A Texas religious group lost its tax-exempt status when the Internal Revenue Service declared its mission to motivate Christians to get involved in the civil process is in the “interests of the Republican Party.”
Christians Engaged received a letter May informing them that the IRS had disqualified the nonprofit because the “Bible’s teachings are typically affiliated with the Republican Party and candidates.”
IRS exempt organizations director Stephen Martin cited the organization’s mission statement, which “indicates you exist to awaken, motivate, and empower ordinary believers in Jesus Christ to: Pray for the nation regularly, vote in every election to impact the culture, engage hearts in some form of political education or activism for the future of the nation,” and “strive to educate Christians on the importance of prayer, voting and engagement in a non-partisan manner.”
According to the IRS, Christians Engaged’s other sins include educating believers about the sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, freedom of speech, religious liberty, fiscal responsibility in government budgeting, and religious liberty, amongst others.
The letter accuses the Texas group of engaging in “prohibited political campaign intervention” and educating believers on issues “prominent in political campaigns and instruct them in what the Bible says about the issue and how they should vote.”
In response to their disqualification from tax-exempt status, Christians Engaged’s lawyers filed an appeal and tore apart Martin’s legal argument by summing up three errors.
Attorney Lea Patterson wrote that the director invented a “nonexistent requirement that exempt organizations be neutral on public policy issues,” and “incorrectly concludes” Christians Engaged beliefs “overlap with the Republican Party’s policy positions.” Her third point indicated that Martin violated the First Amendment by “engaging in both viewpoint discrimination and religious discrimination.”
She went on to slam the government agency for violating its own regulations, “Only a politicized IRS could see Americans who pray for their nation, vote in every election, and work to engage others in the political process as a threat.”
North Carolina Republican Rep Ted Budd commented that “The IRS was wrong to deny tax-exempt status based on the false belief that the Bible somehow only belongs to one political party. The IRS still has a long way to go to ensure religious liberty for all.”“The act of praying for our country and our leaders is about the most nonpartisan and patriotic thing that Americans can do. Millions of citizens do it every day,” he concluded.
