He Tried to Endorse From the Pulpit. He Wound Up Without a Church.
He Tried to Endorse From the Pulpit. He Wound Up Without a Church.
The I.R.S. says churches can now support candidates during services, but many denominations still forbid it. A Wisconsin pastor learned the hard way.
Read the full article on NY Times Politics
Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article's central claim about the IRS allowing churches to support candidates is contradicted by available sources, which indicate the Johnson Amendment, prohibiting such endorsements, is still in effect. The article exhibits a moderate bias by presenting a potentially misleading interpretation of current regulations and focusing on a specific, possibly isolated, incident. The overall accuracy is low due to the misrepresentation of the IRS stance.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim: The I.R.S. says churches can now support candidates during services.
- Verification Source #1: The Texas Tribune article discusses the Johnson Amendment and efforts to challenge it, implying that the IRS still enforces the prohibition on churches endorsing candidates. It does not support the claim that the IRS now allows such endorsements.
- Assessment: Contradicted. The available source suggests the opposite is true.
- Claim: A Wisconsin pastor learned the hard way.
- Assessment: Unverified. Without further context or supporting information, it's impossible to verify this claim. The provided sources do not mention a specific incident in Wisconsin.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Source 1 indicates the IRS has not changed its stance on the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits churches from endorsing political candidates, contradicting the article's initial claim.