit intervening or participating in a political campaign.
“Pastors have a right to speak about Biblical truths from the pulpit without fear of punishment. No one should be able to use the government to intimidate pastors into giving up their constitutional rights,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. “If you have a concern about pastors speaking about electoral candidates from the pulpit, ask yourself this: should the church decide that question, or should the IRS?”
“ADF is not trying to get politics into the pulpit. Churches can decide for themselves that they either do or don’t want their pastors to speak about electoral candidates. The point of the Pulpit Initiative is very simple: the IRS should not be the one making the decision by threatening to revoke a church’s tax-exempt status. We need to get the government out of the pulpit,” said Stanley.
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Also read IRS Ruling Ensures Clergy Freedom to Preach on Election Matters
