Oklahoma church targeted by church-state watchdog

WASHINGTON — A church-state watchdog group has called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate a church in Oklahoma for violating a law that prohibits tax-exempt charities from endorsing political candidates. The church is one of the latest in an organized effort by a Christian conservative group that aims to change federal tax laws to allow political endorsements from the pulpit while churches retain tax-exempt status.

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, filed an IRS complaint against Pastor Paul Blair of Fairview Baptist Church, Edmond, Okla., on Sept. 28. That was two days after Blair, who is also founder of a conservative political action group called Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ, used his Sunday-morning message to endorse Mary Fallin, a Republican congresswoman from the state, for governor.

Blair was one of 97 pastors across the country who preached political messages Sept. 26 in an organized effort to defy a 1954 amendment to federal tax law. The provision prohibits all nonprofit entities organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code from intervening in elections by endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Virtually all houses of worship are 501(c)(3) organizations.

The Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative group behind the third annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday, believes that if challenged in court the prohibition on preaching about candidates would be found unconstitutional.  (TAB)