Churches aren't allowed to campaign for, endorse, or oppose any specific candidates during an election. But can they pray for a candidate to be reelected? The IRS has decided that official church services designed for prayers for a candidate's reelection are too much like campaigning for that candidate and, hence, a violation of a church's tax-exempt status.

World Net Daily reports:

The ruling comes in response to a request by the Christian Defense Coalition, which is in the midst of a 15-day prayer tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the organization, had planned to lead in prayer for a Bush victory during evening services in each town. Though he had hoped to hold the services in churches, Mahoney says he has used American Legion halls, hotels and other venues pending a clarification from the IRS.

Not everyone is pleased with this. Contender Ministries, for example:

Now the IRS is telling us what we can and can’t pray for!! It was bad enough when they told us we couldn’t include anything in our sermons that remotely looked like an endorsement of one candidate over another. For those out there who love to scream “separation of church and sate", that unconstitutional chant goes both ways. It’s a violation of the separation of church and state for the government to dictate matters of conscience and tell us what may be included in our prayer life.

Turns out, the above story isn't even true. Someone has been fibbing, it seems. Americans United reports:

A group called the Christian Defense Coalition claimed yesterday that the IRS had issued a letter warning churches not to pray for Bush's re-election. ... In fact, there is no such letter. Americans United contacted the IRS yesterday, and officials there denied that any such ruling has been issued.

In a conversation yesterday with Americans United's Church & State magazine, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, admitted that the IRS letter does not say churches can't pray for Bush. Mahoney also admitted that he hasn't even seen the letter in question. ... A source who is familiar with the IRS's reply described it as a "form letter" merely acknowledging the inquiry and enclosing a copy of the IRS guidelines for political activity by churches.

The Christian Defense Coalition's claims, Americans United asserts, are an effort to create hysteria in the evangelical community in advance of Tuesday's election. Asserted Lynn, "The bottom line is that there is no IRS letter telling churches they cannot pray for Bush. To be blunt, the whole story is a bald-faced lie."

Mahoney originally said "This is rank censorship If churches felt compelled to pray for Senator Kerry, they should be able to do that, too. Now we have the IRS not only limiting what can be said behind a pulpit in terms of electioneering, but churches aren't even allowed to pray the dictates of their consciences." Now Mahoney is saying that there is no letter about prayers and what letter does exist he hasn't even read.

So, is he lying?

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Church and State News
• Secularism 101