by Chuck Baldwin, Chuck Baldwin Live:

Last Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) that ostensibly relaxes enforcement of the Johnson Amendment–a 1954 amendment to the 501c3 Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that places churches under the regulations of non-profit organizations, thereby restricting their political speech and activity. For over sixty years, pastors and churches have labored under the threat of the loss of tax exemption should they run afoul of the 501c3 tax law. Trump said his EO is designed to give pastors and churches more liberty to exercise their freedom of speech without risking the wrath of the IRS. Obviously, it would take congressional action to actually remove or overturn the Johnson Amendment.

I personally think Trump’s EO is a step in the right direction–as far as it goes.

Of course, obvious Republican shills such as Tony Perkins are gushing all over Donald Trump for his decision. Perkins said, “No longer will the IRS muzzle the speech of pastors and non-profit organizations and the Department of Justice will address the host of other anti-religious policies and actions launched by the previous administration by issuing guidelines for all federal agencies. The guidelines will ensure religious beliefs and actions are respected and protected.”

“The open season on Christians and other people of faith is coming to a close in America . . . .”

Like too many Christians and conservatives, Perkins is just another toady for Trump–and a man consumed with the phony left/right paradigm. Republican presidents have been as culpable in the escalation of Big Government and the evisceration of constitutional government as Democrat presidents. And Trump himself has already committed many grave sins against the Constitution–sins to which Perkins is blind.

And predictable liberal lackeys were quick to denounce the decision. The ACLU put out this statement: “The actions taken today are a broadside to our country’s long-standing commitment to the separation of church and state.”

Of course, the ACLU version of the First Amendment is anathema to everything America was founded upon and to everything the First Amendment was intended to protect.

Most readers know that the phrase “separation of church and state” is contained in NO founding document: not the Declaration of Independence; not the Constitution; and not the Bill of Rights. The phrase is taken from a personal letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to some Baptist folks in Danbury, Connecticut. The letter simply acknowledged the People’s right to freedom of religion and that, under the U.S. Constitution, the state had no authority to abridge that right.

The religious freedom clause of the First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In other words, there can be NO STATE CHURCH in America as there was in Great Britain and in several of the colonies in America previous to our War for Independence.

No sooner than the words were out of the congresswoman’s mouth, and DNC Chairman Howard Dean fumed, “This is a disgrace. Gabbard should not be in Congress.”

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