More than 1,500 pastors explicitly broke the law last Sunday by endorsing political candidates from the pulpit. Amid a tense election year, their participation in the annual protest "could hold more sway than in previous years," CNN reports.

Pulpit Freedom Sunday, an annual event organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly the Alliance Defense Fund), flaunts an IRS tax code restriction stating that churches risk their tax-exempt status if they endorse specific political candidates or positions on ballot issues. The aim of the event is to "provoke a challenge from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in order to file a lawsuit and have its argument out in court."

The IRS has not responded with direct legal action against churches participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday since the event began in 2008.

But the event could foster tension among the majority of Protestant pastors who believe pastors should not foray into political endorsements. New research from LifeWay ...

You have reached the end of this Article Preview

To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access.

Log InSubscribe

Already a CT subscriber? Log in for full digital access.