According to a recent Associated Press article, nearly 7 months after defying a prohibition on endorsing candidates from the pulpit, 33 churches across the country are still waiting to learn whether the Internal Revenue Service will take action against them. Why are these Political Action Committees given tax exempt status? My guess is there are many more than 33 churches guilty of this sort of activity.
The AP article states that "legal experts suggest a number of possibilities: The IRS has nothing to gain from a costly and mainly symbolic battle; it has limited resources; or it could still be deciding how to respond."
The clergy "urged worshippers to vote according to conservative views on abortion and gay marriage. Several endorsed Republican presidential candidate John McCain." It sounds fairly black and white to me.
Under the IRS code, places of worship can distribute voter guides, run nonpartisan voter-registration drives and hold forums on issues, among other things. But they cannot endorse a candidate, nor can their political activity be biased for or against a candidate. Churches that violate the rule can lose their tax-exempt status.
The protest was organized by the Phoenix-based Alliance Defense Fund and involved pastors in 22 states.
See the complete article here.
