New Bill Would Repeal Johnson Amendment, Protect Pastors Rights to Endorse Candidates & Political Positions
According to an article that was published by the Christian Post, a new proposed legislation would effectively repeal the Johnson Amendment, allowing a layer of protection for Christian pastors rights to endorse political candidates and various political positions within the church to members of their congregation.
The United States House Majority Whip, Republican Steve Scalise, formally introduced legislation on Wednesday that would grant pastors’ and churches’ the right to speak freely and express political opinions, from the pulpit, to members of the church’s congregation.
The newly proposed legislation would also end some of the major religious liberty and free speech restrictions placed on religious leaders and Christian pastors under the current Johnson Amendment.
Samuel Smith of the Christian Post writes, “As thousands of pastors across the nation get ready to partake in the annual “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” on Oct. 2, Scalise and Rep. Jody Hice, R- Ga., introduced the “Free Speech Fairness Act,” which would eliminate the longstanding threat of churches and nonprofit organizations being stripped of their tax-exempt statuses or fined if they speak publicly about public policy or endorse candidates for public office.”
Additionally, Smith writes in his article, “The bill, also known as H.R. 6195, comes as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has drawn the appeal of social conservatives and evangelicals by vowing to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which was passed in 1954 and has allowed the IRS to intimidate and censor churches and other nonprofit organizations.”
The United States Republican presidential nominee and New York billionaire businessman Donald Trump, has in the past, voiced support for potentially repealing the Johnson Amendment.
Bob Adelmann, of the New American, quoted Trump in an article from earlier this month saying, “You have so much to contribute to our politics, yet our laws prevent you from speaking your minds from your own pulpits. An amendment, pushed by Lyndon Johnson many years ago, threatens religious institutions with a loss of their tax-exempt status if they openly advocate their political views.”
“I am going to work very hard to repeal that language and protect free speech for all Americans,” Trumpstated, as quoted by the New American.
“For decades now, the Johnson Amendment has limited the ability for a lot of churches and religious organizations and nonprofits to express their views and to exercise their free speech rights and exercise the religious liberty that is one of the hallmarks of our Constitution,” Scalise said during a press conference, as reported by the Christian Post.
(Written & Edited by Bart Charles Begley)
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