Tax-exempt?

"If churches engage in political activity they risk
losing their tax-exempt status.
We have Lyndon B. Johnson to thank for this."

In a country this size one cannot expect our lawmakers to read the whole document they are voting into law. Huh?

The reason is simple: there's only enough time to debate the main text of the new laws. If we expected debate on all the little add-ons that senators tag to the main bill they'd need a 24-month year.

Some senators are making a valiant effort to keep up with the legislative torrent that passes through the capital building, but the practice of tagging minor laws to major ones has always been fraught with danger.

In 1954 the house was wrangling over the bill to revise the tax code. In what seemed a minor addition, churches were added to section 501c3 of the tax code, making those who register, tax-exempt.

Before that houses of worship were: tax-exempt!

Who managed to slip in this amazing bit of legislation? It was a huge man who hated being opposed. He found out that two non-profit organizations had openly backed someone running against him.

Be very careful of politicians with personal axes to grind. While the tax code was being debated his amendment from the floor passed the Senate on a voice vote. It was a low moment for free speech in churches.

If churches engage in political activity they risk losing their tax-exempt status. We have Lyndon B. Johnson to thank for this. His ill-considered amendment has become a club in some hands today.

So what!? If paying taxes is what it costs the church to regain its voice as a prophet to all walks of society then so be it. I've been ashamed to hear from pastors' lips the caution against speaking out on political matters because we might loose our 501c3 privileges. Any time the church places the loss of dollars above the freedom to publicly denounce unrighteousness we sell our birthright for a plate of porridge.

A study of sermon contents in the years before nations fell into countrywide hedonism or in the days preceding nationalistic aggression will make the preachers blush.

Hear a verse from Joel 2: "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble," God's Word is like a plumbline. Call for fearless preachers to bring our nation's fashions, occupations and pleasures to be measured as a Holy God sees them.

At this point I hear nervous readers mumble that family, religion and politics should never be discussed outside the home. Yes, I know the pulpit can be abused. Petty political posturing in favor of some candidate could creep in.

Not all politics is about high moral matters, but remember, just like life, most politics stands or falls on moral issues. When an appeal for righteous laws needs to be spoken, be willing to give Caesar what is his.

It's time for a new approach. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act (H.R. 235) is: "to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect the religious free exercise and free speech rights of houses of worship."

That provision will not affect campaign finance laws under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Tell your senator to undo Mr. Johnson's mischief.

Watchfulness is one of the responsibilities of a free people.

In the above example we see what happens when we send our representatives to Washington and then with a sigh of relief kid ourselves that they can always be depended on to vote along the lines that they promised during their campaign speeches.

Here's the great strength and the subtle weakness of our political system: people as flawed and as fickle as we sometimes are rule us. What a responsibility we have! "Rulers takes pleasure in honest lips; they value those who speak the truth." Even if you know some exceptions to that rule give your lips to speaking candor. Time is your ally.