Church Life

Bills Would Unmuzzle Churches in Politics

Legislation would allow houses of worship to directly engage in politics without losing tax-exempt status

Two bills pending in Congress would allow churches to engage directly in partisan political activity without risking their tax-exempt status.

“It’s obvious to anyone with half a brain that the free speech of pastors has been limited” by federal restrictions enacted in 1954, D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church told a House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee on May 14.

Conversely, Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told the committee that the legislation was “morally repugnant [and] politically unhealthy.”

One bill (HR 2357), which Rep. Walter Jones, R-North Carolina, initiated, would change the tax code, removing the ban on political participation by any house of worship. As of early June, the Jones bill had the support of 116 House members.

The other bill (HR 2931), sponsored by Rep. Phil Crane, R-Illinois, would allow houses of worship to spend up to 5 percent of their annual income on politics. Existing federal limits on church spending on politics are unclear.

Both bills are in the House Ways and Means Committee. Internal Revenue Service official Steven Miller said his agency has revoked the tax-exempt status of only two churches and has prosecuted “four or five” church-related agencies for violations of existing law.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Read both bills, HR 2357 and HR 2931, in full.

Christianity Today sister publication Your Church looked in 1998 at the regulations on political activity placed on churches.

Articles on the Jones bill include:

Jones would let churches address political issuesHuman Events Online (Oct. 29, 2001)

Restoring free speech to America’s churchThe Raleigh World

Also in this issue

Double Jeopardy: An interview with former Taliban hostages Heather Mercer & Dayna Curry

Cover Story

Double Jeopardy

"Watchtower Ousts Victims, Whistle-Blowers"

Prison Rape Is No Joke

Give Us Liberty

Probable First Cause

The Long View: Why I Don't Imitate Christ

How to Deal with Criminals

Remedial History

Preaching

Sheepish

Banning Banns

Christian College Denied Accreditation

Two Hostages Die In Attempted Missionary Rescue In Mindanao

Martin Burnham: Willing to Go

Ediborah Yap: The Almost-Forgotten Hero

"Stretch Pants, Beer, and Other Controversies"

From Afghanistan Aid Workers to Hostages of the Taliban

Gay Parenting On Trial

Assualt on Purity: ACLU Claims Abstinence Program has a Christian agenda.

Light Sabers and Self-Sacrifice

The Uncommon Benefits of Common Grace

How to Confront a Theocracy

Patrons of the Evangelical Mind

Why God Enjoys Baseball

Prophetic Habits of a Sociologist's Heart

Contraception

News

Go Figure

Assualt on Purity: How Effective Are Abstinence Programs?

Power Shift: Canadian Alliance replaces lightning rod Stockwell Day.

Cuba No Es Libre

Jesus for President

Quotation Marks

Is Male-Only Ordination Illegal?

Buffy's Religion

Seat Belt Salvation

View issue

Our Latest

Inside the Ministry

The Next Generation Is Ready. Are We?

See how CT is investing in the next generation of the Church—and how you can, too.

The CDC Listened to Vaccine-Hesitant Moms in My Living Room

I was surprised to find myself hosting an off-the-record chat with people worlds apart on public health. But I hope that night was a seed of something new.

The Russell Moore Show

Listener question: Why Aren’t Christians Engaging in Humanitarian Aid?

Russell takes a listener’s question about the crisis of humanitarian aid and why Christians are not stepping in to help.

New Archbishop of Canterbury Steps into Anglican Divides

Conservatives call on Sarah Mullally, the first woman at the spiritual helm of the Church of England, to uphold biblical faith amid same-sex blessings debate.

News

FDA Approves Generic Abortion Pill

Students for Life leader calls the move “a stain on the Trump presidency.”

You Haven’t Heard Worship Music like This

John Van Deusen’s praise is hard-won and occasionally wordless.

The Russell Moore Show

BONUS: Lecrae on Reconstruction after Disillusionment

 Lecrae joins Russell Moore to take questions from Christianity Today subscribers

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube