- Much to the dismay of conservatives, the House of Representatives
Wednesday defeated a bill that would have allowed churches, synagogues
and other religious organizations to preach politics from the pulpit, without
jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.
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- An IRS rule imposed in 1954 banned partisan political
activity at religious institutions, including endorsements of candidates
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- Conservatives mourned over the bill's defeat while liberals
celebrated. The American Center for Law and Justice, a public interest
law firm, said the House has missed an important opportunity to protect
the free speech of religious leaders. But Americans United for Separation
of Church and State called the bill a "reckless scheme" and a
"nightmare."
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- Colby May, a senior counsel with the ACLJ, said it's
unfortunate that "it remains difficult and risky for religious leaders
to speak out on the moral and political issues of the day from the pulpit
because of the unfair and unconstitutional restrictions of the Internal
Revenue Service." The ACLJ said it would continue to work with Congress
and the courts to ensure that the First Amendment rights of ministers,
pastors and rabbis are protected.
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- In debating the bill on Tuesday, Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.)
argued in favor of lifting the political muzzle on churches: "Our
nation's pastors, priests, rabbis and clerics should be free to express
their political opinions just as any other American," he was quoted
as saying. "We should be doing everything we can to promote freedom
of speech."
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- But another Republican, Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Calif.),
reportedly said the bill would "erode the separation of church and
state, a bedrock value of our nation. In 1999, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt
status of the Christian Coalition because it distributed voter guides in
churches.
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- Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United, declared
"most Americans do not want their churches turned into smoke-filled
rooms where political deals are cut and partisan politics replaces worship.
When people put their money in the collection plate, they don't expect
it to be used for candidates' campaign literature and attack ads."
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- Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., the legislation's sponsor,
said he would continue "the fight to restore freedom of speech to
houses of worship." Jones said, regarding the IRS, that "we must
not allow a government institution to have this kind of chilling effect
on America's churches ... I believe this is a battle that can be won, and
will be won."
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- Michael Schwartz, vice president for government relations
for Concerned Women for America, agreed that the battle must continue to
be fought. "Congress was wrong 50 years ago when it empowered the
IRS to censor sermons, and it was wrong again today."
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- Schwartz said many congressmen who voted against the
bill are hypocrites, since many of them have "personally made campaign
appearances in churches." When such members "do things that they
publicly say should be illegal, you have to wonder where else they stray
from accepted standards of ethics."
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- http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200210\POL20021002h.html
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