Religious Freedom Action Coalition backs legislation allowing ministers to endorse or disparage candidates

By JESSICA ALLEN

Date published: 8/17/2004

Coalition wants tax law changed

A conservative Christian organization that is monitoring political activities of liberal churches says it actually wants all churches to have full rights to participate in political campaigns.

The Religious Freedom Action Coalition, founded by Spotsylvania County resident William J. Murray, supports the proposed federal Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act.

The bill, written by Rep. Walter Jones , R-N.C., would give churches the ability to endorse or disparage political candidates from the pulpit without fear of losing tax-exempt status.

"Preachers should have the freedom of speech in churches," said Peggy Birchfield, executive director of the Religious Freedom Action Coalition in Washington.

Under the federal tax law, religious organizations and churches are prohibited from participating in political campaigns.

Though Birchfield's organization wants to repeal the law, in the meantime it has created Big Brother Church Watch, a group that targets so-called "liberal churches" such as the Metropolitan Community Churches, Unitarian Universalist Fellowships and African Methodist Episcopal churches.

If they find any indications of endorsement or objection to a political candidate, the group has said it will report that church to the IRS, which could revoke its tax-exempt status.

The church watchdog group was created several weeks ago in response to a IRS complaint filed last month by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State against the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Televangelist Falwell, pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, endorsed President Bush on his ministries Web site. He specifically urged conservatives to vote for the president's re-election.

Despite its efforts to curtail liberal church political activities, the Religious Freedom Action Coalition's main purpose is to open the door for more leeway for churches, Birchfield said.

"If George Bush supports pro-life and pro-family, pastors should be able to tell you what candidate to vote for," she said. "I think they should change it to the way it used to be."

She pointed out that in 1954, then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson added a section in the Internal Revenue Service code that religious organizations and churches "are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf--or in opposition to--any candidate for elective office."

Date published: 8/17/2004