Ministers Threatened with Jail/Fines For Refusing to Officiate at Gay Weddings

[Jenny A]

The real question in my mind is whether religious organizations should have tax exempt status just because they are religious organizations. I think the answer to that question is no. Only separate charitable, political, or educational arms of a church should have tax exempt status and that status should have the same requirements as those for secular organizations including anti-discriminatory laws. Granting them tax exempt status simply because they are churches is the establishment of religion.

- bolded by me

Suppose a church could not afford to pay its property tax. Would the government then be entitled to seize the church and auction it off? Wouldn't such a seizure deprive the members of the church the ability to worship God as they see fit?

Keeping churches tax exempt makes it a little easier to maintain the church/state separation in my opinion.

It would deprive the church members of their real property as would failing to pay their mortgage. You see the right to worship does not include the right to pay less for the facilities to do so than others. Tax exemptions for churches is essentially government sponsorship of churches. The church pays no property tax and yet the property tax funded fire department is expected to come and the tax supported police are expected to investigate thefts on the property and so on.

Further, giving churches a tax exempt status puts the government in the unhealthy role of deciding which churches represent "real" religions.