It's been roughly a week since the IRS announced their new interpretation of the so-called Johnson Amendment, supposedly "freeing" preachers to endorse candidates (or criticize them) by name from the pulpit.
The move was celebrated by conservatives, who have long believed that hostile left-wing activists have used veiled and unveiled threats against the tax-exempt status of churches to keep ministers and Sunday School teachers silent on matters of politics.
But while many right-wing commentators see a golden era of a reinvigorated "moral majority" on the political horizon, I expect this all to amount to, well, bupkis.
Don't misunderstand, I think the Johnson Amendment has always been a vaguely defined menace to free speech, wielded erratically by undisciplined politicians.
Consider that for the persistent warnings about "churches crossing the line" that emerge regularly from MSNBC, The New York Times editorial board, academia and elsewhere, in the entire history of its existence, the Johnson Amendment has been used precisely once to strip a church of their tax-exempt status. It happened three decades ago.
This, despite the fact that in 2008, the conservative legal group Alliance Defense Fund (now Alliance Defending Freedom) organized "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" - an annual event where churches have been encouraged to challenge IRS restrictions and openly talk about political candidates from their pulpit.
How many of those churches have lost their tax-exempt status?
Zero.
In other words, the only ministers and churches deterred by all the silly "Johnson Amendment" talk have been the ones who had no desire, inclination, or conviction to mention candidates by name in the first place.
A true minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ operates under an authority far greater than the IRS, and would not be deterred or fearful of offending the tax nannies if he felt conviction from the Holy Spirit to address a political cause, candidate, or election directly.
For proof of that, consider the conduct of many traditional black churches, who for decades have not just been endorsing and celebrating Democrat politicians from their pulpits, but actually inviting them to come occupy them in the lead up to significant elections. I may not agree with their ideological preferences, but I appreciate those church leaders for their unwavering acknowledgement that religious expression supersedes IRS manipulation.
Faithful churches and bold ministers have already known that and thus will simply yawn at the IRS finally catching on to the way things are supposed to work. Fearful churches and intimidated ministers aren't likely to change either - playing it safe and anxiety over giving offense is their gospel.
That's why I just can't get on board with conservative commentators like The Blaze's Sara Gonzales who anticipates something big on the horizon:
'The ramifications of this are going to be so far-reaching,' she says on her 'Unfiltered' program. 'I don't think people understand how far-reaching it can be if the pastors in America take their balls back.'
What's actually going to be far-reaching is something entirely different.
Once the pulpits of America are aflame again with the righteousness of God over compromise with the world, promoting personal holiness over personal comfort, concentrating on the discipleship and spiritual depth of their individual, local brothers and sisters over headlining conferences and getting published - that is what will transform the culture.
When a majority of the culture is transformed by the Spirit of the living God, candidates that are actually worth endorsing will start appearing on the ballots.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
