IRS Official Warns Pastors to Keep Silent During Elections |

 The IRS warned pastors attending a faith leader’s summit in Washington D.C. recently not to speak from their pulpits about candidates or elections.  As reported by OneNewsNow, IRS official Peter Lorenzetti attended the summit and told pastors that prohibited activities include anything that supports or opposes a candidate for public office.  Mr. Lorenzetti’s statements are not surprising or even noteworthy given the fact that IRS officials have been interpreting the Johnson Amendment in this way since its addition to the tax code in 1954.  So why should we be concerned about these statements? Well, for starters, Mr. Lorenzetti’s statements follow a long pattern by the IRS of intimidating pastors and churches into silence on the issues surrounding candidates and elections.  The Johnson Amendment operates as a direct restriction on the speech of pastors and churches.  There is no denying this fact.  And there is no denying the fact that the Johnson Amendment is unconstitutional.

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IRS Official Warns Pastors to Keep Silent During Elections |