I Got A Letter From Opponents of Religious Liberty and Free Speech

As an election approaches, there are certain things that I expect. I expect debates, constant annoying commercials, increasingly hostile Facebook memes, and tons of junk mail for various candidates. As a pastor I also expect a thinly veiled threat to arrive by mail. The letter is sent out every election season by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The director of this organization purports to offer a helpful reminder of what churches can and can't do during an election season. Pastors can talk about issues (though he warns voter guides are probably illegal), but we can not endorse a candidate as that would violate the Johnson Amendment. Lyndon Johnson backed an amendment to the tax code that made it illegal for churches and other 501(c)(3) non-profits to endorse or oppose candidates for political office. Pastors can share their personal views as long as they are away from the pulpit and make it clear that it is not the official position of their church. The director of the organization assures me that this is a good thing for democracy.

I would like to personally invite the Americans United for Separation of Church and State to come hear me preach. While I do not endorse any candidates, it might be a good chance for them to actually hear the Gospel. This group is very selective in the churches that they pursue. They fear conservative churches and ignore churches that are in line with their own views. These hypocrites are the enemy of free speech.

At the moment I do not think that it would be a good idea for a pastor to endorse a candidate. It would be a good way of alienating members of different political parties within the congregation and I don't really like any of the current candidates. It would get in the way of real ministry. However, if a candidate arose that preached hate and intolerance against the church, then we would have an obligation to oppose that candidate. If a candidate ran on a platform of anti-Semitism, then we would certainly have an obligation to oppose him or her.

One of the sad chapters in church history occurred in Germany during the 1920s and 30s. Too many godly men stayed quiet while a malevolent force took over. Worse yet, too many supposedly Christian scholars supported the efforts of a violent nationalistic party. They diminished the importance of the Jews to Christian history. They disregarded the Old Testament and they silenced the scholars that opposed them. There were some good godly men who stood up for the truth, but they were too few in number. Because the church was more concerned about nationalism, the majority of Protestants in Germany supported the election of Adolf Hitler. But Americans United misunderstand this lesson from history. There were a minority of good men that did oppose the Nazis and their hate. Americans United would have silenced their prophetic voice just as the Gestapo did.

On the positive side, good godly pastors got involved in the American Civil Rights Movement. Pastors rallied their churches to support community initiatives and candidates that aided their movement. From a Birmingham Jail Cell, Martin Luther King, Jr. called out to white pastors to get involved in a political issue. Unfortunately, too many of those pastors took the position of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The Johnson Amendment is a threat to churches and liberty. Ultimately it places the government in a position to evaluate a pastor's sermon. Of course, the IRS will only look into the matter if someone squeals on a pastor. But that could change overnight. In recent years city governments have demanded copies of sermons for evaluation. Anytime a government agency asks for a sermon to check it against some standard it is a threat to religious liberty and free speech.

The church should be a prophetic voice in American culture. We should speak the word of God regardless of the consequences. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is on the forefront of those seeking to silence the church in America and will ultimately stand in judgment before the Lord. Christians must not be silent. We must proclaim the Gospel even when the state comes after us. We must not take our religious liberty and free speech for granted. We should use it while we can, before Americans United and their allies silence us for good.