Dear  John,

Has cancel culture become so common in our country that it’s now infiltrating the offices at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?

Yesterday, First Liberty Institute appealed an IRS determination denying tax-exempt status to Christians Engaged, a Texas-based nonprofit organization that exists to educate and empower Christians to pray for our nation and elected officials, vote, and be civically engaged.

In a letter issued in May, the IRS argued that Christians Engaged was not eligible for tax-exempt status in part because the organization’s “[B]ible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates.”

In other words, Christians Engaged’s nonprofit status was effectively canceled because the IRS is confused, thinking that teaching biblical values is somehow the same as advocating for the interests of one political party.

But what this really comes down to is the IRS making a politicized decision. It considered it a threat that a religious organization would encourage people of faith to pray for their nation, vote in every election, and work to engage others in the political process.

However, IRS officials did much more than just issue a confusing and unusual letter.

They violated the Constitution. They engaged in both viewpoint and religious discrimination against Christian Engaged, directly in opposition to the First Amendment’s protection of free speech and the free exercise of religion.

Think about the impact this could have on houses of worship, religious nonprofits and ministries nationwide.

Such a drastic and sweeping shift in how the IRS views encouragement to civic engagement would be catastrophic for ALL people of faith in America.

That’s why First Liberty is stepping in to defend and restore the constitutional rights of Christians Engaged.

Any faith-based organization that operates according to religious beliefs and encourages its parishioners or members to be civically engaged would be in danger of losing their tax-exempt status, because the IRS views the religious beliefs as overlapping with a particular party’s positions.

The IRS decision is an abuse of power, plain and simple.

In America, we don’t punish religious organizations or people of faith for exercising their fundamental rights, both to express their religious beliefs and to be active citizens who participate in the electoral process.

This is a critical time when religious Americans, churches and ministries need to be vigilant like never before, as bureaucrats are known for wielding their power and authority to trample on constitutional freedoms.

If you’re a person of faith or religious organization and you find yourself in a situation where government officials are attacking your rights and liberties, contact us immediately by going to our website and clicking the Get Legal Help button at the top.

Remember, even in this time of cancel culture and censorship, First Liberty continues to be America’s greatest hope for victory—and we’ll continue to defend your religious freedom like never before.

Gratefully,

Kelly

Kelly Shackelford
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute

First Liberty Institute is a nonprofit, charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It does not endorse or participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.

First Liberty conducts research and provides analysis on the effects of policy actions on religious liberty. This publication is intended to be used for informational, educational and reference purposes only.