Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump promised to work to repeal prohibitions on religious institutions’ taking positions on election candidates in the pulpit. “Their voice has been taken away,” Mr. Trump said. “I am going to work very hard to repeal that language and to protect free speech for all Americans.” IRS rules prohibit tax-exempt churches from “participat[ing] in, or interven[ing] in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”(LifeSiteNews, July 22, 2016, by Ben Johnson)
In real time, the IRS stopped enforcing the law called the Johnson Amendment named after then Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, the main force behind its passage. Under the 1954 amendment pastors have always been able to talk freely about other issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. (Religion News Service, July 22, 2016, by Mark Silk)
Many pastors have suspended their advocacy of candidates in exchange for tax-exempt status, but the Christian right wants this to end to build a powerful political machine channeling campaign donations through tax-exempt churches free of government regulations, a possibility that disturbs those working for election finance transparency. (MSNBC, July 22, 2016, by Steve Benen)