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You do know, of course, that any profits generated generated by a church owned business not related to its mission (say a restaurant) are taxed. Those properties also pay property taxes.
I do, but do they prove their tithings are kept separate from these dealings? like the money taken in as tithing isn't put into business investments? no..
it allows someone to take advantage of people by selling them god.. and then creating their own private enterprise on the side... it's corrupt and against the concept of religion.. what business does a church have in running a restaurant? if the money is funneled around in such a matter.. then the whole organization needs to be taxed.. it's unfair competition as well.. nobody else in the private sector gets tax free income... to take out into the market and invest or create a business.. why should they?
if money is being taken in tax free.. it should not be used as an economic investment.. it should be for the goodwill of the community.. if it's not.. then it should be taxed when it was taken in initially.it's income. because that isn't a church.. it's a business
Reverand Haggard pays the same taxes as you do. Sales, FICA, income, etc.....
Never heard of him, but if he's a rich guy he probably pays more than you and I put together. Unless your rich????
And the budget is around $4trillion a year. 50 billion is peanuts. The best way to get the deficit under control is for the feds to stop spending more than they take in.
Most of the big Evangelicals pay few taxes, because they don't legally own very much. Their homes, furnishings, automobiles, airplanes, clothing, etc. are all owned by their church. They carry very little cash, and their credit cards are also owned legally by the church.
The same goes with the ultra-wealthy. Their trusts and charities own everything. Some are completely tax exempt, and some only partially tax exempt. It all depends on the many variables within the complicated exemption laws.
Exemption is one of the prices we pay for free speech and freedom to practice any religion (or none at all) we desire. It can be, and is, often abused. And since we are a people of many religions, the same applies for all. But this liberty is the first in our Bill of Rights, and we are never going to overturn it.
Freedom to practice religion is also the refusal of any single religion taking precedence over another. The founding fathers did not want to create a state that had any official religion, as Britain had.
It seems like here on C-D and all over the internet, many secular/nonbelievers are concerned about churches being tax exempt. Like always, Christianity and Christians are always being bashed and targeted.
Christians make up 75-80% of the US. Jews about 1-1.5%, Muslims less than 1%, every other religion probably less than that. And it's a shock to you that Christianity gets mentioned/targeted the most? Duh, it's the religion most people interact with on a daily basis. And Christians are the only region using the pulpit to dictate politics in any visible number.
Christians make up 75-80% of the US. Jews about 1-1.5%, Muslims less than 1%, every other religion probably less than that. And it's a shock to you that Christianity gets mentioned/targeted the most? Duh, it's the religion most people interact with on a daily basis. And Christians are the only region using the pulpit to dictate politics in any visible number.
Depending on where you live especially here in the Northeast, Jews have lots of power in everything
Most Jews are liberal and don't try to force religious beliefs on a secular population.
Really? There are millions of Conservative and Orthodox Jews worldwide, including in the U.S. being home to the second largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
You have to educate yourself about King George and his relationship to the Church of England....
Until then, no one will understand how it was brought into our Constitution, right along with freedom of speech.
It was meant to keep Government from dictating Gods business, but never to keep God out of Governments business.
Individual freedom is not something granted by the Government. Individual freedom, is not Government freedom. The US Constitution is the chains placed on the Government.... not the people. We as individuals are to be free, not the government.
Really? There are millions of Conservative and Orthodox Jews worldwide, including in the U.S. being home to the second largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
The largest denomination of Judaism in the United States is Reform (Liberal). Yes, there are orthodox Jews here, but as a Jew myself, and one who lives near large Jewish populations, I've never heard of Jews in this country making the kind of fuss Christians do. Even the Ultra Orthodox. I've heard some questionable things from them in Israel, but it's usually pretty quiet here.
The largest denomination of Judaism in the United States is Reform (Liberal). Yes, there are orthodox Jews here, but as a Jew myself, and one who lives near large Jewish populations, I've never heard of Jews in this country making the kind of fuss Christians do. Even the Ultra Orthodox. I've heard some questionable things from them in Israel, but it's usually pretty quiet here.
Christians make up 80% of the population in the U.S. and Jews only 2%, so of course you will hear more Christians doing more things, whether it's positive or negative for you.
Try going to Monsey, parts of Brooklyn, Kiryas Joel, Monroe, Lakewood and other heavily Hassidic/Haredim cities in New York/NJ area and you will see how they will shovel their cult in our throats.
In Kiryas Joel, Orthodox Jews put a 'Welcome Sign' telling visitors to cover themselves and many other rules to respect them. Ridiculous... youtube clip on that too!
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