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Politics & Government

Katelynn Richardson-'Conservative Churches Win Massive Concession in Court Case Against IRS'

NPR: Internal Revenue Service 'says it will allow houses of worship to endorse candidates for political office without losing tax-exemption'

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The headline and subheading today will be viewed from insights from the left and the right side of mainstream media. Let's start with the leftists in news. According to left-leaning NPR.

"In a break with decades of tradition, the Internal Revenue Service says it will allow houses of worship to endorse candidates for political office without losing their tax-exempt status.

The surprise announcement came in a court document filed on Monday.

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Since 1954, a provision in the tax code called the Johnson Amendment says that churches and other nonprofit organizations could lose their tax-exempt status if they participate in, or intervene in "any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."

The National Religious Broadcasters and several churches sued the IRS over the rule, arguing that it infringes on their First Amendment rights to the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion."

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According to left-leaning CNN, which cited the left-leaning New York Times, was the following.

"In a joint court filing intended to end an ongoing case against the IRS, the tax collection agency and the National Religious Broadcasters Association — a Evangelical media consortium — and other plaintiffs have asked a federal court in Texas to stop the government from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against the plaintiffs.

The Johnson Amendment is a 1954 amendment to the U.S. tax code that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

The Christian media group and others filed suit against the IRS last August, stating that the amendment violates their First Amendment rights to the freedom of speech and free exercise of religion, among other legal protections. On Monday, the IRS and plaintiffs wrote that the Johnson Amendment should be interpreted “so that it does not reach communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith.”

The New York Times was first to report the news of the court filing."

What follows in Part I was provided with permission from the Daily Signal to this writer for MHProNews and the "Reality Check" series for this Patch. The Daily Signal in turn cited the right-leaning Daily Caller.

Part I

News
Conservative Churches Win Massive Concession in Court Case Against IRS

Katelynn Richardson | July 08, 2025

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Churches can speak about candidates from the pulpit without risking their nonprofit status, the IRS said in a court filing on Monday.

The IRS reached the agreement to resolve a lawsuit brought by two Christian nonprofits, the National Religious Broadcasters and Intercessors for America, and two Texas churches.

Communicating with congregants about candidates is more like a “family discussion concerning candidates” than participating in a campaign or seeking to change the outcome of an election, the IRS said in a joint filing with the organizations.

Though the initial lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of the entire Johnson Amendment, which prevents churches and charities from participating in political campaign activity, the proposed consent decree would interpret the provision “so that it does not reach communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith.”

This interpretation is in line with the IRS’ general enforcement practice, the filing notes.

“For many houses of worship, the exercise of their religious beliefs includes teaching or instructing their congregations regarding all aspects of life, including guidance concerning the impact of faith on the choices inherent in electoral politics,” the filing states.

“Interpreting the Johnson Amendment to reach such communications would create serious tension with the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause: That broad interpretation would treat religions that do not speak directly to matters of electoral politics more favorably than religions that do so—favoring some religions over others based on their speech to their own congregations in connection with religious services through customary channels of worship and religious communication,” it continues.

Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation

Part II

This could potentially be a big deal. A quick romp down memory lane will explain why.

To be fair and accurate, there certainly have been times that a Republican has 'campaigned' in a church too.

But if this holds, this poll that follows suggests why this could be a big deal in U.S. politics.

As a related point, it would NOT be surprising if some religious bodies still avoid a direct endorsement of a candidate. Catholics, for example, would likely be in that category, but others likely will be too.

That said, for centuries, U.S. churches were a source of energy for various political movements. The abolitionist movement, women’s suffrage, and civil rights movements found much of their energy in U.S. churches.

Don't be surprised if a series of developments will follow this news. Yours truly will keep an eye on it for you.

There is always more to know. Yours truly aims to keep you informed on, well, reality. Other topics follow and that's a wrap for today's installment of the "Reality Check" series for this Patch.

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L. A. “Tony” Kovach is a publisher who has earned multiple awards in history. He and his family live in a manufactured home on private property in Winter Haven, FL. He is the co-founder of Manufactured Home Living News.com (MHLivingNews.com) and Manufactured Home Pro News.com (MHProNews.com), trade publications serving segments of the manufactured home industry. Having worked in several segments of the manufactured home industry for over 3 decades, Kovach is a widely acknowledged and often praised expert on manufactured housing. ###

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