A new opinion poll shows most evangelicals are fine with the idea that their pastors preach politics from the pulpit. The survey found 47 percent of voters from that denomination are in favor of allowing pastors to engage in political activity while 34 percent are not.

The Morning Consult/POLITICO poll questioned 2,070 respondents from Feb. 2 to 4 wherein it turned out that 40% of evangelicals believe that churches should be allowed to endorse political candidates. Almost the same number (41%) from that same group think otherwise, though.

The survey result shows that evangelicals' views are in contrast with those of other faiths that generally hold on to the principle of separation of Church and State. It shows that 54 percent of Catholics and 69 percent of Jews share the belief that churches should leave politics to politicians.

Overall, 53 percent of Americans are of the view that religious organizations should have no business endorsing political candidates, while basically the same number (54 percent) maintain that the same institutions should not participate in partisan politics.

However, if the evangelicals will have their way, they have to get rid of the Johnson Amendment passed by then Sen. Lyndon Johnson in 1954. Under that rule, religious organizations that endorse political candidates face the risk of having their tax-exempt status revoked.

The Internal Revenue Service has not strictly implementation that law as some protestant pastors defy the ban by holding a "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" every year to endorse candidates. Other ministers express their preferred political choices on the pulpit without overtly mentioning specific names.

Politically outspoken pastors have found an ally with President Donald Trump who reiterated his campaign promise to repeal the Johnson Amendment at last week's National Prayer Breakfast. "I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment, and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution," he said during the event.