Should Churches Remain Tax-Exempt?

[Thor]

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

And how would church goers be "forced to pay taxes again through their church"?

[Chad32]

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.

Yes, people who run a business need to pay taxes for their business as well as their private property. What's the issue?

[Godscreated]

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

Those are rights afforded all citizens, so now you are going to limit the freedoms of people based on taxes. Those things belong to all citizens, we are part of the "our" you are applying to yourself and other nonbelievers. Many soldiers have given much for this nation and many of them are Christians.

GC

[The Valkyrie]

Way to misrepresent what is said to play the persecuted Christian card.

Must be so hard to be a Christian in America these days.

Boo-fucking-hoo!

RJA

[Godscreated]

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.

We help the secular and the believers. If the Southern Baptist Church Relief did not exist, and the U.S. government had to make up for it it would cost them billions. I can't say for sure but I would believe that we help more secular people than believers, our people are already in the Philippines. They are always staged close if there's time.

GC

[Pablo]

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.

How do you come up with that?
Why can't a church pay taxes on what it takes in like any other business?
Why not restructure how the church uses the money rather than changing the laws?

[Godscreated]

Way to misrepresent what is said to play the persecuted Christian card.

Must be so hard to be a Christian in America these days.

Boo-fucking-hoo!

RJA

That's a atheist answer that means I actually can't dispute what you said.

GC

[The Valkyrie]

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.

How do you come up with that?
Why can't a church pay taxes on what it takes in like any other business?
Why not restructure how the church uses the money rather than changing the laws?

AS an employee I pay taxes, therefore the place I work for should not pay taxes.

Great logic there, huh?

I'm done responding to GC. It's like talking to a lobotomised monkey.

[Pablo]

Church takes in X gross dollars.
Church gives away (and must prove) Y in charity dollars.
Church pays tax on remaining dollars after Y.

Don't even get me started on the Vatican.

[Thumpalumpacus]

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.

That wouldn't tax religion, unless you're envisioning taxing the consumption of bullshit.