IRS may no longer be able to silence pastors if this act passes
In 2020, Pastor Gary Hamrick of a Virginia church faced penalties from the IRS for what was deemed a political sermon. His infraction? Attempting to align presidential candidates’ policy positions with biblical teachings. The regulation at the heart of this controversy — the Johnson Amendment — bars tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from political speech. In reality, it's a tool used to silence moral voices in the public square.
This fear of government retaliation is precisely why many conservative pastors avoid speaking out on critical moral issues — be it abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender ideology, or euthanasia. The threat of losing tax-exempt status and vital ministry funding is enough to muzzle even the boldest voices.
Violating the Johnson Amendment can mean organizational ruin. It threatens churches with financial death for stepping into the political arena with moral clarity. And while the IRS claims impartiality, recent legal action reveals a different picture. A lawsuit filed by the National Religious Broadcasters, two churches, and a nonprofit, alleged that the IRS has never penalized left-leaning nonprofits, while conservative groups face disproportionate scrutiny.
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The Institute for Free Speech highlights the problem plainly: “Enforcement is rare, penalties are severe, and guidance is unclear.” In effect, it’s not just the ox being muzzled — it’s the entire pulpit.
Thankfully, a shift may be underway. Congressman Mark Harris and Senator James Lankford have introduced legislation to repeal the Johnson Amendment’s gag order. Their Free Speech Fairness Act would allow pastors and nonprofit leaders to speak truth without fear of government reprisal.
The First Amendment protects religious liberty — not to shield government from faith, but to shield faith from government control. The Church is meant to inform public morality, not be punished for it.
Christian teachings are lived out in words, symbols, and action. They uphold human dignity, natural law, and divine order — man and woman, marriage and family, church and community. Muzzling that voice is more than unconstitutional; it’s an attack on the moral bedrock of American civil society.
Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing” (Deut. 25:4), a principle the Apostle Paul applied to the right of ministers to speak freely and live honorably (1 Cor. 9:9-11). Preachers have a divine duty to declare truth — even when doing so offends political powers.
The Johnson Amendment may carry legal weight, but it holds no authority over God's command to “warn the wicked” (Ezek. 3:18). The blood of a morally misled nation may rest on silent pulpits more than on sinful leaders.
Repeal is necessary. But even if repeal fails, silence is not an option.
The Apostles faced similar threats. They were told to stop preaching — but they replied, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Likewise, America’s return to greatness depends on a revival of moral courage and unflinching truth.
As the leader of a pro-life organization whose Buffalo facility was firebombed in 2022, I’ve witnessed firsthand the cost of speaking out. But we rebuilt and reopened within 52 days, because the truth cannot be burned down.
The time has come to unmuzzle the moral voice. Because if America cannot hear the truth, she will never know the way back.
Rev. Jim Harden, M.Div. is a medical ethicist, author of the newly published Ethical Theory and Pertinent Standards in Women’s Reproductive Health, and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services. He pioneered the first measurable and repeatable medical model in the pregnancy center movement and has written extensively on medical ethics, pro-life policy, and executive leadership. Rev. Harden has developed materials and strategies used by hundreds of pregnancy centers nationwide, helping them become more effective at serving women and saving babies from abortion.
