Should Politically Active Churches Lose Their Tax Free Status?

Tax the churches on everything they make that they do not give to the poor and destitute.

If you are going to preach about politics, you gotta pay the taxes for that privilege.

Been discussions about that for longer than I've been alive, and I'm pushing 60. What you're talking about is a very Fine point. By First Amendment, the government is essentially prohibited from taxing a religion. And, essentially, religions ARE prohibited from being a political organization. (Churches cannot donate to political candidates or positions.)

But an individual, even though a member of a church, even the pastor, still has an idividual right to Free Speech under the same Amendment. And an entire religion, or segment such as a church, cannot be penalized for the individual view of one of its members, even if supported by many others in the religion.

While I dislike churches engaging in political activism, it really is their very survival that demands it. If the government were to try squashing one particular church just because the pastor wears pink robes, I don't care since I don't belong to that church. So it's up to the church to make a political stink in order to force the government to observe the First Amendment. The flipside? Churches go way beyond political tolerance and survival, but that's the cost of the First Amendment that protects YOU in your choice of religion.

President Grant said it best.

"I would like to call your attention to ... an evil that, if allowed to continue, will probably lead to great trouble.... It is the accumulation of vast amounts of untaxed church property.

-- :Ulysses S Grant (attributed: source unknown)

I believe the preceding was taken from a speech Grant made to congress. gm

"In 1850, I believe, the church property in the United States, which paid no tax, amounted to $87 million. In 1900, without a check, it is safe to say, this property will reach a sum exceeding $3 billion. I would suggest the taxation of all property equally."

-- Ulysses S Grant, from Rufus K Noyes, Views of Religion, quoted from James A Haught, ed, 2000 Years of Disbelief

Religion is the worlds largest industry. In America alone the income of religious organizations exceeds the combined income of the top five Fortune 500 companies.

I read this some where, but cannot remember where or the exact wording.

Dr Rowan Williams because of fact the Archbishop has a level of political authority besides provided that he's formally the Queen's priest and the homes of parliament's priest as properly. additionally particularly worth remembering is that interior the united kingdom there is not any separation of Church and state, the Church of england takes a decrease back seat in government affairs and in many situations leaves politics to politicians yet no longer because of fact they might desire to extremely because of fact they p.c. to, there are nonetheless after all Bishops sitting interior the domicile of lords. it is likewise particularly worth noting that the CofE alongside with many different Christian denominations (and positively many non Christian religions) have charity status because of charitable paintings they do, as an occasion feeding homeless people right here at domicile, offering medical look after the impoverished overseas etc etc you don't get charity status via merely claiming to be a faith. Dr Williams' public comments while speaking approximately political judgements are frequently him expressing his undertaking with regard to the unwanted outcomes mentioned judgements are having on the persons he's to blame for (that's each and every citizen of england btw in spite of in case you're no longer Christian) and as properly, the regulations in question would desire to be commented on and who greater efficient to realize this than somebody the government won't be able to silence.

Yes politics should be left to the polititions and church left to the preachers that is not to say polititions do not or do believe in god--and yes church and non profit organizations should be tax free==they help people in distress and do not ask to be paid for it--never did figure out that car

The Trinity United Church of Christ is now under investigation to lose their tax exempt status. I believe that is one reason Rev Wright retired when he did.

No. Churches are nothing but political units anyway. ALL churches should pay taxes on the money they make. Period.

Shouldn't political activism be kept from our classrooms, other than political science classes?