As you no doubt know, churches are tax exempt. Churches do not pay income taxes on donations or earnings, don't pay sales taxes on purchases, don't pay property taxes on buildings and land, etc. We the people (not the IRS) gave churches this gift in exchange for a few trade-offs. Through our elected officials, we said you don’t have to pay taxes if you agree that you will not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
What these pastors did was a morally irresponsible example to their churches and community. I highly doubt the IRS will take the action it should and enforce the tax code against these churches, but I wish it would. And this is not just an issue of the IRS going after right-wing churches. In 2004 the same thing occurred when some churches spoke out against the war in a way that intervened politically against George Bush.
The pastor interviewed by the Washington Post shared his insight into why he needed to defy Federal law:
Asked why he felt the need to discuss the candidates by name and to be explicit in rejecting Obama and his pro-choice views, Johnson said he must connect the dots because he is not sure that all members of his congregation can do so on their own.
I hope you are equally aghast at this outrageous abuse of religious authority. But even if you are not, I hope my fellow taxpayers at least want these moral hypocrites taxed.
