On The Front Lines
Responding to Bush Campaign's Recent Church Appeal, Rutherford Institute Issues Guidelines on Churches and Political Involvement
Guidelines on Churches and Political Involvement Available Online at www.rutherford.orgResponding to the recent debate over the much-publicized request by President Bush's re-election campaign organizers that churches fulfill 22 duties designed to help them maximize their support and influence on behalf of the president during this election year, The Rutherford Institute has issued guidelines for churches on the do's and don'ts of political involvement, especially in regard to activities that could jeopardize their tax-exempt status. While some of the 22 "duties" presented by the Bush campaign to evangelical church leaders, such as praying for our country, our leaders and our troops, do not put churches at risk of endangering their tax-exempt status, others clearly do. Some of the duties that have already raised public concern include requests for church leaders to send campaign organizers copies of church rosters; for churches to identify and reach out to other conservative congregations and help those congregations support the president's re-election bid; and for church leaders to distribute voter guides among congregants. A copy of "The Rights of Churches and Political Involvement" is available online here [PDF].
"The Rights of Churches and Political Involvement" provides church leaders and congregants with an explanation of the law as it applies to churches under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3), which stipulates that no substantial part of a tax-exempt organization's activities may consist of carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, nor may the organization participate in political campaigning in opposition to, or on behalf of, any candidate for public office. The Institute's guidelines address general church involvement in political or legislative activity, as well as the extent to which churches may criticize or endorse candidates and churches may distribute voter guides. The guide's legal presentation includes the latest Supreme Court decisions and most recent statutes and activities of the Internal Revenue Service.
In issuing these guidelines, John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, stressed the importance of churches fully understanding their legal rights and liabilities. "Tax exemptions for churches and religious organizations are a privilege and not a constitutional right. In fact, to acquire and maintain this privilege, churches and religious organizations may have to forsake heretofore protected constitutional rights under the First Amendment," said Whitehead. "However, this does not mean that religious individuals and, in some instances religious institutions, must completely forego their rights to free speech. That is why The Rutherford Institute is providing this useful guide, which is designed to help those who want to engage the culture and yet do it lawfully."
Link: The Rights of Churches and Political Involvement [PDF]
The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.
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