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Random caps. Wow. You were on the debate team, weren't you?
I have to pay for bridges, the police, snowplowing. The local businesses have to pay for those things. Why shouldn't the churches?
For the same reason any other non-profit doesn't.
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Because they would rather spend their money on a fancy new building despite the fact the current one is perfectly serviceable?
My church's building was built in 1872 or so. It's been added to a couple times, but not in the past 40 years. My church is like most churches.
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Because Joel Osteen needs a new Gulfstream V?
Because they need all that extra cash to pay for their creative tax attorneys to arrange and hide (and now, defend) their illegal financial machinations?
Osteen is a shyster. He's the exception. Most pastors in America have churches of less than 100 people and make nowhere close to what he makes. I am wholeheartedly for taxing him.
That said, you realize pastors pay taxes, right? They pay more than the average working guy, to be honest. They have to pay self-employment tax, and their own FICA.
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Tax exemption should be a thing. And the standard for receiving it should be higher than just saying "We're a church, that's it, we get a free ride!".
You're correct. Non-profits shouldn't be taxed. No one is arguing for a business simply calling themselves a church to avoid taxes.
I’m no expert on the LDS church, but I’d imagine that tithing is compulsory for it’s members.
My late father, who was an Accountant, said that Mormons (among others) were very good at ensuring that all donations were tax deductible.
Of course, transparency at the top of the tree is not always going to happen, in any church or religious organization.
My job existed because wherever there is money, there are people trying to figure out ways to take it for themselves, whether that be in government, business, or religion. Nothing new under the sun.
Indeed, and where would these organizations be without the money? Religions no exception...
On the more macro level this is another example of what always concerns me more than just a little about organized religion. Concerns me and/or baffles me, about how what goes on at the upper levels of religious leadership is largely unknown by the followers who one way or another funnel all that money up the chain.
Like so much that is not transparent when it comes to what goes on "behind closed doors," I truly have to wonder what would happen if people only knew the half of it...
I'm not a Latter-Day Saint myself, but the Mamona ( "Mormon" in Samoan language) religious group in my city has been a positive influence during the last 12 months. I found wisdom in their sermons and traditions.
Last edited by Pineapple674; 09-05-2023 at 10:10 AM..
Reason: Thought Mormon needed a capital letter
My statement was intentionally left open to interpretation.
Somehow this reminds me of a conversation I was in a very long time ago about children in China under Mao. And, without mentioning China, I described children marching in little military-like uniforms and memorizing different pledges, and so forth. And the person I was talking to said, 'Yes, that's how they're raising children in China'. And I replied, "Oh. I was describing American boy scouts, cub scouts, and girl scouts".
My church's building was built in 1872 or so. It's been added to a couple times, but not in the past 40 years. My church is like most churches.
Osteen is a shyster. He's the exception. Most pastors in America have churches of less than 100 people and make nowhere close to what he makes. I am wholeheartedly for taxing him.
That said, you realize pastors pay taxes, right? They pay more than the average working guy, to be honest. They have to pay self-employment tax, and their own FICA.
You're correct. Non-profits shouldn't be taxed. No one is arguing for a business simply calling themselves a church to avoid taxes.
Non-profits pay taxes, especially property taxes, unless they are a qualified charity or church. There are numerous tax classifications for non-profits. Non-profit is merely a form of corporate organization, it doesn't mean anything in and of itself.
I've been on the board of a non-profit 501(c)7 rifle club. We paid taxes.
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