Alliance Defense Fund video says more pastors today should emulate the political activism of John Witherspoon |
The White House is not about to step in between Christian pastors in America and their pulpits, as spokewoman Dana Perino offered a distinct "no comment" to questions about a new campaign that calls for more spiritual leaders to emulate the political and social activism of early national leaders like John Witherspoon.
The questions were raised by Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House, at today's news briefing.
He said, "I have two questions on the president's views on internal revenue. The Alliance Defense Fund is challenging the 1954 amendment to the Internal Revenue Code, which says that nonprofit tax-exempt entities, including churches, 'may not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any political candidate.' And my question, first: Does the president agree or disagree with this pastoral prohibition on U.S. citizens?"
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Perino was gentle in her response: "I don't know how to answer it. Why don't we go to your next question."
So Kinsolving continued, "How does the president, as a devout Christian, belief this rule would have applied to public statements of denunciation of such political parties as the Pharisees and Sadducees?"
"If I couldn't answer the first one, what makes you think I can answer the second the second one? … I'm going to decline to answer," she said.
The Alliance Defense Fund announced earlier this year is it trying to set up a challenge to the Internal Revenue Service' regulation regarding pastors.
At the time the effort was announced, ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley said, "Pastors have a right to speak about biblical values 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.
"The government can’t demand that a church give up its right to tax-exempt status simply because the pastor exercises his First Amendment rights in the pulpit. Groups like Americans United intentionally trigger IRS investigations that will silence churches through fear, intimidation, and disinformation," he said.
"Prior to 1954, churches were free to evaluate the positions of political candidates on moral issues without fear of the Internal Revenue Service revoking their tax-exempt status. That year, then-Senator Lyndon Johnson amended the tax code to add the threat of IRS action against churches if their pastors mentioned the positions of specific candidates from the pulpit. Citing that rule, groups like [Americans United] have repeatedly threatened to report churches to the IRS if they speak out on such issues," the ADF said.
Other tax-exempt organizations, such as civic leagues; labor, agricultural, or horticultural associations; business leagues; chambers of commerce; real estate boards; boards of trade; professional football leagues; clubs organized for pleasure, recreation, and other nonprofit purposes; fraternal beneficiary societies; and cemeteries don't have the same restrictions as churches, the ADF said.
"The intimidation of churches by leftist groups using the IRS has grown to a point that ADF has no choice but to respond," Stanley said at the time. "The number of threats being reported to ADF is growing because of the aggressive campaign to unlawfully silence the church. IRS rules don’t trump the Constitution, and the First Amendment certainly trumps the Johnson amendment."
Pastors who are interested in the issues the organization's Pulpit Initiative also are being provided specific information about the ADF's plans to pursue the "right to hear and speak the Truth."
Kinsolving previously had addressed the issue in his column for WND.
In it, he cited a message from Rev. John W. Yates II, clergyman for The Falls Church near Washington.
Yates cited the "movement" afoot to have pastors "preach politics."
The law banning pastors from commenting "has always troubled me," he continued.
"I'm skeptical about the government's authority to dictate to the church in this way. There is a cultural elitism in America that would like to keep religion privately comforting but publicly irrelevant! But if our biblical faith does not inform and shape our thinking on public policy and guide us in whom to vote for, we are simply failing in our responsibility as followers of Christ. We won't always agree with one another, but it is unthinkable that followers of Christ wouldn't evaluate candidates policies in light of the Word of God. I don't plan to break the law next Sunday. But I could envision a time arising when I would feel that I would be disobeying God not to speak to you about some political issue or election."
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