July 08, 2025
Ending a Taxing Situation
Timothy Birdnow
I would say this is wonderful but given the sorry state of churches these days and their wokeness it may be a disaster for us.
Trump’s IRS Says Churches Can Endorse Political Candidates Without Losing Tax Status
The de-politicization of churches began during the Lyndon Johnson when he was in the Senate. Johnson - and the Democrats - were being hurt very badly by churches, especially in the South. He took action, giving a new tax credit to churches PROVIDED they stay far away from politics. Money talks, in fact it seduces and most churches took the cash over their souls. The end result is Christianity, which had been a powerful force in public life, withered and became an impotent social club.
Trump is trying to reverse this but I fear after generations of liberalism infesting most churches it will probably work to the benefit of the Demo-left, not Middle America. The endorsements will all go to Democrats.
I know the Catholic Church will endorse whoever the donks put up.
FTA:
Well, they generally don't bother with it when it comes to LIBERAL churches. Right wing churches have been another matter, at least to some degree.
There is a reason why Catholic bishops do not deny Nancy Pelosi or AOC Communion; it's not because they don't want to chase them off. By canon law both are ex-communicated, meaning tehy may not receive Holy Communion because they are in an open state of sin - advocatting for abortions. This is one of the most condemned positions a Catholic can take and it is grounds for ex-communication. (Actually they ARE excommunicated but the Church is fearful of saying so lest they get in trouble with the IRS.)
Now at least the Church can ex-communicate them. But will they? I doubt it at this point, what with the Left solidly in control of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
But it's still a good thing, one long overdue. Maybe we can start to restore the churches to where they should be - arbiters of moral decency. The social club approach to Christianity has done nothing but make the churches a quaint and archaic institution from a bygone age.
I would say this is wonderful but given the sorry state of churches these days and their wokeness it may be a disaster for us.
Trump’s IRS Says Churches Can Endorse Political Candidates Without Losing Tax Status
The de-politicization of churches began during the Lyndon Johnson when he was in the Senate. Johnson - and the Democrats - were being hurt very badly by churches, especially in the South. He took action, giving a new tax credit to churches PROVIDED they stay far away from politics. Money talks, in fact it seduces and most churches took the cash over their souls. The end result is Christianity, which had been a powerful force in public life, withered and became an impotent social club.
Trump is trying to reverse this but I fear after generations of liberalism infesting most churches it will probably work to the benefit of the Demo-left, not Middle America. The endorsements will all go to Democrats.
I know the Catholic Church will endorse whoever the donks put up.
FTA:
The IRS made clear its stance on churches endorsing political candidates in front of their congregations, saying in a court filing on Monday that houses of worship are free to push political candidates from the pulpit without fear of losing their tax-exempt status.
The IRS clarification came in a lawsuit court filing after two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters sued, seeking an exemption from the ban on churches endorsing political candidates, The New York Times reported. While the plaintiffs sought a carve-out for all nonprofits, the IRS agreed in a court filing to allow churches to endorse candidates without penalty.
According to the IRS, the Johnson Amendment — which has been part of the U.S. tax code since 1954 — does not prohibit a church from communicating with its congregants about its preferred political candidates, comparing such endorsements to "a family discussion concerning candidates.”
"Thus, communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted,” the agency wrote in the court filing.
The IRS added that it has long refrained from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against churches "for speech concerning electoral politics in the context of worship services.” For several years, pastors from around the country organized to test the tax code during "Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” The Washington Post reported. The IRS only launched one investigation stemming from "Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” and the agency did not punish any churches.
The IRS clarification came in a lawsuit court filing after two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters sued, seeking an exemption from the ban on churches endorsing political candidates, The New York Times reported. While the plaintiffs sought a carve-out for all nonprofits, the IRS agreed in a court filing to allow churches to endorse candidates without penalty.
According to the IRS, the Johnson Amendment — which has been part of the U.S. tax code since 1954 — does not prohibit a church from communicating with its congregants about its preferred political candidates, comparing such endorsements to "a family discussion concerning candidates.”
"Thus, communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted,” the agency wrote in the court filing.
The IRS added that it has long refrained from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against churches "for speech concerning electoral politics in the context of worship services.” For several years, pastors from around the country organized to test the tax code during "Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” The Washington Post reported. The IRS only launched one investigation stemming from "Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” and the agency did not punish any churches.
Well, they generally don't bother with it when it comes to LIBERAL churches. Right wing churches have been another matter, at least to some degree.
There is a reason why Catholic bishops do not deny Nancy Pelosi or AOC Communion; it's not because they don't want to chase them off. By canon law both are ex-communicated, meaning tehy may not receive Holy Communion because they are in an open state of sin - advocatting for abortions. This is one of the most condemned positions a Catholic can take and it is grounds for ex-communication. (Actually they ARE excommunicated but the Church is fearful of saying so lest they get in trouble with the IRS.)
Now at least the Church can ex-communicate them. But will they? I doubt it at this point, what with the Left solidly in control of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
But it's still a good thing, one long overdue. Maybe we can start to restore the churches to where they should be - arbiters of moral decency. The social club approach to Christianity has done nothing but make the churches a quaint and archaic institution from a bygone age.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
10:51 AM
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1
So there's hope. Wonderful! And this is spearheaded by a man whom we didn't think was all that much of a Christian in the beginning. We might have been misled, the wrong way. The Lord works His wonders many ways!
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at July 08, 2025 11:37 PM (aCRYX)
2
Tim, this post is a duplicate.
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at July 08, 2025 11:54 PM (aCRYX)
3
Good; you deleted the duplicate.
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at July 10, 2025 12:50 AM (djD2v)
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