Letter to Representative
HR 2357 and HR 2931 the supposed “Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act,” and “Bright-line Act” just came to my attention. I would like to make it clear that you should vote against these bills.
All individuals already enjoy the right to support political candidates speak out on issues. A church, as a tax exempt organization and a non-person, does not enjoy these rights. This is not a problem. Political support is the right of the individual not the organization. Churches are free to recommend their members give money to political causes and the member can follow that advice or choose not to. If the church represents its members the churches voice is in no way blunted.
Churches and other non-profits can and do speak about issues to their hearts content. That is true now. All these bills will do is allow churches to get themselves further involved in partisan politics. It allows them to become mired in the corrupt campaign financing deals to buy influence. The fewer people and organizations who can buy influence the more the actual voting Americans have influence and the stronger and less corrupt our political system.
Even under current rules, churches have used their spiritual influence to greatly distort the political process. Roman Catholic leaders have threatened excommunication and damnation against lawmakers who did not support the “church line.” I would hate to see church members similarly threatened to vote for certain candidates or support certain political parties.
If you disagree with me and want to encourage the above behaviors you still face two obstacles. First the constitution mandates that churches be treated with neutrality. That means if you grant these privileges to churches they must be granted to all non-profits regardless of their religious or secular natures. To do otherwise is give preferential treatment to churches, an unconstitutional act.
Lastly, how are you going to enforce the rules of these proposed laws on churches. Churches have always fought making their books public and the only way enforce the rules is to audit the church’s books. Until you have a solution that is an actual enforcement mechanism and passes court muster in regards to excessive entanglement, you can not pass these bills in good conscience.
These bills attempt to solve a non-problem and introduce serious issues and new problems. Please vote against them.