With all the talk and news on the Alliance Defense Fund's (ADF) Pulpit Freedom Sunday effort to regain constitutional freedom of speech and freedom of religion for America's pastors and churches, it should be noted that America's pastors don't even have to join this courageous effort to still speak out and be effective in the upcoming election.
In other words, pastors and churches can do so even without putting their tax exempt status on the line as these churches have done.
As LifeSiteNews points out,
Pastors and church leaders do not need to violate IRS regulations on political activity in order to impact the 2008 elections. There are a wide variety of permissible activities that will activate voters and encourage them to vote according to biblical values.
While churches may not endorse or oppose candidates for elective office, pastors can preach on biblical and moral issues, such as abortion and traditional marriage, can urge the congregation to register and vote, and can overview the positions of the candidates. Churches may distribute nonpartisan voter guides, register voters, provide transportation to the polls, hold candidate forums, and introduce visiting candidates.
In 1954, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson sponsored and succeeded in passing a tax code amendment which prohibited tax exempt organizations from endorsing or speaking against political candidates (not ballot issues). Johnson did this to muzzle his critics who worked in tax exempt organizations. It was a violation of the Constitution then...it's a violation of the Constitution now.
And while Pulpit Freedom Sunday was about challenging this unconstitutional violation of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, churches and pastors have never been restricted from holding voter registration drives and speaking out on ballot issues such as South Dakota's pro-life Initiated Measure 11.
In 2006, Gary McCaleb from the Alliance Defense Fund visited several cities in South Dakota to provide information to pastors on what they could do without even violating the 1954 tax code amendment.
I attended the meeting in Rapid City that year, and here is an excerpt of what I wrote about it:
Today in Rapid City, McCaleb told a filled room of 60 Black Hills area pastors and church leaders, “What they are saying is that you can lose your tax exemption as a church if you speak out on the abortion ban, or the gambling issue if it comes up, or in favor of marriage. I’ve come up from Arizona...to tell you very directly that this is absolutely inaccurate, wrong, false information. If you speak out even directly from your pulpit and tell your people to vote in favor of the marriage amendment, or vote in favor of the abortion ban, that is not going to put your tax exemption at risk.”
McCaleb also said churches may use an “insubstantial portion of your ministry resources to directly lobby on legislative matters like these [marriage and abortion] laws.” He said this is at least 5% of the total ministry value (not just the church budget, but the value of volunteer labor, and all the things that go into the ministry) on direct lobbying; this can involve buying yard signs, advertising, holding public rallies and such to encourage others to support legislation. McCaleb said some courts have said it is permissible to go up to 15-20%, but he advised 5% as a completely safe figure. Churches can also financially support the work of groups like the South Dakota Family Policy Council, VoteYesForLife.com and others, as long as reporting procedures are followed.
McCaleb said, “If anybody tells you differently, find out what they are quoting and give me a call. I guarantee you they are wrong. They are spreading misinformation. They are trying to silence the church.”
If a church is acting within what is allowed by law, but a complaint is filed against them for violating the tax code, McCaleb said the Alliance Defense Fund would help defend them at no cost. He said they exist to support Christians doing their work in defense of the Gospel.
So pastors and churches of South Dakota: even if the bluster from the secularists over Pulpit Freedom Sunday may have intimidated you a little bit, don't let that cause you to hesitate a second about getting your church members registered so they can vote their values, and about standing 100% for Initiated Measure 11.
With 84.6% of the abortions being performed in South Dakota because "the mother did not desire to have the child," this measure could save hundreds of lives.
Pastors, your people need to know that. And they need to be encouraged to vote their values.
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