The Baptist Joint Committee's Brent Walker slammed the Alliance Defense Fund's newest initiative: urging ministers to endorse political candidates from the pulpit in violation of the tax code.
Walker says “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” is a misnomer because pulpits already are free in this country. He calls the idea “misguided” because it is unnecessary, divisive and corrosive.
“Pulpit Freedom Sunday is entirely unnecessary. Preachers are perfectly free to interpret and apply scripture as they see fit, speak out on the great moral and ethical issues of the day, and urge good citizenship practices, such as registering to vote and voting,” Walker said. “The only thing they can’t do — in exchange for the most favored tax exempt status — is to tell the faithful how to vote.
See my take from earlier today here. ADF has declared this Sunday "Pulpit Freedom Sunday."
[UPDATE: BJC General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman weighs in at the Huffington Post:
Factually, the campaign rests on a false premise. ADF greatly exaggerates the impact of the current rule, claiming ministers are muzzled. Preachers are perfectly free to interpret and apply Scripture as they see fit, speak out on moral and ethical issues of the day, and urge good citizenship practices, such as registering voters and encouraging them to vote.]
