(December 10, 2014 at 11:04 am)Jenny A Wrote: Church buildings are subject to fire codes, building codes, not to mention zoning. With the exception of allowing churches to require some types of employees to be adherents to the faith, churches are subject to the same anti-discrimination laws as everyone else. They are also required to adhere to employment tax laws. What is different about requiring them to pay money on the amounts the collect from church members let alone on money made in church owned business and investments?
If suddenly churches were subject to property taxes many churches could not afford them and would be forced to shut down. This is obviously an major impediment to the free exercise of religion. Zoning ordinance are not such an impediment because there are always zones available where one can establish a church. Zoning ordinance and building codes are minor impediments.
Further the state could not effectively govern without applying zoning laws or building codes equally. However the state can and does effectively govern by not levying taxes equally. Why do blind people get a special exemption? Why do poor people pay a smaller percentage? Why do you get a credit for buying an electric car? Why do poor students who go into blue collar work immediately after high school start paying into social security while rich kids who go to college don't? The college kids will start paying into social security later and statistically they will retire earlier and collect it longer. Granting churches tax exempt status in no meaningful way prevents the state from governing.
