Should Politically Active Churches be Tax Exempt?

Churches engaged in religious activities have enjoyed tax exempt status. When churches host a telethon like the recent Justice Sunday that claim a political party wants to filibuster "people of faith" because they disagree with their politics and when a church wants to oust members who don't vote the way the pastor wants them to vote, it's time to re-think the tax exempt status.

In order to maintain its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status churches are prohibited from "any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."

In the lead up to the 2004 election, the Catholic Church denounced John Kerry's stance on abortion rights and said anyone who voted for that stance would be in violation of Catholic doctrine.

There have been numerous violations of the IRS rule since 2000. Any endorsement of a particular political candidate by a minister at an offical church function or in an official church publication is grounds to pull the tax exemption.