In the mid 1950's, U.S. Sen. Lyndon Johnson rammed through a bill that denied tax-exempt status to any nonprofit organization (including religious ones) that dared to become involved in the political process.
LBJ essentially put a gag order on the bully pulpit because two nonprofit organizations in Texas had campaigned against him when he ran for the U.S. Senate.
Up until then, religious leaders had been free to exercise their right of free speech. Thanks to LBJ, any religious leader could create untold costs for his church just by opening his mouth to endorse a candidate or ballot issue.
That could change, if there's a God.
:)
Pulpit politics: Pastors to defy IRS
Some plan to endorse a candidate Sunday, challenging federal rules that limit partisan activity by tax-exempt groups.
By Jane Lampman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the September 26, 2008 edition
During sermons this Sunday, some 35 pastors across the country will tell their congregations which presidential candidate they should vote for, "according to the Scriptures."
Their endorsements represent a direct challenge to federal tax law, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations from engaging in partisan political activity.
The clergy have embraced that risk, hoping their actions will trigger an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, which would then enable a Christian legal advocacy group to take the IRS to court and challenge the constitutionality of the ban.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a conservative legal group based in Arizona, recruited the pastors for "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" to press their claim that the IRS tax code violates the free speech of religious leaders.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0926/p03s02-uspo.html
