2008 Woodie Awards
33 religious leaders break the law
IRS restricts church officials from taking part in national elections
Indie Huffman
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: The Weekly
Pastor Luke Emrich prepared his sermon knowing that he was inviting an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. The message was: Thou shalt vote according to the scriptures.
"I'm telling you straight up, I would choose life," Emrich told about 100 worshippers Sunday at New Life Church, a nondenominational evangelical congregation about 40 miles from Milwaukee.
"I would cast a vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin," he said. "But friends, it's your choice to make; it's not my choice. I won't be in the voting booth with you."
Pastor Jody Hice of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bethlehem, Ga., said in an interview Sunday that his sermon compared Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain on abortion and gay marriage and concluded that McCain "holds more to a biblical world view."
He said he urged the Southern Baptist congregation to vote for McCain.
Thirty-three pastors in 22 states disobeyed federal regulations and defied IRS regulations standing at their pulpits Sunday. They were not to make recommendations or suggestions about political candidates during worship, but the pastors wrote sermons with the basis of a biblical evaluation of each candidate.
All of it was arranged by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund with the intent to set off a legal fight in order to get rid of restrictions on churches' participation in politics.
The law states that tax-exempt organizations will not spend a "substantial part of activities in carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation."
That line was added to the tax code with no intention of targeting religious groups; it was intended to deny tax exemption to bogus organizations that use religion to circulate a certain agenda.
Houses of worship are not allowed to intervene in political campaigns whether for or against.
In 1954, U.S. Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson added to the code. His law rejected tax exemptions to organizations that take part in any political campaign, no matter what is said on behalf of the candidate.
On Sunday, preachers and congregations staged a "Come and get us!" program called "Pulpit Freedom Sunday."
Preachers in the name of "pulpit freedom" made announcements that they would overtly defy the IRS.
The IRS tries to be non-partisan and fair in efforts to keep the law enforced.
Some people argue that if a church wants to endorse a candidate, it should have the right, but if this law is disobeyed or violated, organizations risk losing their tax-exempt status.
Others argue that this is unnecessary, weak, and unlikely to succeed.
"I'm telling you straight up, I would choose life," Emrich told about 100 worshippers Sunday at New Life Church, a nondenominational evangelical congregation about 40 miles from Milwaukee.
"I would cast a vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin," he said. "But friends, it's your choice to make; it's not my choice. I won't be in the voting booth with you."
Pastor Jody Hice of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bethlehem, Ga., said in an interview Sunday that his sermon compared Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain on abortion and gay marriage and concluded that McCain "holds more to a biblical world view."
He said he urged the Southern Baptist congregation to vote for McCain.
Thirty-three pastors in 22 states disobeyed federal regulations and defied IRS regulations standing at their pulpits Sunday. They were not to make recommendations or suggestions about political candidates during worship, but the pastors wrote sermons with the basis of a biblical evaluation of each candidate.
All of it was arranged by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund with the intent to set off a legal fight in order to get rid of restrictions on churches' participation in politics.
The law states that tax-exempt organizations will not spend a "substantial part of activities in carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation."
That line was added to the tax code with no intention of targeting religious groups; it was intended to deny tax exemption to bogus organizations that use religion to circulate a certain agenda.
Houses of worship are not allowed to intervene in political campaigns whether for or against.
In 1954, U.S. Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson added to the code. His law rejected tax exemptions to organizations that take part in any political campaign, no matter what is said on behalf of the candidate.
On Sunday, preachers and congregations staged a "Come and get us!" program called "Pulpit Freedom Sunday."
Preachers in the name of "pulpit freedom" made announcements that they would overtly defy the IRS.
The IRS tries to be non-partisan and fair in efforts to keep the law enforced.
Some people argue that if a church wants to endorse a candidate, it should have the right, but if this law is disobeyed or violated, organizations risk losing their tax-exempt status.
Others argue that this is unnecessary, weak, and unlikely to succeed.
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