Do Religious Organizations Have A Freedom Of Speech

I read an article of how the IRS is threatening a liberal church with withdrawal of its tax exempt status for preaching against the Iraq War and Bush's tax cuts. The IRS is credited with giving the following warning to the church. The IRS warned the church in June that its tax-exempt status was in jeopardy because such organizations are prohibited from intervening in political campaigns and elections.

According to the research I have done in seems that an amendment was passed by Congress in 1954 at the urging of Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson whom had trouble with an opponent assisted by two tax exempt groups. In all the years since Congress has not seen fit to withdraw this amendment.

I would give the government its due in that if you make a deal with the devil, then do not be surprised at the cost. The government in this case made a contract with the religious organization in that they gave the organization their tax exempt status in exchange for the later not making political speech among other reasons. Therefore no violation of the right to free speech as it is part of an exchange of goods and if the church backs out of the contract they are free once more to say what they wish.

There in one flaw in the above argument that the government can demand anything of those they sign a contract with, and that is that the United States Constitution also includes a preamble which governmental officers have sworn to uphold. The preamble holds them to several action, of which one is "to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity" which they would be violating if they write a contract that deprived Americans of their freedom of speech or religion. So in conclusion, the amendment of Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson is unconstitutional because it deprives non-profit organization of the freedom of speech a freedom they need to further the service they provide for the community.