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In my own opinion, I just think churches and religion are WAY too involved in political lobbying and influencing legislation for them to remain tax exempt.
If they want to keep saving tens of millions of dollars per year on taxes (especially the Catholic Church and Mormons), they should keep their noses out of both Washington and the local town hall. If individual pastors and priests want to crusade for something, that's their right as an American citizen.
But to have the entire weight, clout, and financial resources of a religious organization brought to bear in an effort to influence, change, or create legislation is completely unethical. For instance, the Mormon church spent roughly $47 million trying to ban gay marriage in California -- money the Mormons possessed, at least in part, due to the millions saved in not having to pay taxes. I think it's a gross display of unethical behavior to use money that would have ordinarily been spent on taxes (which would have benefited everything from the military to the poor) to try and legislate their religious agenda.
I don't mind if a church maintains tax exempt status if they are using the money to pay the pastors a reasonable salary, to improve and maintain the church building, to help the congregation via charity and good works, and to fund community projects.
Unfortunately, the larger, more wealthy denominations like Catholics (as an obvious example) are spending WAY too much of their money paying high-priced lobbyists to push their religion -- whether directly such as legislation on abortion and contraception or indirectly such as trying to influence which judges and lawyers sit on the bench of the Supreme Court.
As the great George Carlin (RIP) once said:
"You know what they ought to do with churches? Tax them. If holy people are so interested in politics, government, and public policy, let them pay the price of admission like everybody else. The Catholic Church alone could wipe out the national debt if all you did was tax their real estate.”
In my own opinion, I just think churches and religion are WAY too involved in political lobbying and influencing legislation for them to remain tax exempt.
Nothing in our constitution prevents it. You realize that, right?
Quote:
If they want to keep saving tens of millions of dollars per year on taxes (especially the Catholic Church and Mormons), they should keep their noses out of both Washington and the local town hall. If individual pastors and priests want to crusade for something, that's their right as an American citizen.
But to have the entire weight, clout, and financial resources of a religious organization brought to bear in an effort to influence, change, or create legislation is completely unethical. For instance, the Mormon church spent roughly $47 million trying to ban gay marriage in California -- money the Mormons possessed, at least in part, due to the millions saved in not having to pay taxes. I think it's a gross display of unethical behavior to use money that would have ordinarily been spent on taxes (which would have benefited everything from the military to the poor) to try and legislate their religious agenda.
Would you have said it was wrong for them to lobby against something else that they might consider immoral?
Quote:
I don't mind if a church maintains tax exempt status if they are using the money to pay the pastors a reasonable salary, to improve and maintain the church building, to help the congregation via charity and good works, and to fund community projects.
Unfortunately, the larger, more wealthy denominations like Catholics (as an obvious example) are spending WAY too much of their money paying high-priced lobbyists to push their religion -- whether directly such as legislation on abortion and contraception or indirectly such as trying to influence which judges and lawyers sit on the bench of the Supreme Court.
As the great George Carlin (RIP) once said:
"You know what they ought to do with churches? Tax them. If holy people are so interested in politics, government, and public policy, let them pay the price of admission like everybody else. The Catholic Church alone could wipe out the national debt if all you did was tax their real estate.”
Thankfully, neither your opinion, nor George Carlin's opinion have anything to do with Constitutional Law.
For instance, the Mormon church spent roughly $47 million trying to ban gay marriage in California -- money the Mormons possessed, at least in part, due to the millions saved in not having to pay taxes.
I've got to comment on this statement because it's really not accurate. For the record, I am a Mormon who is 100% in favor of equal rights for the LGBT community. I was appalled by what members of my church did in California, and was thrilled when the right to marry was given to gays and lesbians.
But, to be clear, it wasn't "the Mormon Church" that spent this money you seem to believe was "tax free." It was individual Mormons -- strongly encouraged by the Church to make those donations -- who contributed the money. And I can assure you that they paid taxes on the money from which they made those contributions. Mormons like me and the rest of us living here in the U.S. don't save millions by not having to pay taxes. We pay just like all the rest of you. And then, unfortunately, some contributed some of what they had left over to propositions which would deny civil rights to deserving Americans who believe differently than they do.
The Constitution says nothing about not taxing Church property. It is a custom. Time for that custom to change.
Why not? In the last 8 years or so our country has grown increasingly hostile toward religion. I know that will occur at some point, and it will consistent with the trajectory we are on. Our society does not value religion.
Nothing in our constitution prevents it. You realize that, right?
Would you have said it was wrong for them to lobby against something else that they might consider immoral?
Thankfully, neither your opinion, nor George Carlin's opinion have anything to do with Constitutional Law.
Regarding you statement "Nothing in our constitution prevents it. You realize that, right?"
That is correct, but only so far as it goes. Most churches are organized under the IRS regulation 510(c)3. That grants non-profit organizations tax-exempt status, making contributions to the organizations tax-exempt. In order to maintain that tax-exempt status, the organization must refrain from endorsing candidates or advocating political positions on referendum ballots. BTW, that provision applies even if every member of the non-profit organization thinks the political issue is immoral.
Lol... Vizio probably thinks I live in a metropolis... We have 341 people.
This is the Anglican church, built in 1916, turned over to our historical society back in 1983, as there were not enough people left to support it. I sit on the board of that historical society and help raise funds to maintain it as a historical landmark that it was designated as by our government.
Why not? In the last 8 years or so our country has grown increasingly hostile toward religion. I know that will occur at some point, and it will consistent with the trajectory we are on. Our society does not value religion.
Why not? Because the Constitution was not about to give any religion power, and that makes me happy.
It is not hostile to want your Church to pay property taxes. I pay thousands in property taxes per year. Your want your Church to be immune, because you think you are special. I would disagree. You are no more special than I am.
You do not create jobs. You bring left over ice cream into local pubs, and expect a tax free Church. It is a nice scam. You set up hydration stations for a town of 50 people. Is this why you do not want to pay property taxes.
I set up a hydration station for the workers in my community in the hot summer. We put out a cooler full of ice cold water. We have been doing this for decades. I still manage to pay my taxes every year.
Why not? Because the Constitution was not about to give any religion power, and that makes me happy.
It is not hostile to want your Church to pay property taxes. I pay thousands in property taxes per year. Your want your Church to be immune, because you think you are special. I would disagree. You are no more special than I am.
You do not create jobs. You bring left over ice cream into local pubs, and expect a tax free Church. It is a nice scam. You set up hydration stations for a town of 50 people. Is this why you do not want to pay property taxes.
I set up a hydration station for the workers in my community in the hot summer. We put out a cooler full of ice cold water. We have been doing this for decades. I still manage to pay my taxes every year.
Actually, my church does provide one job. It also moved a family to my town.
My family pays taxes in the community, we spend money. My church also has kept other families living in our town because they didn't want to move away from their church. There is a lot of other good things that we do that include quality of life and helping people with personal issues. The ice cream and water are just a couple of examples.
But as I said....our society is growing increasingly hostile toward religion. I also know that some of the legislation passed in recent years is causing taxes to increase at a huge rate....so I wouldn't be surprised if they do wipe out the tax exempt status for churches.
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