Tax-Exempt Status for Churches Engaging in Political Activity

Let’s hope this twisted sickfuck bill goes down in flames.  Rep. Walter B. Jones (R—Taliban) has introduced a bill that would allow churches to endorse or oppose political candidates and still keep their tax-exempt status.

HR 3600, if passed, would repeal the Johnson Amendment to the Internal Revenue Code.  This amendment, named after then-Senator Lyndon Johnson, goes back to 1954.  It prohibits churches from campaigning for or against any political candidate.

This is at least the third time this same Biblehump has introduced this same bill in the House.  In 2002 Jones’ bill got defeated.  In 2007 it never made it out of the House Ways and Means Committee.  Let’s hope the third time WON’T be the charm.

Emily Krueger of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State said:

“Religious politicking is a flat-out bad idea for a number of reasons.  Making this change would dramatically impact our campaign finance system.  Houses of worship are tax exempt because they are supposed to be charitable, not political. For this reason, contributions made to them are tax deductible while political donations are not…The bill has failed time and time again as it surely will this time around, and yet Rep. Jones refuses to quit.”

How does that old expression go again, something about doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different result.