Recently, there was some scandal about the Biden administration. If you’re still scandalized by political scandals, maybe you should stop paying attention to politics. Take up gardening or needlepoint. Corruption in Washington is standard operating procedure (no matter which party is in power) and it’s not good for your mental well being to be perpetually scandalized.
The most recent scandal that is scandalizing the scandal-able folks is that Kamala Harris (Vice President of the United States) produced a video endorsing Terry McAuliffe for governor of Virginia. The video was supposed to be played in 300 churches around the state. It is argued that showing the video in church violates the Johnson Act.
According to the Johnson Act, tax-exempt groups, “are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of [or in opposition to] any candidate for elective public office.”
Before I scandalize you further with my scandalous point of view, I want to say, emphatically, that I don’t think anyone should be above the law. I do not support lawlessness in any form from any person. Political leaders should obey the rules that they setup for us. Further, I want to say emphatically that my opinion has zero impact on reality. (This is why I’m not scandalized by scandals anymore and I don’t know how to do needlepoint.)
I have two scandalizing thoughts on this subject.
First Thought: Political campaigning happens in church ALL THE TIME. Churches distribute literature about where each candidate stands on issues “most important” to the church. Preachers tell you who to vote for without mentioning specific names. It’s silly to think that Kamala’s video is much different from all the other political propaganda that you’ll encounter in church during an election. If you weren’t worried about MAGA hats in church, then don’t have a cow over this video. (Now, Please re-read what I said about political leaders following the law.)
Second Thought: The church should stop worrying about losing tax-exempt status. Tax-exemption is not sacred. It is not holy. Rather, it is a method the government uses it to control speech. Many churches are guided by the fear of violating the Johnson Act rather than the fear of The Lord.
Throughout history, Christians have suffered imprisonment, torture, and death. We’re worried that we might have to pay sales tax at Sam’s Club. We’re afraid of losing a charity deduction. Our leaders continue to demonstrate themselves to be untrustworthy. Christians would be wise to expect to suffer more than lost tax advantages.
The government doesn’t give tax breaks without expecting something in return. Government “benefits” could require compromising your convictions, unless your convictions align perfectly with secular humanism. If your church backs down from saying what it believe to be true because of fear of government repercussions then you should change churches.
He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
(Luke 20:25)
One Response
Totally agree with fear in regard to losing the tax free status….when really the government could (and likely will shortly) throw most Christians in jail for our Biblical statements on homosexuality alone. Tax free status has been ongoing since the days of Pharaoh and Artaxerxes (fitting right?) and I do believe it’s a bit more than a monetary “the government gets this from us because we don’t pay taxes”. I would posit that the reason the Church doesn’t pay taxes is that the government has no business IN God’s business, in the first place. Now have many abused this “tax haven”? Absolutely….but were they really about God’s business? They were (are) about their own. Another aside, there are many calling for the removal of “tax free status” on churches, yet I wonder if they are just as enthusiastic about removing it from ALL registered charities? I think not, they’re just God-haters who want nothing more than to see us all obliterated from the earth….
Tim