Help Wanted: Bold, Brash, and Brave Pastors

Earlier this week, a Twitter troll tried to intimidate me by saying that he had “reported” me to the IRS. My alleged crime? Speaking my mind as an American citizen, something that he believed was illegal for a Baptist minister to do.

My only response to the misinformed troll was this: “Gotta love the constitutional ignorance of anti-Christian bigots.” I stopped there, not wanting to violate Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 7:6 not to “cast your pearls before swine.” However, the misguided troll’s words belied a deeper problem in America which is an attempt by the secular Left to silence the religious Right.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Unless I am missing something, there is no mention by James Madison & Co. that this precious right to free speech – and free religious expression for that matter – did not extend to pastors, priests, rabbis, and other clergy.

And yet, far too many ministers cower in compliance when someone like the aforementioned Twitter troll questions their right to weigh in on political matters. Secularists are fond of citing the separation of church and state without knowing anything about that phrase’s origin, meaning, or purpose… so please allow me to educate them.

On January 1, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson penned a letter to the Baptist Association of Danbury, CT. In his letter, Jefferson tried to assuage the concerns of the Baptist pastors who feared that the federal government might try to clip their ministerial wings.

Here, in their own words, are the Association’s concerns…

“Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty – That Religion is at all times and places a Matter between God and Individuals – That no man ought to suffer in Name, person or effects on account of his religious Opinions – That the legitimate Power of civil Government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbour.”

Did you catch that? The pastors wanted assurances that the federal government would not censor their opinions or punish them for expressing their beliefs. In reply, President Jefferson wrote the following…

“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.”

Did you catch that, too? President Jefferson was assuring the Baptist pastors that a constitutional wall existed between church and state protecting their opinions and beliefs from government interference. There is absolutely no mention of the government needing to be similarly protected from the religious views of ministers or private citizens.

Ok, so we’ve put that falsehood to rest, but let me add one illustration to further prove my point. At the time of Jefferson’s presidency (1801-1809) the largest church in the United States met in the U.S. Capitol, specifically in the House of Representative chambers… and President Jefferson and his entire family were regular attendees, even in the most inclement weather. As per the Library of Congress, “Within a year of his inauguration, Jefferson began attending church services in the House of Representatives. Madison followed Jefferson’s example, although unlike Jefferson, who rode on horseback to the Capitol, Madison came in a coach and four.”

If Jefferson had a problem with ministers and others expressing their opinions and beliefs publicly, he certainly would not have allowed this church to meet in a government-owned building (with the Marine band leading the music) and he surely would not have attended the services himself.

Now, onto the second malicious and demonstrably false argument that anti-Christian zealots use to silence and intimidate evangelical Protestants, Catholics, and Jews.

Enter the Johnson Amendment, introduced by then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson of Texas in 1954. The bill was considered to be so uncontroversial that it was passed without any discussion or debate.

Why didn’t it have any opposition? Because the only thing that it prohibited was for churches or other non-profit organizations, religious or otherwise, to “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

That’s it, folks! The only thing a church, synagogue, or mosque cannot do is endorse and campaign for – or oppose – a particular candidate. The Johnson Amendment says absolutely nothing about pastors and priests speaking out on social and moral issues nor does it threaten them with the loss of their 501 (C) (3) tax exempt status if they do so. In fact, the courts have upheld the right of churches to distribute voter guides which simply delineate the positions of the various candidates without providing an endorsement.

Pretty plain and simple, right? And yet, ministers across our fruited plain often refrain from speaking out on biblical issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and same-sex marriage for fear that Uncle Sam will raid their sanctuary and cart them off to prison.

I am not saying that such a thing couldn’t happen in the future if America continues its current moral and spiritual decline, precipitated by spineless and easily intimidated clergyman. However, for now at least, there is absolutely nothing to fear by saying that abortion is murder and that homosexuality is a sin… unless, of course, you are worried about stepping on toes and losing members (and their checkbooks).