Houses of Worship Free Speech Act

By 

Jay Sekulow

|
June 25, 2011

2 min read

Free Speech

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On our radio broadcast today, my guest will be Congressman Walter Jones, who is the sponsor of HR-235, the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act.  This legislation is vital.  For far too long, groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU, and People For the American Way have intimidated pastors into silence, especially when it comes to the election season.  As I mentioned in my posting the other day, it used to be in this country during the Colonial Period that Election Day sermons were given encouraging voter participation as well as encouraging individual voters to vote with a Biblical worldview.  Unfortunately, because of the intimidation of these liberal interests groups, this is no longer the case.  Many churches have been intimidated into silence on the critical moral issues that our country now faces.  Congressman Jones has been working on this legislation for a number of years.  We now have over 170 co-sponsors of this important initiative.

 

What this Act will do if passed is restore the proper First Amendment protection to churches and, specifically, members of the clergy.  Colby May, who heads up our Office of Government Affairs, as well as Drew Ryun have been working with Congressman Jones in seeing this legislation through the political process.  I have represented a number of pastors and churches over the last two decades who are no longer willing to sit on the sidelines as the critical moral issues are debated during political seasons.  I am encouraged that these pastors have shown the initiative to speak Biblical truths on critical issues.  However, we need the appropriate protection in place in order to make sure that churches tax-exempt statuses are not put at risk.

 

If you have not already done so, I would encourage you to sign on to our petition in support of these pastors and have your voice heard by clicking here.