The George Soros-funded fake media group ProPublica is now on a crusade to push the Biden administration to deploy the little used Johnson Amendment to take down Christian churches.
The Johnson Amendment supposedly prevents churches and ministers from advocating for politics from the pulpit or endorsing or opposing political candidates from any party.
The 1950s era amendment is rarely ever used because it so blatantly violates the First Amendment.
But now, ProPublica — which claims to be a “journalism” organization — is suggesting that the Biden administration is negligent for not using the rule to prosecute churches and ministers who have crossed its line.
Per Washington Stand:
On Sunday, ProPublica asserted the government has done too little to prevent Christians from violating the Johnson Amendment, a controversial 1954 tax provision that effectively prevents churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates. In “Churches Are Breaking the Law by Endorsing in Elections, Experts Say. The IRS Looks the Other Way,” Jeremy Schwartz and Jessica Priest claim to have found 18 churches that violated the nearly seven-decade-old law. In one example, a pastor called the actions of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) — who spent $10 million of taxpayer money to build a new abortion facility in Doña Ana County and said repealing virtually every limitation on abortion enshrined the “inviolable recognition of humanity and dignity” — “beyond evil” and “demonic.” In another, a pastor said demons worked through local politicians’ actions.
The Soros-funded publication seemingly boasted of the government’s longstanding intimidation of pastors and other clergy. “At one point, churches fretted over losing their tax-exempt status for even unintentional missteps,” wrote Schwartz and Priest. “But the IRS has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities as churches have become more brazen.” The last several administrations had done little to enforce the law, especially President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order reiterating his support for churches’ legal free speech rights.
Others disagree with the plan.
“Pastors should be free to preach without fear of government intrusion,” Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker told The Washington Stand. “The government simply has no business interfering with the internal affairs of churches, nor should it be able to threaten a church with financial penalties based on a requirement that the church self-censor and surrender its constitutionally protected freedom.”
The IRS has repeatedly used the rule to attack Christian churches (but almost never any other denomination) in the past. Cost churches their tax-exempt status and stealing millions from them.
It is never surprising when Democrats use the levers of rules and regulations in government to deprive Christians of their Constitutional rights. And it is never surprising to find anti-American billionaire George Soros funding it.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
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