From Americans United for Separation of Church and State (http://www.au.org):
Throughout his campaign and presidency, the current president has repeatedly promised to “destroy” a law known as the Johnson Amendment. This law protects the integrity of houses of worship, by ensuring they do not endorse or oppose political candidates.
It is up to us in the faith community to ensure that this integrity remain intact. Therefore, we invite you to join faith leaders across the country in signing the letter at https://www.faith-voices.org/ urging Congress to not allow houses of worship to be used as political tools.
For the last six decades, the Johnson Amendment has served as a valuable safeguard to prevent political parties and candidates seeking power to use houses of worship and other 501(c)(3) organizations as a tool for political gain. Repealing or weakening the law would do great damage to our integrity and would unnecessarily divide our congregations along political lines.
Last week, the president signed a symbolic executive order to limit enforcement of the law, and at the same time on Capitol Hill, Congress held a hearing showcasing the desire of some members of Congress to further weaken or repeal it. We know that many faith leaders support the current law and want to keep their sanctuaries sacred. That is why it is imperative for all faith leaders to sign this letter and to urge other leaders in your ministerial networks to sign as well.
Under current law, houses of worship are free to engage in public debate on any issue, host candidate forums, hold voter registration drives, encourage people to vote, help transport people to the polls and even, with a few boundaries, lobby on specific legislation and invite candidates to speak. They simply can’t endorse or oppose candidates while benefitting from preferred tax-exempt status.
So, please sign this letter and share it with other leaders you know and let’s send a strong message to Congress that our sacred spaces must remain sacred.
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