Should churches have their tax exempt status removed?

Bravo! Nice reality check; a star for you.

Has it occurred to anyone that tax-exempt status for churches and religious organizations is perhaps the only practical thing that is keeping the "hard" dominionists in check? The "take this country back for Christ" folks who, if it was up to them, would run the country on the Bible (and a fundamentalist interpretation of it, at that)? They're already well-funded and not without considerable influence, but they are constrained in their activities. I sometimes wonder if dominionists are actually encouraging sentiment toward removing the tax-exempt status. It certainly would be to their benefit.

Individual politicians bringing their personal beliefs along with them to the job is one thing. Empowering dominionists is quite another. Even under the present constraints they have managed to become influential by stopping just short of them. Frankly, they disturb me.

If more people educated themselves about dominionism (rather easily done in this information age) they would feel much less threatened by a Sarah Palin-type politician who has no desire to re-write the Constitution in Biblical terms than a Mike Huckabee -- who co-authored a book with George Grant, the author of what is essentially the dominionist manifesto:

"Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ - to have dominion in the civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness. But it is dominion that we are after. Not just a voice. It is dominion we are after. Not just influence. It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time. It is dominion we are after. World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish." (The Changing of the Guard, Dominion Press, 1987).

I agree, Churches should be taxed like any other organization property tax, income tax etc. Also the exemption for Priests and Pastors from paying Social Security should also be abolished. Of course all of these books, tapes, videos offered on these TV shows - yours for a small donation of whatever should be subject to sales tax. A tax exemption amounts to a subsidy and the US should not be involved in subsidizing religion or anything else for that matter, if it cannot survive in the free market it should be allowed to pass. That being said, If the US government were shrunk down to it's constitutional limits a large proportion of the taxes being paid to the Federal Government would be unnecessary and neither the individual or the churches would have to pay an income tax.

Churches are a sector of our society that relieves some of the government's burden due to charity work. The government shouldn't burden them with taxes since the Christian non-profit sector eases a lot of burdens on government agencies.

I'm opposed to the law that will not allow pastors to endorse politicians or address legislature, which was added to the IRS tax code in 1954. I don't agree that the IRS has a right to remove a church's tax exempt status if they are vocal in politics. If you look in the OT a number of prophets were vocal against their government, like Jeremiah.

There are a group of pastors attempting to challenge the tax code on free speech grounds. Here's an article about that.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.vie...

I don't think churches should pay taxes; I think the laws that forbid churches from speaking out on political issues is in contrast to freedom of speech. Also, churches don't pay taxes because they are non-profit, and you would need to do the same to all non-profits. If you tax religious institutions that would include seminaries, and you would drive up the cost of tuition.

The pastors of half of all churches in the U.S. have to be bi-vocational because the congregations cannot support a full time pastor, and you want to add a property tax burden on them. They already pay payroll tax. Taxing churches is an all around bad idea.

Good point.

Church employees already pay income tax on their income, and money given to the Church is spent or given away, so there would be no or very little "Corporate" income tax paid.

That leaves Property tax as the only vehicle in which to tax Churches.

Property tax supports local expenses, one of the largest being Schools.

If you are going to charge the Church Property taxes, then you would have to also include the Church based Schools in distributing revenue on a per student basis. Right now faith based Schools do not get any public money even though the money comes from the same people that are sending their kids to Private Schools.

Our Church would come out WAY ahead.

I've read that story recently. Churches are actually listed as non-profit organizations, too. And thats why they are not allowed to preach from the pulpit. Its only fair. If the church wants to try and be a political platform then, it must forfeit its tax-free status. The church leaders aren't willing to do that, though. Lol.

And on a flip side. How would it you feel to have your church tell you who you have to vote for, because God said so? Thats crap. All that would end up happening is that the churches will be even more divided than they already are. Its really a bad idea all the way around.

Separation of Church and State is the only way.

There is no scriptural basis for organized "churches". The pattern shown in the Writings is one of groups in a location meeting together without a synagogue or temple in view as in the past. Homes are frequently mentioned as meeting places for the early Christians.

It is questionable whether Christian involvement in political and social reformation is the will of God. The call to the ecclesia, the Church, is one of ambassadorship, not activism. As a representative of the spiritual sphere we occupy, ours is to make the declaration of God being conciliated with the world through His Son known to all, and let the rest unfold through the direction of the One "Who operates all things according to the counsel of His own will".

If the Jews, with all the promises and advantages provided to them through the Covenant, could not succeed in politics and religion, even with the direct influence of the Holy One, how is it possible for those who know not God to succeed in these things?

Tax exemption for organized religious activities may be a consolation to those involved in such activities, but it should be of little concern or bearing on one who has become a son or daughter of the Living God.

How about taxing them in a different way.

Taxing them to buggery, but not giving them any of the aforementioned benefits.

Seriously, those guys are getting too uppity, if it results in a few inbred hick style churches failing, i'm for it. And it will weaken the bigger ones. Did i mention the taxation rate should be 20%? And all funds directed into scientific research?

I think it's a very bad idea. Separation of Church and State is important for the State as well as for the Church.

in the way i see it, there really is not a definite separation of church and state. if there was, then why do we have a sunday law? if you don't know what i am talking about, then ask your self why the post office will not work on sunday. its because of the sunday law. why on the first day of the week when God said seventh day? I will tell you why, the devil has a strong hold of the world, and demands we worship on the first day, sunday, that is why there is no real separation of church and state, its nothing but a smoke screen...

S.D.A.

They already control the government without paying taxes! Haven't you heard all the politicians falling over each other to prove their christian background!