Politicking from the Pulpit: Should Religious Leaders Endorse Candidates?

Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md., is participating in his third Pulpit Freedom Sunday, a protest against an IRS law that forbids religious leaders from endorsing political candidates. Jackson has declared his support for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The movement, which began in 2008, has grown to include 1,400 American pastors. Opponents of the movement, such as the Rev. Stephen Gentle of National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., say that these endorsements can cause disunity among the congregation.