By Bob Allen, Baptist News Global

This is an excerpt from the article. Click here for the full version.

Baptists were among 99 religious and denominational organizations April 4 urging members of Congress to maintain a law that prohibits churches and other tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

The Alliance of Baptists, American Baptist Churches USA, Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, Baptist Women in Ministry, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, New Baptist Covenant and other Baptist groups joined the religiously and geographically diverse coalition opposing repeal of the so-called Johnson Amendment in an open letter.

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said the broad section of America’s faith community doesn’t need or want a change in the tax law to pursue its mission.

“As soon as the church joins at the hip with a particular candidate or party, its prophetic witness — its ability to speak truth to power and not risk being co-opted by the government — is hindered,” said Tyler, an attorney and former aide to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).

Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and other faith groups joined Tyler and other Baptist leaders in the April 4 letter saying the current tax code safeguards the integrity of both charities and the system of campaign finance.

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Read the full article at Baptist News Global.