Churches get tax-exempt status because they perform charitable acts. All charitable organizations get tax-exemptions, religious or not. They still get taxed on things that have nothing to do with their mission.
"My life has taught me that true spiritual insight can come about only through direct experience, the way a severe burn can be attained only by putting your hand in the fire. Faith is nothing more than a watered-down attempt to accept someone else's insight as your own." -Damien Echols