IRS Won’t Release Deal Made with Atheist Group
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has been at the forefront of challenging anti-religious groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has been working overtime to remove religion and religious expression from every area of American life. If it could, it would dismantle the First Amendment. Since it can’t do that (yet), it twists and perverts the First Amendment so that it reads as constitutional provision to deny religious expression.
This summer, the IRS struck a deal with the Freedom From Religion Foundation to go after churches that speak out on political issues. ADF wants to know what deal the IRS made with the anti-Christian organization.
“The Alliance Defending Freedom filed a Freedom of Information Act request on July 22, seeking additional details about what the agreement entailed, but has yet to receive documentation.
“‘The IRS wrote in a recent letter that it will not respond until Sept. 29,’ the legal firm said in a press release. ‘That’s well after the amount of time it is allowed by law, even though the information ADF is requesting is the same information the IRS has already provided to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which struck a deal with the agency to end the lawsuit Freedom From Religion Foundation v. Koskinen.’”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is smart to use the taxing agency since the IRS is untouchable. We’ve seen how two years of stonewalling over missing emails has not been resolved. No one’s been fired. The IRS is emboldened by the protection given to it by the Obama administration and the Democrats.
The IRS has not stopped harassing conservative groups. Breitbart News is being audited by the IRS. Coincidence? Just part of the process? I don’t think so.
Where IRS get its power over churches?
In 1954, the IRS was given nearly unlimited jurisdiction over non-profit organizations, especially churches. This came about because of a slippery law that was proposed by then Texas Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1954 and passed by Congress. The word “Congress” is important to note in the following from the IRS:
“The ban on political campaign activity by charities and churches was created by Congress more than a half century ago. The Internal Revenue Service administers the tax laws written by Congress and has enforcement authority over tax-exempt organizations. Here is some background information on the political campaign activity ban and the latest IRS enforcement statistics regarding its administration of this congressional ban.
“In 1954, Congress approved an amendment by Sen. Lyndon Johnson to prohibit 501(c)(3) organizations, which includes charities and churches, from engaging in any political campaign activity. To the extent Congress has revisited the ban over the years, it has in fact strengthened the ban. The most recent change came in 1987 when Congress amended the language to clarify that the prohibition also applies to statements opposing candidates.”
This so-called ban is a direct violation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment is clear that “Congress shall make no law. . . .” In 1954, Congress made a law prohibiting churches from speaking out on political issues and endorsing candidates. The logic is simple. Since Congress passed such a law, then Congress violated the Constitution. This makes the law null and void.
If you are a pastor who believes in the freedoms outlined in the First Amendment and want to challenge this anti-Christian organization and the IRS, then I have a deal for you. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group, will defend you.