Blog: IRS Will Monitor Churches
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) should really be renamed “The Freedom From Christianity Foundation,” since its primary target is the Christian faith – although in the past they also have demanded the removal of the Star of David from a Holocaust memorial. They must not know who the primary targets of the Nazis were anymore than they know the Christian history of the establishment of this nation.
Back in 2012 they sued the IRS demanding that they more closely monitor the words being spoken from America’s pulpits, just to be sure no pastor, priest or churchgoer dared say anything construed as political from the pulpit. Our “courageous” Internal Revenue Service caved and settled the case agreeing with the atheist group that churches should be monitored. Of course, we can only guess what methods will be used since all details of the settlement are being kept hush hush.
Just how do the FFRF and the IRS define “political?” Would quoting Psalm 139:13 — “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” or Matthew 19 where Jesus quotes from Genesis 2 when defining marriage be considered “political?” Would addressing any of the politicized social issues be consider political speech? We may soon find out! Although, some indication may be revealed on FFRF’s website when they describe the situation as “compelling the Internal Revenue Service to resume doing its job by policing tax-exempt churches.”
Currently, even a church with a 501(c)(3) designation has the right to address social issues from a Biblical perspective. They can hold candidate forums, non-partisan voter registration drives and provide non-partisan voter guides. However, they cannot endorse or oppose candidates. Church pastors do not lose their First Amendment rights, at least not until now. The FFRF calls all concerns about the loss of free speech “scaremongering.” We’ll know in a few months!
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