OPINION: CHURCH INVESTIGATIONS

In response to the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to reprimand churches that allegedly conducted illegal political activity during the 2004 election cycle, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, in Washington, has promised to give free legal aid to groups that want to defend their actions, a move supported by Brendan Miniter in an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal. If the IRS continues its investigations, the “danger here is that church leaders will cede the right to discuss the big moral subjects of the day in an effort to avoid touching on a political debate,” says Mr. Miniter, assistant editor for the newspaper’s OpinionJournal.com. Read The Chronicle’s story about the IRS inquiry. (A paid subscription is required to view the Journal article.)