The IRS wants to know why this pastor owns five houses but pays no taxes (quote, Biblical)
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Why do you care what pastors do? Separation of church and state right? Oh wait, you want it to be a one way street. Get all up in the business of churches while demanding that every single thread of religiosity be scrubbed from the public view and office. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.
If churches pay taxes then churches can endorse politicians and lobby lawmakers.
If the pastor pays taxes, we can build socialist roads and schools--not to mention fund other socialist programs like police and fire...
We do pay taxes. What is exempt is our housing allowance or parsonage.
Okay, so I'll address the Elephant in the Room:
Is it reasonable for a pastor to own five parsonages? For what purpose does she need that many homes? Does she not like the parquet floor in the first four?
If she's giving away 80% of her exempt monies to charity, and she still has enough left to own and support five parsonages, why doesn't she set an example for her flock and display some humility by living in just one?
So, yeah, I'm asking the same questions the IRS is asking: what in the world is going on?
WTH does a pastor need five houses as "parsonages" for? Really? The religious tax exemptions need to disappear; this type of abuse is just too prevalent, and the churches are doing nothing to correct it by themselves. As such, it is time for "We the people" to do it for them.
No exceptions. Take it all away, and if the church is to stand on its own, the parishioners that see value in it will provide. If not, too bad. The abuse has gone on long enough.
For once, you post an expose' that gets even me twisted up!
Wow...what a scam! Terrible. The people are getting shafted!
In the interest of what is fair and just, something needs to be done about this! And post haste!
If she's giving away 80% of her exempt monies to charity, and she still has enough left to own and support five parsonages, why doesn't she set an example for her flock and display some humility by living in just one?
So, yeah, I'm asking the same questions the IRS is asking: what in the world is going on?
This kind of thing manifests in different ways in different congregations. I was church shopping once and ran across a recently established church of maybe a couple hundred members where the young pastor already had a snazzy new Corvette and a blinged-out wife. I ran, and did not walk, from that church. I got the impression that the people saw the pastor as hip, successful, visionary, bold, edgy ... or something like that. In other words they were aspiring on some level to his implied promise of godliness married with plenty. Even though this wasn't overtly a "prosperity gospel"-teaching church, the only way I can think of for a pastor to get away with living high on the hog (and, of necessity, demanding generous contributions from the working stiffs in his congregation) is to teach that you, too, can be blessed like that.
In short, greedy pastors attract greedy parishioners. And when they are emboldened by getting away with more and more largesse, and get more and more hero-worship from their followers, they start to believe some of their own BS and think they are impervious to the attentions of the IRS.
In fairness, that conceit is not unique to Christians. Every criminal enterprise eventually overreaches and runs into the long arm of the law.
Sadly the Corvette-coveting pastor was not unique in my experience. Another church I attended for a bit was trying to diversify into a senior facility in which they were selling "shares" to members, very similar to the scandal that brought Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker down. I bailed on that one, too. Later, after I left the faith, I knew some people who attended a church that had some kind of Ponzi investment scheme going that bankrupted dozens of families, disgraced the pastor, and left a half-finished church building (one of those ugly, utilitarian "pole barns" that evangelicals tend to favor) as a blight on a major street corner I was obliged to pass daily. They couldn't even afford to tear it down.
There were of course a dozen or so other churches I was part of that were not into that kind of thing. I'm in no way suggesting that all, or even most, such churches are of that ilk. But it's ALL too common.
Exactly how are they abusing the system? Joyce Meyer says that over 80% of their revenue goes directly to charitable functions and events. She has become a very popular speaker because a lot of people gravitate towards the truth of her message. She doesn't charge admission for her speaking engagements either so I don't see how she is cheating the government here. It's not her fault that people made her very popular and bought millions of copies of her books.
Why should a Christian have to pay for supporting anti-Christian policies and laws like planned parenthood? It's not your money. It's the government's money. That's why.
Is it reasonable for a pastor to own five parsonages? For what purpose does she need that many homes? Does she not like the parquet floor in the first four?
If she's giving away 80% of her exempt monies to charity, and she still has enough left to own and support five parsonages, why doesn't she set an example for her flock and display some humility by living in just one?
So, yeah, I'm asking the same questions the IRS is asking: what in the world is going on?
We do pay taxes. What is exempt is our housing allowance or parsonage.
Why should housing be a tax exemption for clergy? This is a personal use/benefit, in the same at that the money you earn and spend on food and clothing is for your personal use. The food and clothing money is taxed, why shouldn't the housing allowance be taxed?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffbase40
Exactly how are they abusing the system? Joyce Meyer says that over 80% of their revenue goes directly to charitable functions and events.
She says this, but does she prove it? Churches don't have to release audited financials, so we have to question her claims unless she chooses to go above and beyond what the IRS requires and voluntarily release the books.
I suspect very strongly that the costs of the personages is included in the alleged 80% for charitable functions. Probably other things that most of us would criticize are included as well.
Personally, I don't respect any pastor. But I have an added level of contempt for those who appear to be conning their congregations.
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