Pastors to defy IRS on political endorsements

This Sunday, around 1,400 pastors plan to make political endorsements in defiance of IRS laws about tax-exempt institutions, in an effort called “Pulpit Freedom Sunday.”

From the Religion News Service:

“The IRS says tax-exempt organizations, or what they refer to as a 501(c)(3), are prohibited from participating in partisan campaigning for or against political candidates. Yet, despite what’s in the rules, the agency continues to struggle to do anything about those who defy the law.”

The problems enforcing the law began in 2009, after a District Court ruling that halted investigations. The IRS had reshuffled the organization, so it was unclear who within the agency had the authority to investigate religious organizations for potential violations. 

Read more from the Salon.com report here.