Should Churches Remain Tax-Exempt?

[Minimalist]

...."And, everybody Hates the Jews."

[Rob216]

I don't think that they make homeless people pray before they give them a hot meal...

No, but the church services themselves and the promotion of religion are defined as charity by the IRS. That is the problem.

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Agreed

[Nope]

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Pastor do have to pay income tax, social security tax and whatever other taxes are deducted from a paycheck. Pastors can have political conversations with there congregation and do.

Pastors are not allowed to urge their congregation to vote for candidates .

[

I do not know any case of students forcing other students to pray, I do know there has been many times students have been stopped by teachers from praying.

Unless the student was somehow disrupting class by praying loudly, then the teacher overstepped his/her bounds and was in the wrong. Can you provide a link to a case where a student was not allowed to pray?

All religions that are taxed would be able to display there religious symbols and creeds on public property, they would be able to carry out prayer in local government as part of their proceedings. School lead prayer at ball games, prayers to start the day of school and ect. I'm not calling for government to favor one religion over another, I've just been defending the Christian church because it's the one atheist always go after.

I'm not certain if homeroom would be long enough for your idea to work, GC. Besides it is the parents of religious students who would not want their child to say prayers to Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Ganesh etc.

[TubbyTubby]

Really, want impede the practice of religion, refusing prayer in school,

For the love of god, the word you are after is 'Won't' not fucking 'want'. It's easy to overlook the rest of your spelling and grammar shite but please, if you only take one thing from this forum let it be the lesson of how to use 'won't'.

[robvalue]

I'm going to take a stab and say that the reason churches still get away with this exemption is that they have such a big hold over politics, even when not actively sticking their nose in. USA presidents have to pay lip service and pretend to be Christian even if they're not. (I know this is not technically true, but realistically they know a majority of the voters are ignorant Christians who think atheists are the least trustworthy people in the country).

So they want to get elected, and they want to stay in power once there. So removing this special treatment would undermine their voter base by pissing off ass wipes who are too used to getting their own way.

Am I close?

And if you think it's OK for people representing the government to spout religious drivel in schools, then you should be prepared for a scientist to come into your church to teach evolution. Or for a Muslim to come in and tell you why you're all wrong.

Hypocrites.

[Heywood]

I'm going to take a stab and say that the reason churches still get away with this exemption is that they have such a big hold over politics, even when not actively sticking their nose in. USA presidents have to pay lip service and pretend to be Christian even if they're not. (I know this is not technically true, but realistically they know a majority of the voters are ignorant Christians who think atheists are the least trustworthy people in the country).

So they want to get elected, and they want to stay in power once there. So removing this special treatment would undermine their voter base by pissing off ass wipes who are too used to getting their own way.

Am I close?

And if you think it's OK for people representing the government to spout religious drivel in schools, then you should be prepared for a scientist to come into your church to teach evolution. Or for a Muslim to come in and tell you why you're all wrong.

Hypocrites.

Negative.....you are not even close.

The reasons Chuches have tax exemptions is because of the First Amendment of our constitution.

[The Grand Nudger]

The first amendment does not grant tax exemption to churches, nor does it require that such an exemption be granted. The first amendment isn't even the reason that -state and local- governments decided...early on, to grant this exemption......even now, churches are not automatically exempt, nor is their continued exemption assured once acquired. They must meet the requirements, they must follow the rules. This is tax code shit (the federal bit - though there is a slippery slope SC decision from the 70's..I think..which made it difficult to investigate and prosecute exempt churches when they are suspected of a crime), what is or is not eligible for exemption - why- and what it may do. That some "churches" sleazed their way into that set and now abuse it is unsurprising - but it's really just run of the mill fraud/evasion - not an issue of constitutional rights.

[Tonus]

So they want to get elected, and they want to stay in power once there. So removing this special treatment would undermine their voter base by pissing off ass wipes who are too used to getting their own way.

Not necessarily. The political power would still be there, and it would probably be more concentrated in the hands of the larger and more affluent churches. In fact, taxing smaller churches could benefit larger ones in the same way that onerous regulations can protect large entrenched businesses; it makes it tougher to survive as a small church, and the disenfranchised members would likely be integrated into the larger ones.

Those larger churches would have the double benefit of extra political influence along with the perfect political topic to promote: the "ongoing persecution of religion in America." My guess? They wouldn't use it as a way to repeal the taxation of churches, but as a way to force religion deeper into secular life.

[The Grand Nudger]

If an exempt church endorses or opposes a candidate they've violated their agreement as exempt bodies. Yank it.

A church can do either of those things, and they have -often vociferously-(sometimes illegally). They simply cannot do them as a 501c3, an exempt church.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Negative.....you are not even close.

The reasons Chuches have tax exemptions is because of the First Amendment of our constitution.

[Citation needed]