“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
In 1954, the United States Congress passed an amendment by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson that became known as the “Johnson Amendment,” which, since that time, has created fear for pastors, churches, and ministries who think about speaking out on anything that could be viewed as “political.” For over 70 years, pastors and churches have been silenced out of the fear that their 501(c)(3) status, which allows an organization to be a tax-exempt, would be stripped away by the IRS if they said anything that was considered too “political.”
The Johnson Amendment’s primary aim was supposedly to prohibit pastors and churches from endorsing or opposing candidates for political office. However, the amendment has had much greater effects as it has been used to intimidate American pulpits for decades from speaking out on important issues, and sadly, some of those issues are Biblical ones.
To fight this unlawful pastoral intimidation, the National Religious Broadcasters and several churches banded together and sued the IRS, correctly claiming that the Johnson Amendment violates First Amendment rights to the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. Praise be to God, in a recent legal settlement, the IRS confirmed that pastors are free to speak clearly about political issues and even about the endorsement of political candidates to their congregation.
Now that the fraudulent muzzle has been taken off of our American pulpits, may pastors, faith leaders, churches, and believers at large use their freedom of speech to speak Biblical truth clearly to a dark and confused world. Believers in the Lord have been called to influence every arena of life for Christ, which includes the political realm. Let us joyfully and courageously proclaim the truth of God to our world without fear.
LET US PRAY…
Father, we praise You for this IRS confirmation that pastors are allowed to speak Biblical truth to every arena in life, including the political realm. Lord, empower pastors, faith leaders, churches, and believers to use their freedom of speech to speak Your truth to our world. Father, strengthen us to shine Your light on our dark and confused world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
