Should Churches Remain Tax-Exempt?

[dyresand]

This how a church should be if its tax free.
1. The church should be a non profit organization - most is so that's good
2. must use said donations and money and most not if all for the benefit of others
3. must not use status in a government organization
4. must not use any form of hate -> wbc is getting taxed
5. must acknowledge we are not a christian nation
6. having to look harshly on the cons of pro life <- i.e. rape victims having to keep their child
7. being accepting of other cultures beliefs and gods
8. stop talking about the end of the world
9. people do not want to hear about the devil so stop talking him him
10. acknowledge all the bad that is happening in the world and accept that religion is really to blame
11. stop blaming video games for violence as violence dropped harshly when violent video games came onto the market.
more to come

[Pablo]

NO! They should not have any special privileges.

[Chad32]

If people don't pay their taxes their homes and properties are seized. Why should churches be different? At least, if that happens, the attendees still have the option of praying in their homes.

When ever you tax something....you get less of it. Want to limit consumption of cigarettes.....put a tax on cigarettes. Want to limit the use of churches....tax churches. Our country was founded on a principle that the government wouldn't do anything unnecessary to limit the exercise of religion. Our country has been getting along just fine without the need of taxing churches for hundreds of years. If we continue to maintain tax exempt status for churches...our country will continue to get along just fine. Why should we violate the founding principles of this country just to satisfy the jealousy of a few atheist?

No, it hasn't been getting along just fine. It was founded as a secular society, but christians have become so entwined with education and politics that some people actually believe it was founded as a christian nation. They believe the first amendment only pertains to freedom of the christian religion.

The point of tax exemption of churches was the separation of church and state, which the churches have been ignoring for far too long.

[Heywood]

NO! They should not have any special privileges.

Ultimately taxes are paid by people. A building or land doesn't pay taxes....people do. By taxing churches you are adding an additional tax burden onto people for exercising religion. The first amendments forbids congress from establishing laws that unnecessarily burden people in the exercise of religion.

If you don't think this is fair, start pushing to repeal or change the First Amendment.

But really, all you need to do is re-structure the way people pay taxes in this country. A straight consumption tax would do it.

[Godscreated]

This how a church should be if its tax free.
1. The church should be a non profit organization - most is so that's good
2. must use said donations and money and most not if all for the benefit of others
3. must not use status in a government organization
4. must not use any form of hate -> wbc is getting taxed
5. must acknowledge we are not a christian nation
6. having to look harshly on the cons of pro life <- i.e. rape victims having to keep their child
7. being accepting of other cultures beliefs and gods
8. stop talking about the end of the world
9. people do not want to hear about the devil so stop talking him him
10. acknowledge all the bad that is happening in the world and accept that religion is really to blame
11. stop blaming video games for violence as violence dropped harshly when violent video games came onto the market.
more to come

So you're implying that the church should be state run, keep out of our business.

GC

[The Valkyrie]

This how a church should be if its tax free.
1. The church should be a non profit organization - most is so that's good
2. must use said donations and money and most not if all for the benefit of others
3. must not use status in a government organization
4. must not use any form of hate -> wbc is getting taxed
5. must acknowledge we are not a christian nation
6. having to look harshly on the cons of pro life <- i.e. rape victims having to keep their child
7. being accepting of other cultures beliefs and gods
8. stop talking about the end of the world
9. people do not want to hear about the devil so stop talking him him
10. acknowledge all the bad that is happening in the world and accept that religion is really to blame
11. stop blaming video games for violence as violence dropped harshly when violent video games came onto the market.
more to come

So you're implying that the church should be state run, keep out of our business.

GC

And you keep the fuck out of our governments, our laws, our education, women's rights, our science, our faces with your beliefs.

Oh, you can't?

Then be taxed!

Dr. RJA

[Thor]

By taxing churches you are adding an additional tax burden onto people for exercising religion. The first amendments forbids congress from establishing laws that unnecessarily burden people in the exercise of religion.

What? How is taxing a church a "burden onto people for exercising their religion?" Why shouldn't the church have to pay their fair share of taxes to support the local municipality? If anything, I'm subsidizing the church because the government has to get more money from me to make up for the cash they don't get from churches.

[Jenny A]

This how a church should be if its tax free.
1. The church should be a non profit organization - most is so that's good
2. must use said donations and money and most not if all for the benefit of others
3. must not use status in a government organization
4. must not use any form of hate -> wbc is getting taxed
5. must acknowledge we are not a christian nation
6. having to look harshly on the cons of pro life <- i.e. rape victims having to keep their child
7. being accepting of other cultures beliefs and gods
8. stop talking about the end of the world
9. people do not want to hear about the devil so stop talking him him
10. acknowledge all the bad that is happening in the world and accept that religion is really to blame
11. stop blaming video games for violence as violence dropped harshly when violent video games came onto the market.
more to come

So you're implying that the church should be state run, keep out of our business.

GC

No, the implication is that if a church is to avoid taxes it should be run for secular benefit. Otherwise it should be taxed like everyone else.

[Heywood]

By taxing churches you are adding an additional tax burden onto people for exercising religion. The first amendments forbids congress from establishing laws that unnecessarily burden people in the exercise of religion.

What? How is taxing a church a "burden onto people for exercising their religion?" Why shouldn't the church have to pay their fair share of taxes to support the local municipality? If anything, I'm subsidizing the church because the government has to get more money from me to make up for the cash they don't get from churches.

Presumably the people attending a church pay taxes, and then they are forced to pay taxes again through their church.

Remember when it comes down to it, in the final analysis it is always people who pay taxes....not property or buildings.

[Godscreated]

You guy's ready to foot the bill or will you make excuses to get around what the church does, by the way it will take an army of paid workers being paid a salary, plus travel and room and board, paper work out the rear.

Abso-fucking-lutely. If it prevents lobbying for anti gay legislation in Africa and the damnation of using condomns or birth control, there's a cause worth paying for.

I'd rather have my taxes going to the poor and needy than to some other obscure government projects.

You really think the government would cut other projects, they would up the taxes of the little man to pay for those things. Besides the money I give to the church has already been taxed.

GC

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Let's tax all the churches, that would include everyone, every kind, no exemptions for any religion. But then the government should make up all the monetary help the religions do in this country and abroad, the Christian church spends billions every year to help others, there is no telling how much the other religions spend. You guy's ready to foot the bill or will you make excuses to get around what the church does, by the way it will take an army of paid workers being paid a salary, plus travel and room and board, paper work out the rear. Just think about this the US government says it can't afford enough meat inspectors to keep our meat supply safer.

GC

all i really want to say tax churches i mean we could use the extra money to help schooling etc our military and in general just the people and try to work on not borrowing so much money and try fix our debt.

So you're saying to forget the needy, I'm not surprised.

GC

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Abso-fucking-lutely. If it prevents lobbying for anti gay legislation in Africa and the damnation of using condomns or birth control, there's a cause worth paying for.

I'd rather have my taxes going to the poor and needy than to some other obscure government projects.

^^^^^This^^^^^

Especially since many of these "services" provided by some churches require a prayer or a bible reading before any help is given. Conditional charity is not charity.

This is implication without proof, car to supply some actual proof. You ask it of me, have you set a double standard.

GC