National Catholic Reporter: Keep the Johnson Amendment
that prevents Churches from endorsing political candidates.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/editorial-keep-johnson-amendment
It’s tempting, but churches — and all other nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations covered by the statute — should resist. While it can appear that the exchange of a First Amendment right for tax exemption is disproportionate, the reality is that the only thing such entities are constrained from doing is endorsing or opposing specific candidates. On all other matters political, preachers, universities, foundations and other charities can give their concerns full airing.
The amendment in question was named for then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson, who wanted to silence a nonprofit organization that was supporting a political opponent. No one at that time could have predicted that the result of a personal political vendetta could evolve into an essential protection of valued institutions more than 60 years later, in today’s deeply divided political and religious cultures.
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According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of Americans (and Catholics) oppose allowing churches to choose sides in elections. That broad instinct speaks of a common wisdom. At least in the Catholic church, the life of the community would be forever altered for the worse if priests and bishops, acting in public and formal capacity, had the green light to endorse or oppose individual candidates.
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Should the proposal to “destroy” the Johnson Amendment pick up momentum, churches especially should raise strong opposition. Our sacred spaces and faith lives, while inextricably bound up with political and social justice concerns, should remain free of partisan conflict.
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