Allowing Churches to Endorse Politicians Can Be Perfectly Liberal

Last month the Internal Revenue Service did something remarkable: It proposed allowing houses of worship to engage in political speech and even endorse candidates without jeopardizing their ability to accept tax-deductible contributions.

This proposal — which comes in the wake of years of advocacy by conservative Christian activists — constitutes a major reinterpretation of the so-called Johnson Amendment, the rule that since 1954 has prevented charities, including churches, from endorsing candidates. To its critics, the proposal threatens to transform houses of worship into political action committees, enabling donors to influence elections by funneling tax-deductible money through them.