Ever hear of Representative Kevin Brady, Member of the House of Representatives and Republican from Texas?
Good man, really good man, if you are a conservative or Christian or both. Mr. Brady is the Texas Chair of the HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE. Brady wants last minute legislation, conservatively oriented and sorely needed to correct the new Tax Act and to make things right, really right for pastors and churches before the progressives, the radicals and the anti-religionists also known as the Democrats takeover.
For us Christians and conservatives, Brady and his bunch of conservative law makers decided it was finally time to do away with the notorious Johnson Amendment. That Amendment, passed in the age of the Presidency of Lyndon Johnson at or about 1964 for bad pastors to lecture, proselytize or even preach about political issues of any kind from the pulpit or with respect to church ministry generally. That has been a gross Constitutional error, in fact a direct defiance of the Constitution with respect to free speech and free worship. Now for well over one-half century, Brady and company added what is termed the FREE SPEECH FAIRNESS ACT to the Tax Reform Act which would:
“FINALLY TOPPLE THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT”
And give churches the right to speak freely on the moral issues of the day without fears of the IRS backlash. Not only is that the right thing to do, the Constitutional correction so necessary, but it would also be a victory for President Donald John Trump whose first promise to Evangelicals on the campaign trail was that he would get rid of the Johnson Amendment. It now seems very likely to happen. That would be an answer to prayer for millions of Christians, and Rabbis and Imams and any who are involved with churches and their ministries and who speak from pulpits.
The major consideration is the removal altogether of any possible IRS BACKLASH. Under the anti-Christian Presidency of Obama, the IRS was unleashed against churches and conservative organizations, especially under the unlawful leadership of Lois Lerner and so many pastors were intimidated, refusing to deal with those issues within the church ministry. There are many courageous pastors who did in fact stand up and defy the Johnson Amendment, believing wholeheartedly it was illegal and certainly immoral, a special breed of missionaries and preachers. But, if or rather when this FREE SPEECH FAIRNESS ACT passes, no pastor need look over his or her shoulder when dealing with the moral or even political issues of the day. All non-profit 501(c)3 leaders of any non-profit organizations will be free to exercise their Constitutional rights and say what they want to say when they want to say it. Make it happen, Mr. Brady. MAKE IT HAPPEN for it is the right thing to do.
And another thing. House Republicans are writing a 2017 wrong with regard to the provision included in the tax overhaul reform act known as the TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT. There was included a little known or advertised provision in that act which directly affects churches, synagogues, mosques and any other religious organizations. That provision introduced a new policy which would allow the IRS to tax non-profit organizations, including houses of worship which offer as part of compensation paying the cost of parking and transit benefits to their employees. Makes so much of Obamacare which was buried in the fine print, this little known provision now comes into play and it effectively creates an income tax on churches, religious schools and other charities is indeed a shocking change in the federal government’s orientation toward these organizations or goodwill. This new federal policy would require such organizations to file Form 990-T and pay taxes every year. That would then require the organizations to file state tax returns and undoubtedly pay state income tax as well.
Then of course comes the necessity for every non-profit organization to change their accounting, to introduce new regulatory compliance policies, and of course increase cost and expenses in so doing. The new tax act revisions would render null and void existing Section 512(A)(7) and, as has existed from the time of the Constitution 1787, keep the federal government, the IRS, from taxing these organizations of goodwill who serve the most vulnerable people in our communities. The founders of our Constitution believe strongly that the power to tax is the power to destroy. If the government can tax non-profit organizations, it can eventually in fact destroy them. That can not be allowed to happen. Representative Mark Walker introduced legislation which would repeal the section and so did Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma. Let us hope and pray this section will be repealed and the traditional fairness with respect to the taxation of non-profit corporations fully restored.
And one more thing in this hopefully to be passed RETIREMENT, SAVINGS, AND OTHER TAX RELIEF ACT OF 2018. There is a provision in this new Act which would most wonderfully:
RECOGNIZE THAT UNBORN CHILDREN ARE IN FACT HUMAN BEINGS AND CONSEQUENTLY COMPREHENDED BY THE TAX CODE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
What a blow that would be to the abortionists and perhaps open other opportunities to think in terms of these real children, not fetuses, with rights well beyond the tax code. The new law would allow parents, grandparents or other relatives to open 529 educational savings accounts for an unborn child so they can begin saving for their education right away. Other relatives of the baby to come would also have the same rights. Experts predict this will be difficult to pass in both House and Senate, but there is every good chance that it may. We who despise abortion can only hope and pray that this provision passes, for even though it would not eliminate this dastardly act, it would at least stir the public consciousness and debate and perhaps allow for some further restrictions to this murderous procedure.
If this new act passes, it would absolutely outstanding for America, right for our Constitution, and a tremendous victory for churches and Christians everywhere. But of course, the Bill must be passed prior to the time the Democrats under Pelosi, the progressives, the radicals, the pro-abortionists, take over the House of Representatives. If not before that time, the Bill has no change of passage and we the conservative-Christian Americans will have to live with these three onerous legal and perhaps immoral provisions perhaps for years to come. Watch Washington my fellow Americans. Watch it closely in the coming days of the Republican control. They the Republicans have one more opportunity to do the right thing, TO GET THINGS RIGHT, especially in these three critical areas.
Do it Republicans, DO IT!
Do it for Americans, for Christians, for conservatives, for the radical, progressive, often atheistic Democrats never will!