Reply #113: Not illegal [View All]

[EffieBlack]

There's no law against political speech in a church. It only affects the church's not-for-profit status under the tax codes.

And this comment probably does not cross the line, believe it or not. A pastor can't explicitly urge their congregation to vote for or against a candidate of partisan political office. But they are allowed to step right up to the line - they can criticize candidates or praise candidates all they want, as long as they don't go the next step and specifically tell their congregations to vote for or against any particular candidate.

As controversial and offensive as Rev. Wright's comment may be to some, it is no doubt within the bounds of the regulations and wouldn't jeopardize the church's 501(c)(3) tax status.