IRS may no longer be able to silence pastors if this act passes

Michie · Apr 12, 2025

In 2020, Pastor Gary Hamrick of a Virginia church faced penalties from the IRS for what was deemed a political sermon. His infraction? Attempting to align presidential candidates’ policy positions with biblical teachings. The regulation at the heart of this controversy — the Johnson Amendment — bars tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from political speech. In reality, it's a tool used to silence moral voices in the public square.

This fear of government retaliation is precisely why many conservative pastors avoid speaking out on critical moral issues — be it abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender ideology, or euthanasia. The threat of losing tax-exempt status and vital ministry funding is enough to muzzle even the boldest voices.

Violating the Johnson Amendment can mean organizational ruin. It threatens churches with financial death for stepping into the political arena with moral clarity. And while the IRS claims impartiality, recent legal action reveals a different picture. A lawsuit filed by the National Religious Broadcasters, two churches, and a nonprofit, alleged that the IRS has never penalized left-leaning nonprofits, while conservative groups face disproportionate scrutiny.

Continued below.

IRS may no longer be able to silence pastors if this act passes

The Church is meant to inform public morality, not be punished for it

www.christianpost.com

BobRyan · Apr 12, 2025

The optimistic result would be to allow the church to have a moral POV promoted even in cases where some political agenda opposes that moral POV - or favors it.

But the flip side to that coin is that the church would start to apply religious tests on political speech, or would employ the state to enforce its religious doctrinal POV on the public. For example we would not want religious POV on infant baptism or believer's baptism to become a criterion for holding secular office.

Yarddog · Apr 12, 2025

Michie said:
In 2020, Pastor Gary Hamrick of a Virginia church faced penalties from the IRS for what was deemed a political sermon. His infraction? Attempting to align presidential candidates’ policy positions with biblical teachings. The regulation at the heart of this controversy — the Johnson Amendment — bars tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from political speech. In reality, it's a tool used to silence moral voices in the public square.

This fear of government retaliation is precisely why many conservative pastors avoid speaking out on critical moral issues — be it abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender ideology, or euthanasia. The threat of losing tax-exempt status and vital ministry funding is enough to muzzle even the boldest voices.

Violating the Johnson Amendment can mean organizational ruin. It threatens churches with financial death for stepping into the political arena with moral clarity. And while the IRS claims impartiality, recent legal action reveals a different picture. A lawsuit filed by the National Religious Broadcasters, two churches, and a nonprofit, alleged that the IRS has never penalized left-leaning nonprofits, while conservative groups face disproportionate scrutiny.

Continued below.

IRS may no longer be able to silence pastors if this act passes

The Church is meant to inform public morality, not be punished for it

www.christianpost.com

Conservatives are more likely to cry foul than other groups. The Johnson amendment allows churches and other organizations to be free of taxation. It doesn't restrict them from preaching the Gospel, in the least.

KevinT · Apr 12, 2025

Michie said:
In 2020, Pastor Gary Hamrick of a Virginia church faced penalties from the IRS for what was deemed a political sermon. His infraction? Attempting to align presidential candidates’ policy positions with biblical teachings.

I am fully in support of separation of church and state. History is full of examples of bad things that happen when the line between these is blurred. I don't understand the details of the Hamrick case, but I can imagine a powerful church denomination becoming a political party and all the harm that would cause.

To my understanding, pastors are free to condemn something, for example lying. But if they then say, "Don't you dare vote for candidate X because he is a liar," then this crosses the line into no longer being a non-political organization. They are free to continue this advice, but they can't also claim the church tax-exempt benefits traditionally given to churches.

KT

Search

Search

IRS may no longer be able to silence pastors if this act passes

Michie

Well-Known Member