Pastor Holds Campaign Event for GOP Candidate Larry Elder During Church Service

Here’s what happens when the IRS doesn’t punish churches that violate the Johnson Amendment and endorse candidates for political office: They keep breaking the rule. By allowing them to maintain their tax-exempt status despite playing politics, the government is incentivizing having their cake and eating it too. As I noted earlier this month, only one church has been audited — and none punished — for endorsing candidates from the pulpit since 2008 even though thousands of churches did just that and dared the IRS to investigate them.

I pointed that out weeks ago because Pastor Greg Fairrington of Destiny Church in Rocklin, California had quite literally told his congregation to vote against Gov. Gavin Newsom in the upcoming recall election.

Now Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills is doing the same thing. On Sunday, he held what amounted to a campaign rally for the most prominent Republican in the recall race, Larry Elder:

… Until God comes back, He’s given us the opportunity to choose — to choose leaders — and California’s been groaning. And I just want to submit this to you: Don’t you think maybe it’s time where a particular party has had absolute unchecked rule and have crushed this state on every angle?…

There’s no indication Hibbs offered Newsom the same pulpit. Why would he when he’s asking “10 million” people to donate $10 each directly to Elder’s campaign and asking God to intercede on their behalf?

For what it’s worth, when Elder spoke, he falsely claimed the 2020 election was “unfair,” contradicting what he said last week before he realized he needed votes from deranged MAGA cultists.

Needless to say, if Elder wins, it would give him the power to appoint a replacement for 88-year-old Senator Dianne Feinstein should that opportunity arise. Keeping Newsom in office isn’t just better for California; it’s important for the sake of the country.

But to the point of this post, there is absolutely no reason this church should be allowed to keep its tax-exempt status. If Hibbs wants to play politics like this, then he has to stop pretending he’s running a church — with all the benefits offered to them by the government.

(via Right Wing Watch. Portions of this article were published earlier)