As of July 7, 2025, a significant legal victory has reasserted the right of churches to speak freely from the pulpit. In a case brought by National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), Intercessors for America (IFA), and two churches, the IRS has effectively conceded, pastors may now endorse political candidates without punishment.
For decades, the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 tax code provision, has been interpreted to restrict the First Amendment free speech in churches and non-profits, preventing them from speaking about political candidates, leading to widespread self-censorship. This new ruling affirms the government must not silence churches regarding moral and cultural issues, recognizing that political issues are moral issues first.
What Does The First Amendment Say?
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution begins with these words:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
This founding protection was designed to prevent government interference in religion, not to bar religious influence from public life. It safeguarded churches from state-imposed religion, ensuring freedom for religious expression, not freedom from it.
Yet, over time, that meaning shifted and was flipped. Today’s interpretation often implies that churches must remain silent, neutral, or uninvolved, especially in political conversations, or face legal consequences—a huge distortion of the original intent.
How Is "Separation of Church and State" Often Misused?
The phrase “separation of church and state” has become deeply embedded in modern legal and cultural thinking, but it does not appear in the Constitution. The phrase originated in the 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association to assure them that the government would not interfere with their worship.
In that letter (January 1, 1802), Jefferson wrote:
“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” (Source: Library of Congress)
Jefferson’s point was not to remove religious influence from government, but to assure the Baptists that the government would not interfere with their faith.
Originally, the First Amendment restricted only the federal government from encroaching on religious freedom, a core reason the colonies sought independence from England. But over 150 years later, with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Everson v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court reinterpreted that intent by applying the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause, effectively extending federal restrictions to the states, much like a parent’s house rules being imposed on the entire neighborhood.
Justice William O. Douglas, writing in 1970, observed the radical shift: “The revolution occasioned by the Fourteenth Amendment has progressed as Article after Article in the Bill of Rights has been incorporated in it (by the court) and made applicable to the States.” (David Barton, Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, and Religion, p. 32.)
Douglas recognized that the Court was usurping the states’ and churches’ traditional authority.
How the Founding Fathers Stood for Faith, Liberty, and Public Morality
The Founders never intended for religion to be hidden. Instead, faith was essential for public virtue and national stability.
-In 1787, Benjamin Franklin stated: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” -First President George Washington’s Farewell Address in 1796 affirmed, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” -2nd President John Adams declared,“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Hepromoted morality through Scripture, calling the Bible “The first and almost the only book deserving such universal recommendation is the Bible.” -His son, John Quincy Adams, 6th President, continued the legacy: “No book in the world deserves to be so unceasingly studied and so profoundly meditated upon as the Bible.”
The Founders saw biblical truth as the bedrock of liberty, not a threat to it. To remove religion from politics was to cut off the soul from the body of the republic.
The Importance of Biblical Truth in Precedence to Political Debate
What many label “political issues” today—marriage, family, gender, life—are not partisan inventions but biblical truths established by God “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), These truths existed long before party platforms, yet pastors hesitated to speak on them from the pulpit, silenced by the fear of legal reprisal.
America’s founding was rooted in the conviction that biblical truth should shape public life and civil order. The early colonies did not separate moral instruction from civic responsibility. Scripture was foundational to both freedom and virtue in society.
THE OLD DELUDER SATAN ACTS (1647): SCRIPTURE AS THE BASIS FOR EDUCATION
The Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the Old Deluder Satan Act in 1647 to ensure children learned to read the Bible and could resist deception:
“It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures... it is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction... shall appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read...”
This early education law shows that the moral and spiritual formation of the next generation was seen as a community responsibility, essential to protecting virtue and preserving liberty. The goal was not merely literacy, but biblical literacy—enabling citizens to recognize truth and resist immorality.
COLLEGES AND CIVIL LAW: SHAPED BY SCRIPTURE
Many early American colleges were founded to train ministers:
-Harvard (1636), “Let every student be plainly instructed….to lay Christ at the bottom as the only foundation.” -Yale (1701): Emphasized Scripture and classical theology, “to train up persons for the work of the ministry.” -Princeton (1746): Founded by Rev. John Witherspoon to promote the gospel and prepare future clergy. Motto: “Under God She Flourishes.”
America’s civil laws were likewise grounded in biblical principles, especially the Ten Commandments, which shaped laws concerning murder, theft, perjury, and respect for parental and civil authority.
Biblical teachings also influenced property rights (Exodus 20:15), the dignity of work (Colossians 3:23), fair treatment of neighbors and the vulnerable (Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 31:8-9). These principles became the moral foundation of our justice system, reinforcing the American ideal of “liberty and justice for all.”
Historical Acknowledgement of Scripture's Role from American Presidents
Throughout history, American presidents have affirmed the central role of the Bible in shaping national character and law:
-Andrew Jackson: “The Bible as the rock on which our Republic rests.” -Ulysses S. Grant: “Hold fast to the Bible as the anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts, practice them in your lives.” -Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “I suggest a nationwide reading of the Holy Scriptures…for a renewed and strengthening contact with those eternal and majestic principles which have inspired such measure of true greatness as this Nation has achieved.” -Harry S. Truman: “The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount. If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State!”
Psalm 33:12 reminds us: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
Political Endorsements by Pastoral Voices before the 20th Century
Historically, before the 20th century, pastors endorsed political candidates or causes openly.
-Charles Finney (1792-1875), a leader of the Second Great Awakening and abolitionist, preached “The Duty of Christians to the State” (c. 1836), urging believers to vote against candidates who supported slavery, stating: “To vote for a man who supports slavery is to cast your vote against the gospel and justice.” (Finney, Lectures on Revival). -Lyman Beecher(1775-1863), condemned slavery expansion and urged Christians to vote for moral leaders: “The Christian voter cannot, with a clear conscience, support those who sustain unrighteousness.” (Beecher, Pulpit and Politics). -Billy Sunday (1862-1935) publicly supported prohibition candidates, proclaim at a1918 revival in Chicago: “A vote for the dry candidate is a vote for God’s law” (Reported in The Chicago Tribune). -Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) connected Christian piety with political responsibility: “The civil order depends on the virtue of its people, and the choice of rulers is the choice of moral directions.” (Edwards, Religious Affections) -Francis Asbury (1745–1816), early Methodist bishop, wrote in his 1790 journal: “It is the duty of Christians to see that their votes go to those who will honor God’s law and defend the weak.” (Asbury, Journal and Letters)
These examples demonstrate that prior to the Johnson Amendment and 20th-century restrictions, political engagement from the pulpit was a widely accepted and even expected responsibility of pastors.
What Does the Recent IRS Ruling Mean for Churches Today?
The recent IRS ruling is not just a legal win. It’s a moral invitation to the church to speak boldly, address cultural and moral issues from the pulpit, and educate the body of Christ on biblical values. Freedom to speak of a candidate’s alignment with God’s truth will reclaim the prophetic role of the church today.
The Johnson Amendment technically remains in law, but this ruling undermines its chilling effect and strengthens the constitutional protections churches already have.
The truth was never meant to be silent. Some argue that the Constitution must be “reframed” for modern times. They suggest the Bible is outdated, the Founders naïve, and morality subjective. But truth does not evolve with culture. It remains rooted in the character of God and the design of creation.
The First Amendment was never meant to silence churches — it was meant to safeguard their voice. As we stand at a critical crossroads, let us, as the church today, speak up for God’s truth, shining light, and being the salt of the earth. God help us to govern ourselves accordingly — not by fear, but by faith.
Let the church speak. Let the truth ring out.
“We have staked the whole future of American civilization... upon the capacity of each and every one of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” — James Madison, 4th President of the United States
Judy McEachran is a passionate worshiper and seasoned pastor who brings together her love for music and ministry to inspire and uplift others. An ordained pastor and accomplished musician, she has spent years encouraging believers through her heartfelt sermons and soul-stirring music. After serving congregations in the Midwest, she and her husband, who was also a pastor, relocated to Arizona upon retirement. Deeply moved by God's unwavering love and His faithfulness through the years, Judy writes from a pastor's heart to encourage and strengthen faith in a believer's walk with Jesus. With the support of her husband, sons, and their families, Judy continues to use her gifts to glorify God. Her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@JudyMcEachran, features music that invites listeners to experience the Lord’s presence in a profound and personal way.
