The Secular Coalition for America Denounces the IRS Demolishing the Johnson Amendment
Washington, D.C. – It’s now official: the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) has declared that political endorsements from the pulpit are permissible. Religious leaders may now use their churches to openly support political candidates without fear of penalty, completely demolishing the Johnson Amendment.
The Secular Coalition for America (SCA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the separation of religion and government, strongly opposes this troubling development. SCA’s Executive Director, Steven Emmert, issued the following statement:
“For years, the I.R.S. has looked the other way as churches increasingly endorsed political candidates from the pulpit. Now, the Trump administration has set a dangerous precedent that would allow sermons to double as campaign rallies.
There’s nothing to stop wealthy donors from funneling millions into churches to support their preferred political candidate. We’ve already seen how billionaire donors can influence political outcomes—now religious institutions will help buy those elections, all while receiving a tax write-off.
It’s telling that the IRS singled out churches from among the wider world of secular nonprofit organizations, like the Secular Coalition for America, to benefit from the I.R.S.’s official refusal to enforce the Johnson Amendment. To be clear, the Amendment is still a valid, enforceable section of the United States Tax Code today.
The I.R.S.’s decision is the result of a broader and deeply coordinated campaign to inject a narrow, Christian nationalist ideology into every facet of our nation’s government. From the radical plans laid out in Project 2025 to advocacy from high-profile religious and political figures, this movement seeks to redefine American politics through a singular religious lens.
The Secular Coalition for America was founded to resist exactly this kind of erosion of church-state separation. We will continue to fight back to ensure that no religion dominates our political system, and that all Americans, regardless of belief, are treated equally under the law. The future of our democracy depends on it.“
