Citing religious liberty, President Trump signed an
executive order on May 4, 2017, the National Day of Prayer, “directing the
Internal Revenue Service to avoid cracking down on political activity by
religious organizations.”[1]
In particular, clergy could then endorse political candidates without fear that
their respective churches would lose their tax-exempt status. It is a bit
extreme that such status would be lost simply because a pastor mentions a
preference for a political candidate or a particular public policy, for such
references are not integral or central to a clergy’s message, which is
religious in nature. Nevertheless, the risk of religious faith being usurped by the political merits an attentive watchfulness, at the very least.
The full essay is at "Politically Partisan Clergy."
[1]
Michael D. Shear, “Trump
Eases Political Activity by Religious Organizations,” The New York Times, May 4, 2017.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ludwig
Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity (New
York: Harper & Brothers, 1957), 251.
[4]
Ibid.
[5]
Ibid, 252.
[6]
Ibid.