Houses of Worship, Beware!
Dr. James Dobson has already launched multiple efforts to stir the participation of conservative religious "values voters" in the upcoming election. His August 11 email alert to Focus on the Family supporters called for volunteers in eight key states to mobilize evangelical voters. The states targeted are Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. So complete are the tactics that they include identifying county coordinators to supervise church coordinators in each congregation to prod pastors to speak out on political issues, conduct voter registration drives and distribute voter guides.
Houses of worship must beware of overstepping the boundaries of permissible political activity by tax exempt organizations.
For over 50 years the law has upheld the rules against intervention by charities and churches in political campaigns. The Internal Revenue Service has signaled its serious commitment to enforcing the rules in the 2006 election and in future campaigns.
Individual clergy and religious leaders must avail themselves of the best information about acceptable political speech and the restrictions that must be observed to protect themselves and their places of worship from investigation by the IRS.
It would be wise to heed the counsel of Melissa Rogers, Visiting Professor at Wake Forest University Divinity School, "Religious organizations and individuals should do the right thing, too, both for legal and non-legal reasons. People of faith should resist every attempt to drag houses of worship into partisan politics, whether those attempts come from outside or inside the congregation. Churches aren't part of a political "base." They are houses of prayer for all peoples. Heaven help us if we forget that."
Utilize your relationships with colleagues and peers to assure that they observe the restrictions while they fully exercise prophetic and citizenship responsibilities and rights.
Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United had the following to say:
