FFRF asks IRS to probe megapastor Jeffress' endorsement of Pence/Trump

[Nevilledog]

https://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/37741-ffrf-asks-irs-to-probe-megapastor-jeffress-endorsement-of-pence-trump

Among the more than half dozen complaints about unlawful church political activity that the Freedom From Religion Foundation has recently made to the IRS is one over a service at a Dallas megachurch that crossed the line from pastoral to political.

Pastor Robert Jeffress, who sits on President Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board, invited Vice President Mike Pence to speak during the regular service of the First Baptist Church Dallas on Sunday, June 28. The event was controversial in many ways, since COVID-19 numbers had started to spike dangerously in Dallas and Texas. In introducing Pence, Jeffress said “President Trump, we love you,” and continued by indicating “we are hoping and we are praying” that Pence would be re-elected vice president and then become president himself.

After praising Pence as a “a man of faith, a man of prayer,” Jeffress said: “Mr. Vice President, I know I probably shouldn’t say this — but my congregation knows that has never stopped me — there are millions of Christians in this country just like me who are hoping and are praying that when you have finished your term of vice presidency in 2024 that you don’t move [interrupted by vigorous applause] . . . We’re praying that when you finish your term in 2024, we don’t want you moving out of the West Wing. We just want you to move down the hall a few doors and continue to build on the legacy of the most faith-friendly president in history!” [huge applause]

Such a blatant political endorsement during a church function, clearly signaling from the pulpit who a pastor wants to win not only in the 2020 but also in the 2024 election, is in violation of IRS rules, FFRF points out.

Pence addressed the congregation as part of the church’s “Celebrate Freedom Sunday” annual service. Other politicians introduced included prominent Republicans such as Texas Lt. Gov. Ken Paxton, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Housing Secretary Ben Carson, who also spoke. With waving flags, patriotic music and the other politicians being singled out, the event had all the trimmings of a campaign appearance.

*snip*

[Dem2theMax]

1. I think I just lost my appetite for dinner.

[crickets]

2. "blatant political endorsement during a church function, clearly signaling from the pulpit

who a pastor wants to win not only in the 2020 but also in the 2024 election, is in violation of IRS rules"

Who is surprised? Anyone?