Trump Orders Strong Tax Protections for Religious Organizations - White House

US Department of the Treasury does not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization that speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective, according to President Donald Trump's executive order on religious liberty.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Donald Trump's executive order on religious liberty includes protections for religious groups with tax-exempt status that engage in political speech, according to the text of the order released by the White House on Thursday.

"The Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure… the Department of the Treasury does not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization [that] speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective," the order stated.

In particular, the Treasury Department was ordered not to impose any tax or tax penalty or deny a tax-exempt status to religious organizations for political speech.

The order also forbids the Treasury Department from denying religious groups tax deductions for donations to political groups.

US law prohibits tax-exempt religious organizations and churches from intervening on behalf of or in opposition to political candidates.

Trump also ordered the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services secretaries to consider amending current law and allow employers not to pay for medical coverage of contraception, sterilization or abortive drugs if they object on religious grounds.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump said the new order would ensure the federal government did not penalize anyone for their constitutionally protected religious beliefs.