The controversy surrounding the Rev. Chan Chandler, who endorsed Bush from his pulpit last fall and purged his church of Democrats about two weeks ago, has come to a fitting end. Chandler’s resigned, the congregation is coming back together, and the change in leadership will almost certainly help the church steer clear of troubles with the IRS.
And while I’m glad to see the mess surrounding the East Waynesville (N.C.) Baptist Church wrap up so nicely, it’s probably a good time to note that plenty of conservatives want to change existing tax law to allow pastors like Chan Chandler to engage in equally partisan behavior and generate similar controversies across the country.
It hasn’t gotten a lot of attention lately, but there’s a bill called the “Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act” (H.R. 235) that would change the law to allow tax-exempt houses of worship to engage in blatantly partisan campaign activities. In fact, the bill was introduced by North Carolinian Walter Jones (R) and has received support from Rep. Charles Taylor (R), who happens to represent the district in which the East Waynesville Baptist Church resides.
The funny thing is, the Chan Chandler controversy was so outrageous, no one’s defending it. It’s the kind of incident that might kill off the “Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act” once and for all.
Not too long ago, it seemed Republican interest in the bill was fairly strong. In Tom DeLay’s infamous speech on Terri Schiavo to the Family Research Council in March, he mentioned his opposition to a federal tax-law provision that prohibits churches from engaging in partisan political activities. He assured the FRC, “We’re trying to repeal” the law, but added, “It’s very difficult to do that.”
DeLay wasn’t alone. The proposal picked up 174 cosponsors in the House and was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). Of course, the religious right was eager to throw the movement’s support behind the effort, and when Walter Jones unveiled the bill in March, representatives of Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, and the Christian Coalition were at the event.
But yet, all of these folks have been eerily quiet about the Chan Chandler mess, in large part because it’s indefensible. In fact, as the East Waynesville incident generated national attention, it quickly became clear that no one wants to see churches fractured along political lines, houses of worship being turned into political action committees, or pastors acting like precinct bosses. And yet, that’s exactly what this legislation aims to do.
I don’t agree with the Heritage Foundation’s Joe Loconte about almost anything, but he was absolutely right when he said the legislation would only add to the partisan divide that characterizes America.
“We don’t want to see red churches and blue churches,” Loconte said.
When it came to the House floor in 2002, the bill failed badly, 178-239. Thanks to the Chan Chandler fiasco, it probably won’t be considered again anytime soon.