The IRS scandal of the Obama administration is barely in the rearview mirror, and the federal government is once again weaponizing the tax agency for political purposes.
A top agency official sent a letter last month to a Texas-based Christian organization denying tax exempt status because "Bible teachings are typically affiliated” with the Republican Party.
Yes, you read that right. Because the group, Christians Engaged, educates their members about how the Bible speaks to political issues, the IRS denied their tax exempt status.
“Specifically, you educate Christians on what the Bible says in areas where they can be instrumental, including the areas of sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, biblical justice, freedom of speech, defense, and borders and immigration, U.S. and Israel relations,” the agency wrote. “The Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates. This disqualifies you from exemption under lRS Section 50I(c)(3).”
The legal advocacy organization representing Christians Engaged, First Liberty Institute, pointed out the unreasonableness of the IRS's logic.
“The IRS states in an official letter that Biblical values are exclusively Republican. That might be news to President Biden, who is often described as basing his political ideology on his religious beliefs,” they said in a statement.
“Only a politicized IRS could see Americans who pray for their nation, vote in every election, and work to engage others in the political process as a threat,” they continued. “The IRS violated its own regulations in denying tax-exempt status because Christians Engaged teaches biblical values.”
If this sounds familiar, there's a reason. The IRS under Obama official Lois Lerner engaged in exactly the same kind of politically motivated harassment. Lerner denied tax-exempt status to conservative-leaning groups not because they failed to meet the requirements--but because the Obama administration didn't want to give tax-exempt status to Republicans.
The IRS has already been punished for this kind of activity. Thanks to the efforts of our parent organization, Citizens for Self-Governance, the IRS lost a class-action lawsuit in Ohio and a Tea Party challenge in the District of Columbia. But clearly, that punishment wasn't severe enough. With the rise of the next Democratic administration, the IRS is back to targeting nonprofits they don't like and weaponizing the awesome power of the federal government.
We have a better solution: what if we shrunk the power and jurisdiction of the IRS to a fraction of what it is today? It sounds impossible, but it's entirely possible if we join with our state legislatures to call the first-ever Convention of States.
An Article V Convention of States is called and controlled by the states and has the power to propose constitutional amendments. These amendments can force Congress to be fiscally responsible, mandate term limits for federal officials, and limit the power, scope, and jurisdiction of every federal agency -- including the IRS.
Americans shouldn't have to live in fear of bureaucratic overreach from a far-away capital. They should be free to live their lives as they see fit and educate their friends and neighbors about the relationship between politics and biblical values. We hope that Christians Engaged wins their case, but we also believe we need a bigger solution. We need a Convention of States
Sign the petition below to join the movement!
