Pastors in the Pulpit Unbound: Saying Good Riddance to the Johnson Amendment by Mike Sharman

"We want churches to be able to say, 'We are the most dominant entity in America. We ought to be able to have a voice about what goes on in the culture of America.'" --Mike Sharman Join host Doug Apple and legal expert Mike Sharman as they dive into the complexities of the Johnson Amendment, a seemingly obscure 1954 addition to the IRS tax code that has profoundly impacted churches and pastors. Sharman traces the amendment's origins back to Senator Lyndon Johnson's personal vendetta against politically active nonprofits, explaining how a single, vaguely worded phrase was inserted into the 501(c)(3) law, effectively limiting the political speech of all tax-exempt organizations. Despite its broad application, the Johnson Amendment has historically been weaponized against churches and pastors, often by atheist and anti-Christian groups, to silence their voices on electoral politics. Sharman highlights the crucial development of a recent joint motion for consent judgment in a federal court case involving the National Religious Broadcasters and the IRS. This landmark agreement clarifies that churches and pastors can, in connection with religious services and through customary channels, speak on matters of faith concerning electoral politics "viewed through the lens of religious faith," including endorsing or opposing candidates. Sharman says that this ruling marks a significant victory for religious freedom, effectively dismantling what he calls a fiction, a hallucination that has cowed the church since 1954. He emphasizes that the Johnson Amendment had no constitutional basis and that the recent legal development will restore the church's ability to engage in the marketplace of ideas, advocating for moral and biblical worldviews. He connects this to the foundational principles of American liberty, referencing the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the First Amendment, asserting that these historical documents underscore the inherent right to religious and free speech that the Johnson Amendment sought to suppress. The conversation concludes with a brief mention of Share Healthcare, a Christian healthcare sharing ministry, presented as another way Christians can exercise their freedoms and live out their faith principles. +++++++ You can find out more information about Share HealthCare by calling 1-844-Share HC, or by visiting their website: https://sharehealthcare.com/