Well of course not -- the moderate wing of the Southern Baptists in Texas is lining up on the right left side of the issue here, so the usual fraudulent First Amendment claim doesn't apply.

Texas' largest Baptist group is taking a rare step into environmental advocacy, working to block Gov. Rick Perry's plan to speed the approval process for 18 new coal-fired power plants.

The Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is mobilizing Baptists against the coal-fired plants and urging the convention's 2.3 million members to voice their opposition to state lawmakers.

"A lot of people felt like our industries, our policy leaders, are going to take care of these big issues like air quality, (and) it's not going to be something our local people are going to have to get up every day and worry about," said Suzii Paynter, director of the commission. "It can't be left to big interests to make these decisions in our behalf."

Mind you, I'm not taking sides on the issue of coal-fired plants in this post -- there are good arguments on both sides of the issue, and I won't rehearse them here. What I am pointing to is the hypocrisy of those who argue that tax exempt religious groups shouldn't be involved in public policy debates -- right up until those groups make common cause with them.