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Clergy Warned on Partisan Preaching - Boston Globe
As covered in the Boston Globe, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has warned all priests that the tax-exempt status of the Archdiocese of Boston could be at risk if the priests provide parish directories to political candidates, allow the distribution of campaign literature on church property, or express support or opposition for any political candidate. Other religious groups have made similar efforts recently. In the article, Rabbi David Saperstein lays out his concerns; concerns we share:
"It is clear that it is having a chilling impact, with people feeling constrained from doing things that are clearly legal, such as speaking out on the issues in a campaign or on a ballot," said Saperstein, who is the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
"People are being erroneously confronted by lay leaders who tell them, 'Oh, the IRS doesn't allow you to speak on issues,' and rather than trying to explain why they're wrong, sometimes it's just easier to back off. I don't think that's good for the strength of our democracy, or for religious freedom."
Read the article in its entirety.