U.S.: It's state vs. the church

We hear a lot these days of the benefits to the church of having a 501 (c) 3 status. The 3 being the decision factor by a particular church to effectively muzzle its public voice in the misguided belief that it will receive special tax relief in certain cases.

In remote instances that may be of only insignificant importance in church finances compared to the church and members losing at the pulpit a hugely significant amount of First Amendment rights to areas of political discussion, a others do enjoy at the local pub and many other public places.

Churches prior to 1954 enjoyed a freedom to join in the public debate in all fields of political debate, but one Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson felt the need to muzzle the church and since this time on the church body has had a hushed opposition to the continued regulation of the church finances which belong to God and his people, and not to the state.

The churches would do well to work together to bring about the release of their constitutional rights from government control. Some churches do this already, but it takes a radical change in the decision-making bodies of the church to bring about the old church freedoms prior to the 1954 and basic freedoms that most Christians do not now enjoy.

ROY DITEMAN

Hayden