Should Churches Pay Taxes

[GFR]

Why should the income of a priest or rabbi etc be exempt from income tax? Why should religions be allowed to acquire massive amounts of land and of shares of stock etc without being taxed. That was part of the problem that led to the bloody French revolution. How is it different now if we have a class of people (clergy) who have the same privileges that the European clergy had in 1795? Tax exemption is the "establishing of religion" even more that placing a Moses monument in the Alabama Supreme Court building. Both should be prohibited.



This would be consistent with maintaining the separation of church and state. On the other hand, allowing churches to get government services without being taxed sounds to some like a special perk that violates the separation of church and state. Which perspective do you find more reasonable and convincing?

 

[goandykid]

Either way, You'd have to make ALL religious buildings exempt to be fair. Thats alot of buildings.

 

[min0 lee]

I wouldn't mind as long as it did go to the church......

 

[GFR]

Either way, You'd have to make ALL religious buildings exempt to be fair.

Nope, you miss the point of the thread son.....Tax or not, it's that simple.

 

[GFR]

I wouldn't mind as long as it did go to the church......

 

[goandykid]

Nope, you miss the point of the thread son.....Tax or not, it's that simple.

Or maybe you generalized to much, son.

Your question was should churches pay taxes, and I simply said it would have to be more than churches, it would have to be mosques, places of residence for priests, rabbi's, and whatever those other minority religions build.

 

[GFR]

Or maybe you generalized to much, son.

Your question was should churches pay taxes, and I simply said it would have to be more than churches, it would have to be mosques, places of residence for priests, rabbi's, and whatever those other minority religions build.

Don't over think the question son.

 

[goandykid]

Don't over think the question son.

I think they should solely because people would jsut start writing everything off as a religious building. "my dad is a minister, I dont pay taxes on my house."

 

[KelJu]

I vote yes, because no one has convinced me of how a church is any different than a business.
Churches have income, expenditures, budgets, profit margins, expansions, utilities, upkeep, and most of all, government lobbyist.
If membership drops to low in a church they fire the CEO (aka minister or priest) and get a new one that will draw a better crowd. Churches accumulate billions of dollars worth of property that they pay no tax on, while at the same time using their money and power to influence the countries politics. Alabama is controlled by religious conservatives. Even the judges are religious fundamentalist who can't separate church and state.

I remember when I was in high school there was a bill being pushed in the Alabama legislator to allow us to have a lottery in Alabama to help aid education, because we were officially the 49th most uneducated state at that time. Religious nuts got it shot down of coarse and everyone in Alabama that gambled juts drove to Mississippi and Florida to buy tickets. That is fucking dumb. So at that point we had Alabamians spending Alabama money in other states pumping money into other states economies and funding their schools.

I asked one my religious fundamental teachers why the fuck her church could host a bingo game on Wednesday night and give prizes to the winners, but her church drove all the way to Montgomery, Alabama to protest the lottery. I get detention for asking that one. Religious nuts can't stand tough questions.

 

[topolo]

Man...............this thread is a gay one

 

[KelJu]

Man...............this thread is a gay one

Its offical, this thread gold be a winner.

 

[Bazooka Tooth]

Hells No's! I goto Church at times, and they are already poor as shit and taking all of my money in collection baskets, they dont need to pay more money, then they will need more money!

 

[The Monkey Man]

TAX!

 

[The Monkey Man]

It's a good economics and business question...

How many people would stop going all together if they had to chip-in
30-40% more to get their salvation?

How many of those palatial houses of god, could not even think
about paying their property tax?

How many business's that support religious organizations would crumble
if their income for doing business for a religious faction was taxable?
(such as construction companies)

I know this would take a burden off my wallet -
TAX THEM ALL, I SAY!

 

[Dale Mabry]

I guess it could be considered a charity/non-profit org, but the employees should pay taxes.

 

[GFR]

I guess it could be considered a charity/non-profit org, but the employees should pay taxes.

I doubt most churches meet the standards for that......what do any of them do for the community???

 

[GFR]

I guess it could be considered a charity/non-profit org, but the employees should pay taxes.

I doubt most churches meet the standards for that......what do any of them do for the community???

Just as I thopught they don't even come close...


To be tax-exempt as an organization described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for one or more of the purposes set forth in IRC Section 501(c)(3) and none of the earnings of the organization may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political
candidates.


http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html

 

[The Monkey Man]

DAMN! -

 

[Dale Mabry]

Just as I thopught they don't even come close...


To be tax-exempt as an organization described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for one or more of the purposes set forth in IRC Section 501(c)(3) and none of the earnings of the organization may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political
candidates.


http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html

I would rather they not pay taxes and have no political influence, but that's not going to happen.

 

[bio-chem]

i hardly consider what churches do legistlatively to be a substantial part of their purpose. i dont have a problem with them coming out and speaking for or against a certain part of legistlation either. i dont think however they should tell there parishoners who to vote for, but encourage them to vote to the dictates of their own conscience and be actively involved in the political process

 

[topolo]

I would rather they not pay taxes and have no political influence, but that's not going to happen.

I would rather you give me a beej

 

[GFR]

I would rather you give me a beej

I know about 1,000,000 priests that will give you one.......wait are you over 12???

 

[topolo]

I know about 1,000,000 priests that will give you one.......wait are you over 12???

They got me when I was growing up..........

 

[GFR]

They got me when I was growing up..........

This picture was taken just seconds before topolo was raped by a priest back in 1980. Topolo is the hot young lad on the right.

 

[MyK]

...

all churches should be liquidated and demolished!

 

[Tier]

It's a very profitable business. I'm in the appropriate sector to have seen this over and over again also.

 

[The Monkey Man]

i hardly consider what churches do legistlatively to be a substantial part of their purpose. i dont have a problem with them coming out and speaking for or against a certain part of legistlation either. i dont think however they should tell there parishoners who to vote for, but encourage them to vote to the dictates of their own conscience and be actively involved in the political process

So they don't tell them how to vote...

They tell them how to think and feel, and advise they vote
according to those thoughts and feelings



However I happen to know, in recent elections
a local catholic church in my area directly advised
its devotee's who to cast their votes for...
And even passed out flyers with a printed list
of the preferred candidates, from the presidential level
all the way down to the local offices.


They have no shame! -

 

[bio-chem]

So they don't tell them how to vote...

They tell them how to think and feel, and advise they vote
according to those thoughts and feelings



However I happen to know, in recent elections
a local catholic church in my area directly advised
its devotee's who to cast their votes for...
And even passed out flyers with a printed list
of the preferred candidates, from the presidential level
all the way down to the local offices.


They have no shame! -

spin it however you want i could really care less. it just makes you look like a jackass. and if a church tells its parishoners who to vote for i disagree with that, to my knowelege that is not illegal however. in the grand scheme of things isnt this really small stuff though. cant you find something better to pick on organized religion about?

 

[BigDyl]

spin it however you want i could really care less. it just makes you look like a jackass. and if a church tells its parishoners who to vote for i disagree with that, to my knowelege that is not illegal however. in the grand scheme of things isnt this really small stuff though. cant you find something better to pick on organized religion about?

So, uh... "bio-chem"...


The earth has been around for what... 6 thousand years or so?

 

[Pepper]

Ministers are not exempt from income tax.

They have some tax breaks but they are not exempt.

Churches do not pay income tax.