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Any funds that churches use as a charitable organization, that should be tax exempt. Just like the red cross, and other charities, that income is tax exempt until it is spent on growth of the organization, or administrative.
The same thing should be with churches. All money for charity, should be tax exempt. However, if that money is used to build a huge mega church, or hire some high dollar preacher from another town to come in, or anything of the like, that should be taxed just like any other business.
Shall the federal government get into the business of deciding what is or is not charity, what constitutes a mega church or which rabbis, pastors, priests and imams are too well paid?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
"Free exercise" means just that; the freedom to exercise ones religion without government interference. Taxation would definitely be interference.
Shall the federal government get into the business of deciding what is or is not charity, what constitutes a mega church or which rabbis, pastors, priests and imams are too well paid?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
"Free exercise" means just that; the freedom to exercise ones religion without government interference. Taxation would definitely be interference.
Who gives a f*** what it is. There is a significant portion of the population who are sick of the churches, especially the religious right, trying to influence public policies. If they want to remain tax exempt, tell them to practice their religion and shut the f*** up when it comes when it comes to politics. Simple as that... What would a modern day Thomas Jefferson do?
Who gives a f*** what it is. There is a significant portion of the population who are sick of the churches, especially the religious right, trying to influence public policies. If they want to remain tax exempt, tell them to practice their religion and shut the f*** up when it comes when it comes to politics. Simple as that... What would a modern day Thomas Jefferson do?
Because of certain religions' involvement in influencing public policy, I would have a really difficult time in voting for an observant Catholic or Mormon for POTUS. Those are 2 religions that have butted in far too much in governmental doctrine.
Shall the federal government get into the business of deciding what is or is not charity, what constitutes a mega church or which rabbis, pastors, priests and imams are too well paid?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
"Free exercise" means just that; the freedom to exercise ones religion without government interference. Taxation would definitely be interference.
Don't they already determine what charity is? The Red Cross and other charitable organizations get taxed on any income that isn't used for charity.
Taxation isn't interference. Churches enjoy the same roads and government supplied protections that the rest of us do. They should have to pay taxes on that. Build a new church, fine, that income gets taxed, as well as property tax and everything to go along with that.
There are many churches who operate as a business, not a church. They make more money then they pay out, or well more money then they need.
I would say no. A lot of churches, synogogues and mosques run the hospitals and schools in our country. Let's keep it that way, it takes the sudden burden off of taxpayers for more public hospitals, public nursing homes, public schools, etc etc etc
Last edited by aspiesmom; 10-25-2010 at 07:58 AM..
[quote=africanboy;16388158]Who gives a f*** what it is. There is a significant portion of the population who are sick of the churches, especially the religious right, trying to influence public policies. If they want to remain tax exempt, tell them to practice their religion and shut the f*** up when it comes when it comes to politics. Simple as that... What would a modern day Thomas Jefferson do?
Well, the real Thomas Jefferson, along with the rest of the Founders, anticipated retards coming along to attack the rights of others and gave us a bill of rights.
Don't like it?
You and your "significant portion of the population" amend the Constitution.
Don't they already determine what charity is? The Red Cross and other charitable organizations get taxed on any income that isn't used for charity.
Taxation isn't interference. Churches enjoy the same roads and government supplied protections that the rest of us do. They should have to pay taxes on that. Build a new church, fine, that income gets taxed, as well as property tax and everything to go along with that.
There are many churches who operate as a business, not a church. They make more money then they pay out, or well more money then they need.
You've got two problems. The first is the Establishment Clause and the other is the Free Exercise Clause. The federal government has no authority and is expressly forbidden to tax any religious organization. They also cannot tax free speech, assembly, redress of grievances or the press.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by momonkey
You've got two problems. The first is the Establishment Clause and the other is the Free Exercise Clause. The federal government has no authority and is expressly forbidden to tax any religious organization. They also cannot tax free speech, assembly, redress of grievances or the press.
Really?
Where in the Constitution is taxing religion "expressly forbidden"?
Have 'establish' and 'tax' been somehow held to be the same thing?
SInce a church can file for bankruptcy protection like any other business why should they not be taxed as such?
You've got two problems. The first is the Establishment Clause and the other is the Free Exercise Clause. The federal government has no authority and is expressly forbidden to tax any religious organization. They also cannot tax free speech, assembly, redress of grievances or the press.
I remember reading that the federal government can't pass any laws respecting any religion, and they can't prevent the free exercise thereof.
That does not mean no taxes can be levied against them, as long as they are equal across every group, and not singling out one group or another.
Well, the real Thomas Jefferson, along with the rest of the Founders, anticipated retards coming along to attack the rights of others and gave us a bill of rights.
The real Thomas Jefferson was in France sipping wine with revolutionaries ("palling around with terrorists", in modern lingo) and tumbling Sally Hemings when the Bill of Rights was introduced. He approved of the Bill of Rights, but had no part in its adoption.
James Madison was responsible for the introduction and eventual passage of the Bill of Rights, just as he was mainly responsible for the Constitution.
Alexander Hamilton and other founders opposed the Bill of Rights, for various reasons.
Getting back to the actual issue, the Supreme Court ruled in 1970, I believe, that tax-exemptions for churches were permissible under the First Amendment. They have never ruled that they are obligatory, or that taxation would destroy the churches' free exercise.
The "free" in "free exercise" does not mean gratis.
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