Today's Wall Street Journal has an editorial on how the IRS is reviewing the content of sermons to see if it deems any of them to be political in nature. Under the ungodly and probably unconstitutional 1954 Revenue Act, churches risk losing their tax exemptions if they "participate in, or intervene is... any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for political office." For years this was interpreted very conservatively and very few problems arose. But now, at the instigation of groups like Americans United for the Separation of church and State (an anti-god and anti-Christian organization), the IRS is stepping into the churches.
The problem comes in defining political issues. Churches have come under scrutiny for taking sides on issues like the Iraq War and stem-cell research. Other issues that are being considered political are abortion and same-sex marriage. These are moral issues and the government has no right to control the stands of a church or preacher on these issues. The law needs to be changed. North Carolina Representative Walter Jones has proposed legislation to get the IRS out of the business of religious political speech, but it has been stalled for six years. Be wary of this attack on the churches and be ready to contact your government officials. The United States was founded in part by preachers who spoke out on the issues of the day--all of them. Our freedoms are disappearing. We must be ready to do as the Apostle Peter proclaimed in another time of persecution: "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
