Should Churches be Taxed?

[Niroshi]

If they want to dabble in Politics then yes.

[Calfredd]

If I understand it right the exception is supposed to be because they're considered non-profit charities, but megachurches spend basically all their money on themselves, but at the same time I'm pretty sure a horribly corrupt, inefficient charity is still legally a charity.

Wouldn't mind Televangelists also be taxed especially the ones who, in front of their audience, bragged about using the donated money to buy private jets and large houses.

[Powerogue]

Believe it or not, this is the Biblical way of handling churches.

It went something like "if you've got 2+ people and a tent to sit in, you have a church."

edit: I think this is it. "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." -Matthew 18:20. Oddly enough very hard to find, almost like it's not one they pay much attention to.

[Rasulis]

Page one of this threat seems to agree. Guess its one of those obvious things, that just somehow wont get changed anyhow.

How good is the religion lobby in America :>?

How good? The US never had a non-Christian president. That's how good.

[Najnaj]

They are in most places...not sure why the US insists to give them a free pass. All the "do good" churches would still operate in the same way anyway. The Salvation Army for example sinks all their cash into poverty relief so not much left to tax.

It is a system that is just begging to be abused. Any religion worth its name is not going to try to make a big profit so the tax exemption only benefits the people that it should not benefit in the first place. "Church" of Scientology and TV preachers living big by abusing a system.

[Rudkobing]

No because its a fucking church.

/shrug

/fades into the shadows

[Kaleredar]

haha, yeah, cause the church never makes money

They still have facility upkeep and employees to pay.

As do other non-profit organizations. They don't get free water and power or free custodial services or free maintenance and so on and so forth.

[oxymoronic]

We live in a modern world now, and places of worship have gotten a free pass for too long. I think it is time that they start coughing up some cash to uncle Sam like everyone else.

this has to be one of the few times i think i will ever agree with you. silly we dont tax the business known as religion.

[Beardless Man]

If so, then all religious locations should be taxed.
Not only just churches, but any known religious building should follow suit. either all, or none of it is okay.

[belfpala]

Yeah, a similar argument to the taxation requires representation. But they'll say something similar to taxing their Church would be an attack on their right to believe what they want freely.

If you want to even go there, it opens all of the arguments. All of them.

As landholders, in my city, they are providing nothing beyond what other landholders provide. They only exist because of a mystical book they sell and the mythology it teaches. It's literally just Barnes and Noble asking for tax exemptions because of Harry Potter.

Fuck.

[Grauk]

Anyone that thinks churches are not already heavily involved in politics has never run for office in the south, west, east, or north parts of the United States or worked for a political campaign in any of the same. Having the support of a pastor especially of large churches or influential churches i.e. predominantly black/hispanic/or heavily attended synogogues, is a huge, huge, huge plus to any campaign, as a pastor/rabbi that supports them may not specifically say to vote for the candidate but when they show up at a dsinner, speech or rally every single person in their congregation listens. One of the major campaigns here won, because the candidate campaigned almost exclusively for the support of pastors, got their support and they swayed their congregations. Sorry, but churches are deeply involved in politics in 90% or more of the United States, and yet they are still somehow tax-exempt. Tax churches and let them cry to their God about it.

[vindicatorx]

We live in a modern world now, and places of worship have gotten a free pass for too long. I think it is time that they start coughing up some cash to uncle Sam like everyone else.

Yes, never should have not been. As they continue to scam people for billlions a year tax free then proceed to have an inflluence in the American pollitical system it's way past time they be given the same penalities as any other corporation.

[PosPosPos]

How good? The US never had a non-Christian president. That's how good.

Trump isn't a Christian president. If you truly believed that I got a unicorn to sell you.

[LedZeppelin]

Separation of church and state. So no, churches should absolutely not be taxed.

[TheDestinatus]

They should, and all organisations associated with them. Fucking salvation army shouldn't get to avoid taxes just because they help people. Should tax every organisation by closing all loopholes. Hell, lets just tax everyone's income 100%, think of what we could accomplish. Its not like they will just frivolously spend all the extra money furnishing politicians. I'm completely unequivocally certain it will all end up going back into the public circle like it does now.

[kail]

Not on the same level as businesses, they are not designed to make profit (despite what people believe). And it should extend to all religious buildings, not just churches.

[vindicatorx]

We live in a modern world now, and places of worship have gotten a free pass for too long. I think it is time that they start coughing up some cash to uncle Sam like everyone else.

Yes, never should have not been. As they continue to scam people for billlions a year tax free then proceed to have an inflluence in the American pollitical system it's way past time they be given the same penalities as any other corporation.

[TheDestinatus]

Yes, never should have not been. As they continue to scam people for billlions a year tax free then proceed to have an inflluence in the American pollitical system it's way past time they be given the same penalities as any other corporation.

Its like you don't get how personal beliefs work whilst wildly flailing your own around. Even if a religious organisation did nothing when it came to the political system it would still have have an effect because its main influence group is its membership who you know, vote? What penalties do you believe that corporations/organisations suffer because I don't know if you've ever actually paid attention but the US political system is pretty much owned by special interest groups. You think taxing non for profit organisations is going to change that?

[Sunseeker]

Yes. Income is income. It doesn't matter if you spend it on fancy sound systems, building rentals or giving it to the poor.

But on the same token, I'm okay with church's preaching politics, provided that they're taxed like the rest of us.

If people are too stupid to understand that whatever candidate or policy is up for discussion is probably not divinely commanded, telling church's not to talk politics isn't going to help them.

[vindicatorx]

Its like you don't get how personal beliefs work whilst wildly flailing your own around. Even if a religious organisation did nothing when it came to the political system it would still have have an effect because its main influence group is its membership who you know, vote? What penalties do you believe that corporations/organisations suffer because I don't know if you've ever actually paid attention but the US political system is pretty much owned by special interest groups. You think taxing non for profit organisations is going to change that?

Lol, you think just because they are classified as a non profit they don't actually make one? As far as penalties I meant taxes. But sure please tell me how Creflo Dollar really needs his constituents to buy him a $65 million dollar private jet?