Pastors Taking on the IRS

I'm not sure this is such a wise thing to do:

Few Americans would invite an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, but that's exactly what Minnesota pastor Gus Booth wanted when he stood behind his pulpit and told his congregation God wanted them to vote Republican.

(ABC News Photo Illustration)In an election where candidates openly discuss their faith and are regularly seen in churches, and a time when pastors' sermons lead the politics sections of newspapers, one might be excused for not knowing that it is illegal for a church to endorse or oppose a candidate for president.

But when Booth addressed the members of his Warroad Community Church one Sunday in May and told them, "If you are a Christian, you cannot support a candidate like Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton for president," he very much knew he was violating the law. He even wrote a letter to the IRS explaining what he had said and challenging the tax collection agency to do something about it.

Churches and other non-profit groups like charities and universities do not have to pay taxes. That exemption, however, comes with a price. Churches, and by extension the pastors who serve them in an official capacity, are not allowed to endorse or oppose political candidates.

Booth, 34, is one of several religious leaders who this year hope to challenge federal law by flouting the regulations about endorsing candidates from the pulpit — a move that could potentially cost them their tax-exempt status, creating financial ruin for many congregations.

The separation of church and state may be one of our democracy's most vaunted values, but its enforcement falls to one of our government's most derided institutions — the IRS.

The fact is pastors are free to make whatever political statements they wish to make - as long as they make them as private citizens. Lots of pastors on both sides of the political aisle have made public endorsements - many to the detriment of their candidates. Just look at what the endorsements of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, John Hagee and Rod Parsley did for their favorite politicians.

Personally, I don't think the pulpit is the appropriate place for political speeches. There are plenty of things for pastors to talk about without wasting time on political battles. If the pastor is truly preaching the word of God, he shouldn't have to make political speeches from the pulpit because his congregation will be able to figure out for themselves where God might come down on a particular issue or candidate.

Along with the income tax exemption comes a responsibility for non-partisanship. I don't think that's too much to ask of an organization in return for freedom from taxes. Sorry, pastor, but I'm afraid I come down on the side of the IRS in this one.