In a move that brought the ire of left-wing advocates nationwide, the IRS recently stated in a court filing that churches can advocate for or oppose political candidates from the pulpit.
The statement from the IRS was included in a court filing related to a lawsuit against the agency by the National Religious Broadcasters, two Texas churches and the nonprofit prayer group Intercessors for America. The lawsuit challenged the so-called Johnson Amendment, a 1954 tax provision that restricts tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, from participating in political campaigns by endorsing or opposing candidates.
In the filing, the IRS agreed to a narrower definition of the Johnson Amendment, still maintaining that tax-exempt organizations were not allowed to engage in campaigning, but that a religious leader endorsing or opposing a candidate was more akin to a "a family discussion."
"[C]ommunications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted," the IRS wrote in the filing.
The IRS's statement left many left-wing advocacy groups, such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), enraged.
Alabama has faced frequent challenges from left-leaning advocacy groups, especially the FFRF, claiming the state plays fast and loose with the supposed divide between church and state due to its massive Christian population.
Other political and religious commentators, such as Eric Metaxas, who was the keynote speaker at the 1819 News-hosted Albert Patterson Gala last year, claimed the ruling stripped any excuse for cowardice from America's church leaders.
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