Should Churches Remain Tax-Exempt?

[Losty]

Will not god provide?

Apparently not.

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Fuck him.

Mini please :'(

[robvalue]

Yes, jesus said several times in the the bible that if you pray for something, you will get it.

So if a Christian is whining on a forum about something, then either:

1) They have long since realized Jesus was lying and haven't even tried praying for it

2) They have already been praying for it, God ignores them and jesus' promise. So they think that they can accomplish something their God cannot or will not, by slagging off atheists.

Either way, pretty pansy religion you got there. Fed up with me? Pray that I shut up! Pray I become a Christian! Go on, I dare you!

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Let the tap dance begin, take it Michael Flatley!

Oh he meant it metaphorically? Like, it was a metaphor for the exact opposite of what he said?

If you pray to a sack of potatoes, carefully note the results when compared to Jesus, you'll find exactly the same success rate on average.

[robvalue]

You also may have heard this before:

I OFFERED A PRAYER TO GOD

I asked for strength.
God gave me difficulties to make me
strong.

I asked for wisdom.
God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity.
God gave me brawn and brain to
work.

I asked for courage.
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for patience.
God placed me in situations where I
was forced to wait.

I asked for love.
God gave me troubled people to help.

I asked for favors.
God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I asked for.

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Oh wait. Michael flatly didn't do tap dancing. Pretend I said someone else, and it was really funny. Doesn't impact my argument too much.

[strawdawg]

US churches* received an official federal income tax exemption in 1894, and they have been unofficially tax-exempt since the country's founding. All 50 US states and the District of Columbia exempt churches from paying property tax. Donations to churches are tax-deductible. The debate continues over whether or not these tax benefits should be retained.

Proponents argue that a tax exemption keeps the government out of church finances and thus upholds the separation of church and state. They say that churches deserve a tax break because they provide crucial social services, and that 200 years of church tax exemptions have not turned America into a theocracy.

Opponents argue that giving churches special tax exemptions violates the separation of church and state, and that tax exemptions are a privilege, not a constitutional right. They say that in tough economic times the government cannot afford what amounts to a subsidy worth billions of dollars every year.

I think the smaller churches that struggle to pay the light bill should remain tax exempt. The mega churches should be taxed like every thing else, they're a money generating entity and the people that run them live large.

[rexbeccarox]

Churches need to prove that what they do is in line with not-for-profit status. It's ridiculous that some of these churches get to make as much money as they want, and not have to prove that they're earning that right, like any other non-profit and/or charitable organization does. Why does woo get special treatment?

I'm all for granting tax deductions when a religious organization can prove it's doing charitable things; I just think that if you claim you should be exempt from taxes, you should be able to back that claim up.

[robvalue]

Damn straight.

Religion's not big on backing up claims, huh.

[strawdawg]

Damn straight.

Religion's not big on backing up claims, huh.

It's an old game, selling pie in the sky while becoming very wealthy. The best preachers are usually the best showmen. They need to be taxed.

[Nope]

Churches, especially mega churches do make a profit. They are selling their believes to you for your tithe and donations. Religion is their product.

Nope, they do not sell me religion, I do not practice religion. What I give to the church is voluntary, it's not a requirement. If religion was sold then one would be obligated to pay for services rendered.

If we taxed churches, smaller ones would probably be exempt because they don't make much profit after they pay for things like electricity and the cost of the building but the very large churches would either have to start doing physical charity like actually feeding the hungry or they would pay taxes.

You have no idea what the bigger churches do if you don't they feed the poor and do many other community services the local governments want do or can't afford to do.
Like I said earlier if you want to tax the churches then you will have to accept we will be back in the schools, courts and any other government services you do not want us in, separation means just that. Taxing the church will make us like all others, all inclusive.

GC

If larger churches do enough physical charity to be considered nonprofit, good for them. Now let them file the paperwork just like every other nonprofit. They shouldn't be above the rules

You must have ignored what I wrote. Christians are currently in the schools, courts and government services. Name me one organization that the individual Christian can't say a prayer or read a bible while visiting. Guess what? There isn't one. Christian students can pray during school and they can read their bibles. They can't disrupt the other students, of course, by forcing someone to pray with them. Teachers can not lead the students in prayers because that would be conceived as a government official favoring one religion over the other. That would not change. Let me repeat that in bold letters. THAT WOULD NOT CHANGE.

Name one specific instance in which there would be a change in the current policy of government not favoring one religion over the other. Go ahead. I dare you.

[robvalue]

Other religions? What, the made-up ones?

[Thumpalumpacus]

As if you're not trying, and in some cases succeeding, already?

Why, then, are you complaining about this discussion?

Believe me, if you try to stuff your church into my son's schools, you'll see what the fuck a loudmouth can do. Dipshit.

Tax the church we'll been in his school soon after.

You'll try to be ... just as you are trying now without the taxation.

This is exactly why I think your church should be treated just like any other business.