Churches want to turn American democracy upside down by advocating for representation without taxation. To meet the requirements of tax-exempt nonprofits, churches and secular 501(c)(3) charitable organizations “may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates.” Yet, according to the Freedom Forum Institute , it is common for religious organizations, primarily Christian, to endorse candidates and influence legislation by continuously lobbying Congress. Christian lobbying of Congress has given us “In God We Trust” stamped on U.S. coins since 1864. In 1954 the phrase “under God” was added to the pledge of allegiance, thanks to extensive lobbying by Billy Graham, a very conservative Christian leader. In 1956, thanks again to Graham’s evangelical lobbying, Congress added “In God We Trust” to our paper money, and the phrase became the national motto. Because of conservative Christian lobbying, every session of the House and Senate is subjected to a prayer, predominately Christian. The Congressional Prayer Caucus, a conservative Christian group and an official caucus of the U.S. Congress, meets each week Congress is in session to pray that the bills they sponsor become law. […]
