Pastors not muzzled

Saturday, May 16, 2009
CAP: IRS VICTORY: Pastors Can Speak Out on Issues!‏

Despite attempts by some to silence pastors and churches on the important moral issues of our day, this week the IRS upheld the rights of a group that held public policy conferences for pastors in 2006. The pastors were encouraged to vote their values and to encourage their members to register to vote and to vote their values. The IRS found that this did not qualify as "political intervention" and therefore did not jeopardize the tax-exempt status of the nonprofit group that held the conference. This ruling is a victory for free speech and means that, once again, the right of pastors and churches to speak out on moral issues has been affirmed. Pastors can fulfill their biblical duty to address moral issues without fearing repercussions from the IRS.


Out-of-Wedlock Births on Rise
In a room full of ten American babies, it is likely that four of those children were born to a single mother. The latest reports from the National Center for Health Statistics show that out-of-wedlock births are sharply on the rise, currently at 40% of all births. That number has doubled since 1980. The sharp increase results from women in their 20s and 30s intentionally deciding to have children without getting married. This news yet again shows the devaluing of marriage in our culture. It also shows how much our society has moved away from the knowledge that children do best with a mom and a dad. Note that this isn't about single parent households resulting from death or divorce. No, this increasingly new societal norm says it no longer matters whether children have a mom and a dad. Yet study after study continues to show that the best way to raise a child is with two married parents. Better school performance, less drug use, and more successful futures are just a small sampling of the overall benefits typically received by children raised by their married parents instead of cohabitating or single parents. Read more on our blog.