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First Baptist Dallas pastor warns of IRS overreach in linking 'biblical beliefs with prohibited political speech'
It’s “none of the government’s business” to regulate the content of sermons that pastors preach from the pulpit, Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas told a White House religious liberty panel Wednesday.
In testimony before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission, Jeffress and First Baptist Dallas Senior Executive Pastor Ben Lovvorn shared their experience with the IRS during a controversial church tax inquiry in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.
Jeffress’ statement to the Commission included comments he initially shared with his congregation on Sunday, in which he recounted how the atheist legal organization Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a complaint with the IRS after former Vice President Mike Pence and then-HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson shared their faith testimonies of “how they came to know Jesus as Savior” at Jeffress’ church in June 2020.
“It's interesting that we did not hear anything from the IRS for 11 months and four months after Joe Biden became president, Jeffress told the panel Wednesday. “It was on May 6, 2021, that the IRS informed our church that they were initiating an inquiry into the tax-exempt status of our church because of our patriotic service.”
Continued below.
www.christianpost.com
It’s “none of the government’s business” to regulate the content of sermons that pastors preach from the pulpit, Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas told a White House religious liberty panel Wednesday.
In testimony before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission, Jeffress and First Baptist Dallas Senior Executive Pastor Ben Lovvorn shared their experience with the IRS during a controversial church tax inquiry in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.
Jeffress’ statement to the Commission included comments he initially shared with his congregation on Sunday, in which he recounted how the atheist legal organization Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a complaint with the IRS after former Vice President Mike Pence and then-HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson shared their faith testimonies of “how they came to know Jesus as Savior” at Jeffress’ church in June 2020.
“It's interesting that we did not hear anything from the IRS for 11 months and four months after Joe Biden became president, Jeffress told the panel Wednesday. “It was on May 6, 2021, that the IRS informed our church that they were initiating an inquiry into the tax-exempt status of our church because of our patriotic service.”
Continued below.
'None of the government's business' what pastors preach on Sundays, Robert Jeffress tells DOJ religious liberty panel
It s none of the government s business to regulate the content of sermons that pastors preach from the pulpit, Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas told a White House religious liberty
www.christianpost.com
