The Pulpit Initiative

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The Pulpit Initiative is a legal effort designed to protect the First Amendment rights of pastors in the pulpit.  As part of the effort, pastors participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Sunday, September 28, 2008, delivered to their congregations sermons of their own that applied Scripture to the subject of candidates for government office.  The sermons were part of the effort to restore a pastor’s right to speak freely from his pulpit without fearing censorship or punishment by the government.  By standing together and speaking with one voice, it is our hope to recapture the rightful place of pastors and churches in American life.

Resources:

Bibliography of Law Review Articles
The Pulpit Initiative: What It Is and What It's Not

News Releases	Opinion Commentary	News Coverage
ADF prepared to defend churches against possible IRS free speech investigations (9/29/2008) Pulpit Freedom Sunday (9/25/2008) ADF announces new initiative to reclaim pastors' First Amendment rights (5/9/2008)	U.S. News and World Report, 11/10/2008 IRS Should Not Keep Churches Out of Politics Christianity Today, 10/6/2008 Who is in Charge of Our Pulpits? Fox Forum: Fox News Blog, 10/3/2008 Government Has No Business Being in the Pulpits of America Townhall, 10/2/2008 When Government Gets A Hold of Our Churches Montgomery Advertiser, 9/27/2008 Tax exemption churches' right Washington Post/Newsweek, 9/25/2008 Pulpit Initiative about freedom, not politics Washington Times, 9/25/2008 Revenuers vs. religion? Los Angeles Times, 9/22/2008 - 9/26/2008 "Pulpit politics" dust-up online debate Columbus Dispatch, 9/22/2008 Yes: First Amendment transcends a tax code that prohibits free speech USA Today, 9/18/2008 Let churches exercise right to free speech Townhall, 9/8/2008 IRS rules don't trump the Constitution	Fox News/Associated Press, 10/16/2008 Black pastor challenges IRS with pro-McCain sermon WORLD, 10/10/2008 Pulpit politics Crossville Chronicle (Charles Haynes), 10/9/2008 Inside the First Amendment: How would Jesus vote? The Missoulian, 10/7/2008 Politicking from the pulpit not so clear Wichita Times-Record News, 10/6/2008 When do winks and nods become illegal? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Patrick McIlheran), 10/4/2008 Preachers should have their say Wall Street Journal, 10/3/2008 Provoking the IRS, Preachers Address The Bully Pulpit Wall Street Journal, 9/29/2008 Partisan Sunday sermons test federal tax laws Washington Post, 9/29/2008 33 pastors flout tax laws with political sermons Arizona Republic (E.J. Montini), 9/28/2008 Sermon on the stump: Pastors to violate IRS law Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 9/28/2008 Pastor challenges IRS regulations on endorsement Associated Press/ABC News, 9/28/2008 Protesting pastors back candidates from the pulpit Washington Times, 9/27/2008 Churches to defy IRS on sermons New York Times, 9/25/2008 Ministers to defy I.R.S. by endorsing candidates Christianity Today, 9/25/2008 Endorsing from the Pulpit National Public Radio, 9/24/2008 Pastors to preach politics from the pulpit