Ron Johnson Jr.: Speaking Freely from the Pulpit-PBS blog has video of interview of Pastor in video below. He makes some excellent points especially. Must see interview!!!

Wow!!! Check out footage of one of these pastors preaching on Pulpit Freedom sunday!!



Update from last week on the Pulpit Initiative see, What Big Media doesn't want you to know about? Historic Sunday in Churches across the nation and 20 recent First Amendment Case Victories.

Dale Schowengerdt on the Drew Mariani Show discusses ADF’s Pulpit Initiative: Churches have led every major social movement in this country-"ADF attorney Dale Schowengerdt appeared on the Drew Mariani Show to discuss ADF’s Pulpit Initiative.
The mp3 file is here and runs just over 16 minutes."

ADF releases names of pastors who participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday-"31 pastors participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday, with two more scheduled to participate in the near future. Today, ADF will begin monitoring any IRS investigations that result from the participating pastors’ sermons,” Stanley explained. “ADF will oppose any attempt by the IRS to use the Johnson Amendment to remove a church’s tax-exempt status because a pastor exercised his constitutional right to engage in religious speech from the pulpit. The goal is to have the Johnson Amendment declared unconstitutional.”...A list of pastors who participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/PFSparticipants.pdf."

How Successful was Pulpit Freedom Sunday?-"ADF Attorney Erik Stanley appeared on the Bob Dutko Show to address the question: How Successful was Pulpit Freedom Sunday?
The mp3 file is here and runs just over five minutes.
One News Now also carries this report that quotes ADF attorneys Gary McCaleb and Erik Stanley: Pulpit initiative regarded as successful."

Gary McCaleb on the Frank Pastore Show: IRS vagueness silences churches-"ADF attorney Gary McCaleb appeared on the Frank Pastore Show to discuss the ADF Pulpit Initiative.
The mp3 file is here and runs just over 19 minutes.

Gary McCaleb on KTSA Radio, San Antonio: Politicians shouldn’t get a pass from moral scrutiny-"ADF attorney Gary McCaleb and Pastor Stephen Broden of Fair Park Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas appeared with Ken Wall on KTSA Radio to discuss ADF’s Pulpit Initiative.
The mp3 file is here and runs just over 13 minutes."

Dale Schowengerdt on Reach FM with Janet Folger: Did pastors participating in the Pulpit Initiative break the law?-"ADF Attorney Dale Schowengerdt appeared on ReachFm to discuss ADF’s Pulpit Initiative. Janet Porter formerly known as Janet Folger also appeared.
The mp3 file is here and runs just over 8 minutes."

Pastors Defy IRS Rules, Back Candidates-"In direct challenge to IRS rules, a legal defense group has encouraged pastors from across the nation to use their pulpits to endorse political candidates.
Tax laws currently bar pastors from such public endorsements and doing so could cost a church its tax-exempt status.
"These pastors are sending their sermons to the IRS, and inviting the IRS to take a look at the issue.," Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley."

Alan Sears: When Government Gets A Hold of Our Churches-"
They called it “the Boston Tea Party.” Dozens of American colonists, disgruntled with the tea tax being imposed by the British government, expressed their displeasure by boarding merchant vessels and dumping tons of tea into Boston harbor.
They made an impression, and the self-proclaimed “Sons of Liberty” were roundly denounced by the king, the royal governor, and even many members of Parliament who had, up until then, been supportive of the colonists’ plight.
The colonists were not especially dismayed. To their minds, it was the government that had gone overboard.
And that was pretty much the sentiment expressed this past Sunday in pulpits all over America . . .
The pastors’ point? That churches were tax-exempt long before the IRS even existed. It’s not a “privilege” the government can just take away. It’s a right guaranteed by the Constitution . . ."

Erik Stanley on Moody’s Chris Fabry Show: ADF Pulpit Initiative, the beginning of a movement-"ADF attorney Erik Stanley appears with Pastor Jody Hice of Bethlehem First Baptist Church on Moody’s Chris Fabry Show to discuss the ADF Pulpit Initiative.
The mp3 file is here and runs just over 18 minutes. The record picks up the show in progress."

Indiana: Local pastor defies IRS code, preaches politics from pulpit-"On Sunday, Johnson preached about political candidates from the pulpit in apparent defiance of a federal tax code amendment, and condemned Democratic nominee Barack Obama for his support of abortion rights and civil unions for gay couples. The Washington Post published an article about it Monday . . .
Johnson insists his sermon was an expression of “moral right and duty” he argues is protected by the First Amendment.
“If a candidate is promoting things that God calls wicked, that the Bible calls wicked, it is my job to say that is wicked,” Johnson said. “Christians should be challenged by pastors to make sure they are voting from the Biblical world view.” . . ."

Fr. Pavone: Pulpit Under God's Authority, Not Government's-Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, commented today on the "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" that a group of pastors observed this past weekend, in which they spoke about the moral qualifications of candidates for public office, with a freedom that they maintain the IRS is wrongly taking from pastors.

"This effort is not about bringing politics into the pulpit; it's about getting government out of the pulpit," Fr. Pavone explained. "It should be Church authority, not government authority that determines the criteria for how pastors should address politics."

Lynn v. Sekulow: IRS regulation of church speech-"Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State has this article on BeliefNet: Bullies in the Pulpit Challenge Law. He writes: “It seems to me that all this posturing is just one more effort by the so-called “Religious Right” to gain more clout. It is about its incessant effort to tell how Americans should act from the moment of conception until the moment of death (which you guys also want to define, by the way).”
Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice offers this counterpoint: “Big Brother” Has Got to Go. He writes: “Barry, we both agree that our constitutional tradition continues to recognize the freedom to speak from the pulpit about the moral issues of the day. We obviously disagree, however, on whether “Big Brother” government surveillance, investigation, and punishment of churches due to the content of their speech should be stopped once and for all. The thought of Washington bureaucrats sifting through sermon recordings should be unsettling for all people of faith.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State files IRS complaints against Pastors-"The AP reports: “But Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State didn’t wait for that: The group filed complaints Monday with the IRS about six pastors whose sermons were detailed in media reports.”

Americans United Asks IRS To Investigate Oklahoma Church That Endorsed McCain-"Americans United for Separation of Church and State has issued this press release. It reports:
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate an Oklahoma church whose pastor called for the election of Republican presidential candidate John McCain from the pulpit last Sunday.
The Rev. Dan Fisher, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Yukon, Okla., trumpeted his endorsement in a press release issued by his church . . .
This is the seventh church that Americans United has reported to the IRS for endorsing candidates as part of the ADF scheme . . ."

Two more First Amendment Victories and more cases

See What Big Media doesn't want you to know about? Historic Sunday in Churches across the nation and 20 recent First Amendment Case Victories. That totals now 22 victories in the last 4 months.

New York

Settlement secured for groupbarred from expressing faith in N.Y. park-"On July 25, 2006, Jews for Jesus members attempted to enter John J. Burns Park with the intent of distributing literature and speaking to individuals about their faith. Upon arrival, they were met by the Commissioner of Public Safety for the town of Oyster Bay, who stated that the town supervisor had given him orders to call the police to issue an arrest summons if group members handed out even one piece of literature.
Police on the scene ordered that members stop distributing literature. When one member noted that she was only interested in speaking about her faith, she was escorted from the park. The officer stated, “It’s not even about the ordinance as this point; they just want you to leave.” Members were also informed that there was no permit process for the distribution of literature in public parks and that they could face a citation for trespassing if patrons were “offended” by the message.
A Jews for Jesus member who returned to the park Aug. 1 to continue her activities was escorted from the area and charged with a violation of the town code.
Because the town has agreed in the settlement it approved June 24 to respect the First Amendment rights of the Jews for Jesus members, ADF attorneys have filed a voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit.
A copy of the original complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Jews for Jesus v. The Town of Oyster Bay is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/JFJComplaint.pdf.

North Carolina

Hickory, NC officials agree to respect constitutional right to share faith-"On June 27, 2008, the Boyds and two friends attended the Hickory Alive Festival, a local event in the downtown plaza that was open to the public. Although the four acted peacefully while distributing literature and sharing their faith, festival organizers claimed that such activities were not permitted during the event. The Boyds were eventually arrested and charged with trespassing.
After being contacted by the Boyds, ADF attorneys sent a letter to Hickory officials asking for assurance that the religious free speech rights of all Christians would be protected in the future. Since the incident occurred, Hickory officials agreed to protect those rights, and also held an in-service training session for local police officers on relevant constitutional rights to prevent any further problems.
ADF-allied attorney J. Denice von Gnechten of Charlotte provided assistance with the case.
A copy of the letter sent to Hickory officials by ADF attorneys is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BoydLetter.pdf. The city’s response may be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BoydResponse.pdf."

Maryland

Justice Department Sues DC Transit Authority For Religious Discrimination-"Washington Business Journal reported yesterday that the Department of Justice has filed a Title VII religious discrimination lawsuit against Washington DC's Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Suing on behalf of Gloria Jones, a member of the Apostolic Pentecostal faith, the complaint alleges that WMATA violated its obligation to accommodate religious beliefs when it refused to hire Jones because her religious views require her to wear long skirts. This is inconsistent with WAMTA's uniform requirements that call for drivers to wear pants. According to the Justice Department's release on the case, the complaint "seeks an order requiring WMATA to reasonably accommodate and provide equal employment opportunities for persons whose religious practices require an accommodation to the uniform policy..., monetary damages and other relief...."

Virginia

Pastors Rally for VA Police Chaplains-"Pastors from across Virginia gathered Wednesday in support of six state police chaplains who resigned amid a controversy over praying in the name of Jesus.
Last month, the state police superintendent asked chaplains to offer only non-denominational prayers at public events and ceremonies.
In response, 86 pastors and Christian leaders signed a letter sent to Gov. Tim Kaine, calling on him to overturn the decision. Supporters of the letter gathered near the state's capitol in Richmond, Wednesday.....Rex Carter, one of the troopers who stepped down as chaplain, explained to CBN News why he resigned.
"My faith, my Bible teaches me that I serve a personal God," he said. "I have a personal Savior, a personal relationship with Christ. And so to deny Christ in prayer, whether it's public or private, goes against what I believe personally the Bible says."
The pastors say they are prepared to move on with a state-wide prayer rally next month, depending on how Gov. Kaine responds.
"This could impact the national election, since Virginia is such a close race," former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt explained. "These 86 pastors pledged to mobilize their people to vote accordingly, so the courage of these six police chaplains who were forced to resign because they prayed 'in Jesus' name,' could turn America's head on Nov. 4."...A copy of the pastors' letter will be available here http:/www.PrayInJesusName.org/, beginning Oct. 2."

Virginia governor endorses ban on ‘Jesus’ prayer-"WorldNetDaily reports:
Gov. Timothy Kaine of Virginia has affirmed his support for a new statewide policy under which state troopers serving as chaplains will not be allowed to pray “in Jesus name,” explaining that he can pray “without mentioning Jesus.” . . .
As a result, a coalition of pastors from a wide range of Christian groups and church denominations across the state is planning a rally Nov. 1, just three days before the fall elections, to protest the move that resulted in the resignations of six of the state’s 17 trooper chaplains . . ."
California

ADF sues Yuba Community College after student arrest threatened for sharing the Gospel-"On Feb. 27, Yuba College student Ryan Dozier arrived on campus to attend class and briefly share a Christian message to fellow students, engaging them through tracts, a sign, and conversation. Dozier was approached by a campus police officer, who told him he needed a permit for such activity and that he would be arrested and face expulsion if he continued. The college allows “free speech” only on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., with permission required two weeks in advance.
Less than three weeks later, Dozier received a certified letter from the college accusing him of assembling without a permit and violating school policy. The letter informed Dozier that his activity was the subject of a district police department crime report and that further violation of the directive and Student Code of Conduct would incur further discipline, including expulsion from college.
“A student peacefully exercising his First Amendment right to speak on campus is committing no crime,” Hacker explained. “Yuba College is the one running afoul of the law by unlawfully censoring Christian student speech on campus.”
In addition to the lawsuit, ADF attorneys are asking the court to suspend the problematic policies while the case moves forward in court. A copy of the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of California in Dozier v. Houle is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/DozierComplaint.pdf."

International

U.K. Court Recognizes Threat to Christian Converts-"A U.K. immigration court of appeals has for the first time recognized the life threatening circumstances of Muslim converts to Christianity by granting asylum to a Syrian evangelical Christian couple.
In an unprecedented victory, the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ) helped a young couple (whose identity is being withheld for security reasons) gain refugee status in the United Kingdom on Monday.
The court recognized that the couple would face real physical threats, including death, if they return to Syria, the country of origin of the husband. The appeal was granted on both asylum and human rights grounds.
“This is a significant and groundbreaking decision that clearly puts the focus on the fact that many converts to Christianity from Islam face real danger including the ultimate penalty of death,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of both the ECLJ and its U.S.-based affiliate the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), in a statement."

Christian Legal Society, Advocates International, and Advocates North America, Announce the 2008 Christian Lawyer Global Convocation in Washington, DC-"Beginning Monday, October 6, 2008, and continuing through Sunday, October 12, 2008, the Christian Legal Society, Advocates International, and Advocates North America, will co-host the 5th Christian Lawyer Global Convocation at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The historic conference will draw more than 1000 attendees, including 500 Christian attorneys, judges, law professors and law students from 100+ nations, 200 law students from 33 U.S. Law Schools, and hundreds of Christian attorneys, judges, law professors and their spouses from 35 states.
Regional Christian lawyer groups from six continents will also hold meetings, including: Advocates Africa, Advocates Asia, Advocates Europe, Advocates Latin America, Advocates North America and Advocates Oceania.
The Convocation will focus on six major global substantive issues: Religious Freedom, Peace and Reconciliation, Justice for the Poor, Laws of Life, Family & Community, and Integrity under the Rule of Law. On Wednesday, October 8, following a plenary address by Pepperdine University Law School Dean Kenneth W. Starr, there will be six Global Task Forces meeting to address these issues and discuss future plans and strategies....About the Christian Lawyer Global Convocation: Please see http://www.globalconvocation.org/."

Hindu State: Purging Christians from Orissa-"In this remote eastern region of India, Hindu radicals are accused of a deliberate and systematic campaign to eradicate Christians from the land.
"Every single Christian denomination has been attacked, our schools, our colleges, our orphanages. Everything that Christians own --Christian homes, Christian institutions, Christian churches-- have been attacked," said Dr. Richard Howell of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. "The idea is to eliminate Christians from Orissa."Click play for comments from James Standish of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom, following CBN News Sr. Reporter George Thomas' report....Violence began a month ago when a Hindu leader was murdered here. Hindu fanatic groups held Christians responsible for it and went on the rampage.
Some 4,000 Christian homes and 400 churches were destroyed. Events in Orissa triggered violence against Christians in a number of other states.
At the root of the conflict say Christian leaders are efforts by Hindu radicals to stop lower-caste Hindus known as Untouchables or Dalits from converting to Christianity."