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The powers that be are trying hard to do away with the requirement that they are not allowed to do politics in church....
"President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at making it easier for churches to participate in politics, seeking to deliver on a campaign pledge to a community that overwhelmingly backed in him in last year’s election.
The order, which Trump unveiled with great fanfare in a Rose Garden ceremony, was cheered by some conservative Christians but seen as a disappointment by others, who said it fell short of the broader changes they wanted as part of a highly anticipated measure on religious liberties.
The order, Trump said, removes the financial threat faced by tax-exempt churches from the Internal Revenue Service when pastors speak out on behalf of political candidates. But some experts said it amounts to a mostly symbolic gesture with little likelihood of changing how the agency polices the issue."
Let's not pretend that government is going further away from this stuff - when, in fact, the complete opposite is true.
No way this government is going to care about politics with church money. Not for a NY minute.
I do not and have never supported Trump so I have zero interests in discussing him.
Just as those who make under $20K/year are taxed at a minimal or zero rate, it would seem that the small churches could be in a similar category.
If the soup runs a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, ... those expenses would be deductible as charitable expenses.
But there is no reason on God's green earth that the Catholic church or the Prosperity Churches with their pastors flying around on private jets should not be taxed.
I explained why they avoid property taxes. No one bothered to address my reply so you really are left with no argument here.
My yardstick for taxing or not taxing a church is whether or not the buildings/property are open to the public. When we give churches a tax break we are assuming some of their debt and wealth; we are now part owners and deserve to share in their wealth. There should be no private retreats for only the elite members. The classic example would be the Houston church that did not willingly allow those seeking refuge from the flood waters use of their property (they did rethink and opened the doors).
People stood up and condemned their actions, which was the right thing to do and as you note, they relented. No, it should not have taken that but it all worked as it should.
The church doesn't hold any responsibility for why The Donald is president. Hillary Rodham Clinton bears the responsibility -- for being who she is, and for the awful campaign she ran. Divisive and incompetent, and personally repugnant -- that's HRC to a tee.
Right now this is what much of this is about. "Evangelicals" didn't give us Trump. Obama and Clinton did. I do not see people demanding the tax advantages of Clintons "Foundations" end.
I'm going to give a simple answer rather than getting to involved in the subject. I answered "it depends". I say yes to taxation of "mega churches" and no to taxation of your average size "small town" churches.
In my opinion churches should be totally non-profit. All money brought in through tithes should go toward any bills the church itself incurs and the rest should be going to charity/missionary work. I would have no problem with requiring churches to provide records to the IRS showing how they use their money. Nothing annoys me more than seeing millionaire preachers, spreading the gospel while lining their own pockets.
Something I learned about the church: The Pastor told me he did not pay Social Security, Medicare or FICA in his paycheck. As a result, he said he will not be receiving Social Security.
He and his wife drive old cars, don't have expensive clothes and own a modest house. I don't think they bring home a big paycheck. I wonder if he could have paid in to the SSA on his own?
I'm going to give a simple answer rather than getting to involved in the subject. I answered "it depends". I say yes to taxation of "mega churches" and no to taxation of your average size "small town" churches.
In my opinion churches should be totally non-profit. All money brought in through tithes should go toward any bills the church itself incurs and the rest should be going to charity/missionary work. I would have no problem with requiring churches to provide records to the IRS showing how they use their money. Nothing annoys me more than seeing millionaire preachers, spreading the gospel while lining their own pockets.
Explain to me this "lining of their own pocket" where taxes are not paid.
The agreement is pretty straightforward. Churches have stayed out of politics in exchange for government leaving them alone. The technically non-existent "separation of Church and State" clause in the Constitution works both ways. If you want to treat religions like businesses, then schools can bring back school prayer and teachers can be just as religious as they want in their teaching. If you can tax Churches, then governments can choose to fund them and advocate for them whenever they see fit. Tax religions and they get to be as involved politics, government and everything else as they choose to be.
We have a pretty good thing going. Church and State are separate. Can we please leave it that way?
I agree with the separation of church and state.
However, many religious organizations have been sticking their noses in politics and government. Private schools can have school prayers and many do. I went to Catholic Schools and we prayed every morning and went to Mass on Wednesdays.
Public schools are supported by tax payers and should not have any religion in school.
The new tax laws are going to change the “charitable contributions” deduction. To be able to deduct your “tithing”, your total deductions have to be greater than $24,000. I’m happy about that.
We need to abolish deducting any and all contributions to religious organizations.
If you believe works are not going to get you into heaven then there is no need to tithe. If you still choose to do so because the one receiving the money (clergy) convinced you to do so, then that’s on you.
However, many religious organizations have been sticking their noses in politics and government.
The new tax laws are going to change the “charitable contributions” deduction. To be able to deduct your “tithing”, your total deductions have to be greater than $24,000. I’m happy about that.
We need to abolish any and all contributions to religious organizations.
If you believe works are not going to get you into heaven then there is no need to tithe. If you still choose to do so because the one receiving the money (clergy) convinced you to do so, then that’s on you.
Those who have no idea what they are talking about have little room to condemn others. The saying goes "Works alone will not get you into heaven".
I used to be against it. However, no organization should be this powerful, this influential on our politics, and this wealthy without being taxed. I think the church's political activism is going to result in, sooner or later, the inevitable. I think now is the time to start talking about it since the church shoulders most of the responsibility for Donald Trump and the current political environment. Maybe that tax money could help pay for universal health care, you know, something Jesus actually would be for?
we should do away with the tax exemption FOR ALL non-profits...including unions, and other politicos like media-matters, the rnc/dnc
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