More than a dozen members of Congress are warning the IRS that the tax-exempt status of churches is jeopardized by a recent ruling against a Texas faith-based organization.
The IRS, in a May ruling, denied a request by the organization Christians Engaged for 501(c)(3) non-profit status, saying the group works “for the private interests” of the Republican Party by promoting issues such as the sanctity of life and the traditional definition of marriage.
The organization says its purpose is to encourage Christians to pray, vote and engage the culture.
The letter, signed by three senators and 12 representatives, was addressed to the IRS commissioner. It read….
“These issues have always been at the core of Christian belief and classifying them as inherently political is patently absurd. If the IRS applied this interpretation broadly, it would jeopardize the tax-exempt status of thousands of Christian churches across the country.”
The letter goes on to say, “Millions of Americans draw deeply from their religious beliefs to inform how they vote and many religious organizations conduct get out the vote efforts.”
The letter ends with this suggestion to the IRS commissioner — “We urge you to immediately review Christians Engaged’s application for 501(c)(3) status personally, and terminate the IRS staff involved in the flawed and politically motivated reasoning behind the determination.”