⛪Churches keep tax breaks while endorsing candidates from pulpit
Constitutional Law
Elections
Government
+1 moreThe IRS confirmed that pastors can endorse candidates from the pulpit without risking their church's tax-exempt status, marking a major rollback of the Johnson Amendment that has separated church and state since 1954. Critics warn this move could intensify partisan messaging in religious services ahead of the 2026 midterms, while supporters argue it restores religious freedom to speak on moral issues with political implications.
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Why This Matters
⛪ Your place of worship becomes a campaign venue:
Pastors can now endorse specific candidates during religious services while keeping tax-exempt status—transforming Sunday sermons into political rallies funded by your tax dollars
💰 Religious tax exemptions subsidize political campaigns:
Churches avoid billions in taxes that other nonprofits pay, but now they can use that taxpayer subsidy to influence elections without losing their financial advantages
🗳️ Separation of church and state erodes:
When religious institutions can officially participate in partisan politics while receiving government benefits, it destroys the constitutional principle keeping religion and government separate
⚖️ IRS becomes political enforcement tool:
The tax agency now makes decisions about religious endorsements based on political considerations rather than clear legal standards, turning tax law into partisan weapon
🛐 Faith communities divided by partisan politics:
Allowing political endorsements from pulpits will split congregations along party lines, destroying the spiritual unity that makes religious communities valuable to their members
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Which IRS provision originally barred 501(c)(3) churches from endorsing political candidates from the pulpit?
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Constitutional Law
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Under current federal campaign finance law, endorsements made by churches under the 2025 IRS guidance are classified as:
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Campaign Finance
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Which Supreme Court decision most parallels the IRS’s 2025 rollback by expanding political speech rights for organizations?
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Constitutional Law