Yearly cost of religious tax exemptions

[Angrboda]

I don't get you guys. First I said most churches don't use it for personal gain, which you said was irrelevant, but now you say it is relevant to whether they are non-profits or not. Churches are organized to provide a free service, not for personal gain, so what are you guys complaining about? They're perfectly eligible.

Well, first of all, we're not all one monolithic block of "guys" that speak with one voice. (Some of us aren't even guys. )

Beyond that, you'll find a mixture of experience and knowledge of the subject, along with a mix of approaches. If I were to suggest the three main approaches in play, they are normative/ethical (what should be), common sense interpretive (using "common sense" definitions to reconstruct the question), historical/legalistic (exploring the legal history and its reasons).

There are a couple that are left out, I think. One is philosophical; what is the theory behind having these organizations classed separately. And comparative: how do nations around the world differ in their handling of these issues (or different periods in history, again comparative).