Welcome to FreePreach.org. You have probably learned of this website through our letter to every house of worship we could find in the United States--about 300,000. We hope you find the resources on this website useful.
Freepreach.org - Protecting the Free Expression of All Religious Traditions
Journal
IRS "Preacher Police" Retreat Welcomed
The IRS “Preacher Police” have retreated from their investigation of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California. In a letter closing the investigation, the IRS ended the investigation of All Saints it began in 2007. Instead of taking the IRS’ threats at face value, All Saints fought back, refusing to comply with an IRS subpoena and forcing the IRS to justify its investigation. The IRS backed down, never attempting to enforce the subpoena, and leaving All Saints’ tax-exempt status unscathed.
“This retreat shows what an empty threat IRS sermon investigations are,” said Kevin “Seamus” Hasson, President of The Becket Fund. “When it comes to preaching from the pulpit, the IRS speaks loudly, but actually carries a pretty small stick.”
In the over 50 years the statute has been in existence, the IRS has prosecuted only one case involving church “intervention” in a political campaign. That 1992 case involved a full-page advertisement in national newspapers, rather than core religious speech—like sermons—that are protected under the First Amendment.
“Ministers preaching truth to power helped start the American Revolution, stop slavery, and end racial segregation,” said Hasson. “We applaud All Saints for continuing this tradition, and having the backbone to face down the IRS.”
Journal
IRS Okays Dobson's Political Endorsements
The Associated Press reported yesterday that IRS has cleared James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, of all wrongdoing in connection with his endorsement of Republican political candidates during the 2004 race. 501(c)3 Organizations like Focus on the Family, are not permitted to publicly endorse candidates for political office. However, the IRS determined that Mr. Dobson was acting as an individual, and not on behalf of his organization, when he offered his endorsements.
Read the AP Coverage.
Journal
Speech Police, Riding High In Oakland
An opinion piece by George F. Will published in the Washington Post today highlights a story about a group of African-American Christian women who organized the "Good News Employee Association (GNEA), which they announced with a flier describing their group as 'a forum for people of Faith to express their views on the contemporary issues of the day. With respect for the Natural Family, Marriage and Family Values.'" Mr. Will goes on to describe the fallout:
The flier was distributed after other employees' groups, including those advocating gay rights, had advertised their political views and activities on the city's e-mail system and bulletin board. When the GNEA asked for equal opportunity to communicate by that system and that board, it was denied. Furthermore, the flier they posted was taken down and destroyed by city officials, who declared it "homophobic" and disruptive.
The city government said the flier was "determined" to promote harassment based on sexual orientation. The city warned that the flier and communications like it could result in disciplinary action "up to and including termination."
Effectively, the city has proscribed any speech that even one person might say questioned the gay rights agenda and therefore created what that person felt was a "hostile" environment. This, even though gay rights advocates used the city's communication system to advertise "Happy Coming Out Day." Yet the terms "natural family," "marriage" and "family values" are considered intolerably inflammatory.
The treatment of the GNEA illustrates one technique by which America's growing ranks of self-appointed speech police expand their reach: They wait until groups they disagree with, such as the GNEA, are provoked to respond to them in public debates, then they persecute them for annoying those to whom they are responding. In Oakland, this dialectic of censorship proceeded on a reasonable premise joined to a preposterous theory.
To read the entire article, click here.
Journal
NY Times: Political Adviser Urges Democrats To Campaign More On Their Religious Beliefs
The New York Times reports that a new up and coming Democratic political strategist named Mara Vanderslice is encouraging her candidates to speak candidly about how their religious beliefs influence their policy decisions in an attempt to entice evangelical supporters. She also advises against the use of the phrase "separation of church and state."
Read the article. (Times Select Membership required)
Journal
Pastor Cleared of Bogus “Hate Speech” Charges
From a press release by the Pacific Justice Institute, Pastor Audey Yancey of Quartz Hill was cleared of charges he engaged in "hate speech" by distributing 200 gospel tracts.
Yancey—a retired Marine Corp veteran with twenty years of service—appeared at the Palmdale City Hall meeting dressed in Marine Corp blues and holding a copy of the Qur’an. The “hate crime” allegations against Yancey were based on a tract that pictured the American flag and under it the words “Remember 9/11: In the name of Allah they brought destruction and death to thousands. In the name of Jesus Christ you can have eternal life.” Pacific Justice Institute defended Pastor Yancey’s right to freedom of speech and unequivocally stated that the “hate crime” allegations were completely unfounded. The task force’s legal counsel, Superior Court Judge Stella Owens-Murrell, agreed with Pacific Justice Institute that no hate crime had been committed, and the matter was dismissed.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, “We are pleased that freedom prevailed in this case, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that pastors are not silenced by intolerance.”
Journal
All Saints Church Responds to IRS Investigation with Public Forum on Free Speech
On Sunday, November 19, All Saints Church in Pasadena, which has been in the crosshairs of the IRS over the last several months, will offer The War, The Pulpit, and The Right to Preach, an afternoon and evening of conversation, workshops, food, music, and personal reflection on the larger issues sparked by the IRS investigation of All Saints Church, issues such as the rights and responsibilities of faith communities to speak from their prophetic traditions.
The day will begin at 3:00 with seven workshops:
- Courageous Congregational Leadership, Robert Long, esq., Senior Warden of All Saints Church
- Negotiating the Freedom to Preach: Mastering Congregational Dynamics to Gain Permission for Prophetic Ministry, Peter Laarman, Executive Director, Progressive Christians Uniting
- 501(c)(3) and the First Amendment for Faith Communities, Edward McCaffery, esq., Dean of USC Law School
- Prophetic Traditions and Free Speech, Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Founder, Progressive Faith Foundation
- Fear and Religion-Muslim American Perspectives, Dr. Maher Hathout and Edina Lekovic, Muslim Public Affairs Council
- The African American Pulpit ,Rev. Louis Chase, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace
- The Sanctuary Movement and the Patriot Act with Father Richard Estrada, La Placita Olvera and Peter Schey, esq., Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Food will be available for sale and a special Interfaith Jazz Prayer service will begin at 5:00pm.
The evening presentations begin at 6:30 p.m. inside the church sanctuary.
Rev. George Regas, Rector Emeritus, All Saints Church and Rev. Ed Bacon, current Rector of All Saints will offer personal perspectives on prophetic preaching. Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR and Imam Jihad Turk with the Islamic Center of Southern California will offer their perspectives. The evening will conclude with the four presenters joined by Rabbi Steve Jacobs and Dr. Maher Hathout for a panel conversation and questions from the audience.
Journal
Religious group questions pastor's endorsement of DeVos - The Associated Press
As reported by the AP, the Interfaith Alliance has criticized Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, a republican, for accepting the endorsement of Rev. Marvin Winans, a pastor in a Detroit church. The group claims (falsely) that such an endorsement jeopardizes the tax-exempt status of the church.
The Interfaith Alliance, which describes itself as a nonpartisan group founded to challenge the "radical religious right" and protect the sanctity of religion, has not filed a complaint with the IRS. But it sent a letter to DeVos urging him to not accept or seek endorsements from religious leaders.
The group said church leaders speaking in an official capacity can't endorse political candidates from the pulpit and candidates shouldn't seek endorsements from clergy.
"If (Winans) did it during church time from the podium, that's a problem," said William Blake, spokesman for the Washington-based Interfaith Alliance. "We're not trying to pick on the DeVos campaign. If other candidates have done the same thing and written about it openly, that's problematic as well."
Interfaith Alliance did not offer the same criticism when Rev. Winans endorsed Senator Debbie Stabenow, a democrat, leading some to believe that the criticism is politically motivated. Read the article in its entirety.
Journal
Va. Catholics Pushed to Support Same-Sex Marriage Ban - Washington Post
As reported by the Washington Post, Catholic leaders in Virginia are attempting to increase support among their own congregation for a proposed amendment that would preserve marriage as a union between a man and a woman. A Washington Post poll showed that a majority of catholic voters opposed the proposed amendment.
"When Catholics are presented with our church's perspective on the nature of marriage, its relationship to the common good of society and the importance of the proposed amendment for children and families . . . they will be much more likely to support the amendment," said Jeff Caruso, executive director of the Virginia Catholic Conference.
The lobbying group spent about $25,000 this year on 100,000 glossy copies of a letter that Richmond Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo and Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde wrote to explain why Catholics should support the amendment.
The amendment campaign is one of DiLorenzo and Loverde's largest political efforts. They founded the conference just last year, although many states -- including Maryland -- have had Catholic lobbying groups for decades.
It is encouraging to see that Virginia churches are not frightened off by the tireless investigations of the IRS. These churches see that they have a constitutional right to teach church doctrine without government interference.
Read the article here.