ACLJ
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2006
Dear Sharon,
Don't allow the Internal Revenue Service to close your church and silence
your religious leaders!
Recently, I sent you an email to inform you of a vague, half-century-old law
which enables the IRS to shut down your house of worship.
This obscure law is being used by Americans United for Separation of Church
and State (AU) and others to intimidate churches into silence on moral
issues.
Join our nationwide campaign to give our religious leaders back their voice
for morality by adding your name to our Houses of Worship FREE SPEECH
PETITION.
It all began in 1954 when then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson sought political
retribution against an opponent who was assisted in his campaign by two
non-profit
organizations.
As a bill to revise the tax code was being debated on the floor of the
Senate, LBJ pushed a little-noticed amendment that barred all tax-exempt
groups -
including churches - from participating in political activity.
The penalty: loss of tax-exempt status. A heavy price to pay for
exercising their free speech rights.
Today, churches in America ARE paying the price. They are threatened with
lawsuits and the revocation of their tax-exempt status. Intimidation is
silencing
our ministers on crucial topics like abortion and same-sex marriage!
In other words - churches are putting their tax-exempt status at risk
whenever they speak out on issues of the day.
We must put an end to this! This is a blatant violation of our First
Amendment free speech rights.
But we need your signature to help stop this injustice and protect our
ministers and houses of worship.
Add your name to our online FREE SPEECH PETITION and make your voice heard!
Religious leaders not only have a constitutional right to address the moral
issues of the day, many believe they also have a responsibility to do so -
especially
in the context of political campaigns.
This country has a rich and welcomed history of turning to churches and
houses of worship during the debates of the great moral issues of the day.
Why have we put the IRS - which is designed to collect revenue for the
general treasury - in the position of being the speech police?
At the ACLJ, we have an important opportunity to correct the errors of the
past. That's why the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act is so
vital!
But we must have your help.
Lend your name to our FREE SPEECH PETITION today.
Your name will be added to tens of thousands of others in this nationwide
campaign. With it, we will stand together and protect the rights given to
us
by our Founding Fathers.
I encourage you to forward this email on to family members, friends, and
church members as well to get the word out on this issue!
Thank you for your immediate action to further the cause of freedom.
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American Center for Law and Justice
P.O. Box 90555, Washington, D.C. 20090-0555
Phone: (800) 296-4529
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American Center for Law and Justice is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit,
religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code,
specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of
speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center's purpose is to
educate,
promulgate, conciliate, and where necessary, litigate, to ensure that those
rights are protected under the law. The organization has participated in
numerous
cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal District
Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom
of
speech.
As always, let us know of threats to freedom in your area by calling (757)
226-2489. And tune in to our daily radio program, "Jay Sekulow Live!"
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