Should Churches Remain Tax-Exempt?

[Heywood]

To convince me that it would be constitutional to tax churches you would need to show:

1)The tax would not impede the free exercise of religion.
2)The state has a compelling interest in taxing all persons equally(I'm figuring that a church is a person for purposes of law).

What part of treating equally situated persons equally, is not compelling to you? Equality before the law is a compelling interest.

And frankly, I don't see how taxing organizations for churches for money collected would prohibit the free exercise of religion. If money is necessary to exercise religion than all taxes that affect the pocket books of religious persons impede religion. Impede is not the standard. Prohibit is.

The state does not nor is it in its interest to tax all persons equally. High income people are in a higher bracket than low income people. Blind people get an exemption that the sighted do not. People who buy electric cars get tax breaks that I do not. If anything the state has a compelling interest to tax different persons differently.

Impede is to obstruct and the intent of the First Amendment was to forbid the state from passing laws which unnecessarily obstruct speech, press, or religion. It simply is not necessary for the state to tax churches. Can you demonstrate that it is necessary for the state to tax churches?