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On October 7 [2012], pastors across the nation addressed issues during their Sunday sermons that should cause the IRS to come after them for "political speech." And that was precisely their intention. Close to 1600 pastors and priests-about three times the number as last year-signed up to give messages that would address the positions of political candidates on key issues of concern to biblically minded Christians.

But this exercise in free speech violated an Internal Revenue Service rule referred to as the Johnson Amendment. And that was the goal of Pulpit Freedom Sunday. By speaking directly to specific candidates' positions, these pastors were hoping to generate a court case that will challenge the constitutionality of the rule. Any pastors get investigated by the IRS for their challenge its rule will be represented free of charge by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Ken Klukowski, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council wrote, (Breitbart.com, 10/8/2012), "This is a fascinating form of civil disobedience. Although churches are quick to obey the biblical command in Romans 13:1 (among many other verses) to submit to authority, these pastors also understand that in this country the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land, and that any federal statute violating the Constitution is not the law and lacks any authority."

Pulpit Freedom Sunday was launched by ADF in 2008 in an effort to see the Johnson Amendment declared unconstitutional. That year 33 pastors challenged the rule. In 2009, 84 pastors did. In 2010 there were a hundred, and last year 539 pastors sent their sermons to the IRS.

So far, the IRS has not touched any of these challenges. The excuse seems to be "lack of manpower." As the liberal Huffington Post declared (10/5/2012): "…despite what's in the rules, the agency continues to struggle to do anything about those who defy the law. In 2009, the U.S. District Court of Minnesota ruled the IRS no longer had the appropriate staff to investigate places of worship after a reorganization changed who in the agency had the authority to launch investigations. New procedures for conducting church audits have been pending since 2009, which has left the IRS virtually impotent in conducting any kind of new investigations."

The rule in question was passed by Congress in 1954 as part of an effort by then Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson to muzzle non-profit organizations that were opposing his re-election. His primary concern was silencing his conservative opponents, not pastors in pulpits.

According to Stanley, "The real question is this: When has the government ever been allowed to condition any government-recognized status (such as tax-exempt status) on the surrender of a constitutionally protected freedom?"

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Good research. Thanks.

However, with all due respect, Mr. Stanley is WRONG.

Period.

Watch the YouTube video(s). They each have the same fundamental message.

"IF" ... "IF" ... the ADF and Mr. Stanley were correct, the U.S. Supreme Court would have OVERTURNED the 1954 Johnson Admendment.

It's been sixty (60) years, and it ain't happened.

Because it's "Caesar's LAW OF THE LAND".

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I maintain that the Alliance for Defending (Church) Freedom (ADF) is simply offering their "bogus" IRS 501-C3 arguments to "raise money" ...

taking advantage of well-meaning Christians' (unfortunate) "total ignorance" of the IRS 501-C3 ...

VOLUNTARY "Federal Contract".

Period.

On the other hand, read the image below (seen in every YouTube video I produced).

I DO NOT accept donations, DO NOT sell books or seminars, DO NOT give seminars.

Period.

So ... who ya gonna believe ?

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