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

Being Human

Airport Anxiety and Purposeful Publishing with Joy Allmond

CT’s executive editor learned to care for people as a 9/11-era flight attendant.

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