Action Alert from The United Church of Christ.
Under current IRS (Internal Revenue Service) code, houses of worship are banned from participating in any partisan political activities, such as endorsing or opposing candidates or using their tax-exempt donations to further partisan political campaigns.
Over the last two years, conservative leaders in the House of Representatives have sought to change IRS code to allow houses of worship to engage in partisan political activity and retain their tax-exempt status. Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act (H.R. 235), with 180 cosponsors, which would lift the ban on partisan political activity. Reversing the ban would be a step backward for religious liberty and the institutional separation of church and state.
Rep. Jones and other congressional leaders are communicating misleading statements to the public about current law and what H.R. 235 will do. Here is an example of such misleading statements: "The truth is simple: pastors, priests, rabbis and clerics are forbidden to speak out on any topic that could be deemed to be 'politically partisan.'"
This statement is not true. Religious leaders can speak out from the pulpit and as an officer of the church on any public policy issue. Passionate sermons regarding justice and peace, for example, are heard in houses of worship all over the United States and are never challenged unless they cross the line and say something like, "...and therefore vote for candidate X and against candidate Y." H.R. 253 is bad public policy for houses of worship and for the political process.
Witnessing to our faith is a crucial responsibility for Christians, and we are fortunate that the First Amendment to the Constitution protects our religious liberty to speak on issues of faith and conscience. Christians and other people of faith should be encouraged to become involved in the public policy discourse to lead our society toward more just and humane policies. In doing so, houses of worship should play by the same rules as other 501(c)3 organizations and not misuse their tax-exempt status for partisan political purposes.
Contact your representative and urge her/him to oppose H.R. 235. To send a letter log on to, http://www.ucctakeaction.org/ctt.asp?u=6223&l=9964
