Title: IRS Allows Churches to Endorse Political Candidates - A New Era of Religious Influence in Politics?
In a surprising turn of events, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that houses of worship can now endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status. This decision marks a significant departure from decades of tradition and the longstanding Johnson Amendment, which since 1954 prohibited churches and other nonprofit organizations from participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or against) any candidate for public office.
The IRS's recent court filing comes after a lawsuit filed by the National Religious Broadcasters and several churches, arguing that the Johnson Amendment infringed upon their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. While the Trump administration had previously promised to "get rid of" the Johnson Amendment during President Trump's first term, this recent decision does not go as far as completely abolishing it.
Instead, the IRS now states that when a house of worship communicates with its congregation through customary channels on matters of faith in connection with religious services, it neither participates nor intervenes in a political campaign. This communication is considered similar to a "family discussion." The IRS has compared this endorsement by religious institutions to a family conversation about politics and religion.
This new development could have significant implications for the future of American politics. With churches now allowed to openly support or oppose candidates, it opens up a whole new avenue for political influence through religious institutions. This shift may lead to increased polarization within communities as well as potentially swaying voter opinions based on their faith-based beliefs.
As we move forward into this new era of religious involvement in politics, it will be interesting to see how churches and other houses of worship choose to exercise their newly granted freedom of speech. Will they use this platform responsibly or could there be potential misuse? Only time will tell. However, one thing is certain - the landscape of American politics has just been forever changed by this unexpected decision from the IRS.
Source: [Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/08/nx-s1-5460886/irs-now-says-pastors-can-endorse-political-candidates) #says
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