Gay Marriage Referendum: Churches, Politics, And Tax Exempt Status In Maryland

Since 1954, when congress passed a law that prohibited tax exempt charities and churches from political campaign activity, there has been an increasingly hands-off relationship between churches and politics. Churches until that time were the leaders of the great movements in American history, including the issues of our independence from Britain, slavery, women’s suffrage, labor law, and civil rights.

In Maryland, the Democrats have always and continue to utilize the black churches as a platform, while churches outside of Baltimore City and the most liberal districts cower under the threat of losing tax exempt status. How this polarity came to pass in one-party Maryland can only be surmised, but this year may see the start of a closing of that partisan gap in pastoral fear.

The Maryland Marriage Alliance (MMA), which is not a tax-exempt organization, has partnered with MDPetitions.com to lead the referendum petition against the Gay Marriage bill in the state. Its primary strategy has been to work through the churches across Maryland to hold petition training and signing events after masses and at other church functions. It has reached black churches which have been out-of-reach to the Republican Party for decades, although blacks very often agree with conservative issues, especially in the religious black community.

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