Why doesn't the church pay taxes?

Charitable organizations don't pay taxes in the US.

You don't have to say 'in god we trust' if you don't want to.

You can swear on any book, or no book, if want to.

Back in the early 50's, LBJ, (as a senator, the same LBJ who was sworn in after JFK was assassinated) made a back-room deal with church "leaders" of the day to stay out of politics in exchange for tax-exempt status.

The obvious result is everyone one else in a given neighborhood has to pay relatively higher taxes to make up the shortfall for however many churches or "tax-dodge" institutions happen to be located in a given neighborhood.

People who are paid money by a church are required to pay taxes on their "earnings", but most churches as a money sucking vampire entity, do not pay taxes except under certain circumstances and that's where some churches get into trouble with the IRS, when they violate their tax-exempt status and someone reports them or they fail to file the proper paperwork with the IRS and they get audited when someone notices somethings amiss, (besides the fact that religion provides only limited benefits to narcissists who require constant reinforcement of their "I'm special and I want a complete relative stranger to repeat this mantra to me on a regular basis because my ego is fragile and I want to be told pretty lies about after-death obsessed narratives, because I'm afraid to die because life is confusing to me, how come nobody worships my awesomeness.....").

1. Churches do pay tax. However, like other charities there are some tax breaks for them, because they are deemed to benefit society.

2. In most places, if you are a non Christian, you can swear on holy books other than the Christian BIble, or you can "affirm".

3. As for why you say "In God We Trust" - I don't know why you say it - only you can answer that.

churches do pay taxes, quite often their largest assessments are for property tax on downtown cathedrals. in their role as a charity, they get federal tax breaks the same as the Red Cross, or a Tea Party group. no one has to swear on a bible, you can chose to make a solemn affirmation instead. as to trusting God, i can say with certainty, that if saw him on the street, it would be "you and me, God, you and me".

The government is run by power-mad, sociopathic hypocrites. What else would you expect?