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Should churches be tax-exempt?

Should churches be tax-exempt?

  • Total voters
    80
Cardinal said:
Would you prefer that you were taxed on the money you didn't make?
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You do realize I just argued against the very basis of the income tax, right? Why does the government deserve a cut of your income? Answer: They don't. The idea that they just automatically get a cut of the fruits of my labor is complete drivel.
 
Henrin said:
You do realize I just argued against the very basis of the income tax, right? Why does the government deserve a cut of your income? Answer: They don't. The idea that they just automatically get a cut of the fruits of my labor is complete drivel.
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Uh huh.
 
Thrilla said:
got any examples of churches run as a for-profit business?
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I don't know which churches do and don't operate charities. As it stands they wouldn't be required to because the act of being a church is sufficient for being tax exempt.
 
I voted no.

There is a road in my small town that rather long (it changes names, but you can keep going straight on it for many miles). From one end of it to the turn off towards my house, 12.3 miles, there are 25 churches. Thats just one road.

In a city of about 70k people.

Churches are a business folks. Plain and simple. So many small stores have turned into Churches in this town it is getting out of hand.
 
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Leave them alone.

Caine said:
Churches are a business folks. Plain and simple. So many small stores have turned into Churches in this town it is getting out of hand.
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How dare people have options!
 
the area in which I live has gone from cheap farmland to 45-125K an acre suburbia. Up comes lots of non-denominational "disco" churches built on large tracts of this now extremely valuable land. I sometime think its some sort of sophisticated tax scheme. now long established churches are mainly legit and I don't have problems treating them the same as private schools, orphanages or other non-profit groups
 
So long as they are a non profit, acting like one and engaging in charitable works, undoubtedly yes.

Edit: for those that said no, why should only secular charities be tax exempt?
 
OrphanSlug said:
No, they have access to services provided by taxation as I do.
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So does the orphanage and the cancer care alliance and the homeless shelter, etc etc etc

The community good most churches provide well exceeds the subsidy.

And it's not just churches, nearly all non profits recieve tax breaks, and any house of worship qualifies
 
Cardinal said:
I didn't say operating a for-profit business, but if the church is itself a for-profit.
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Most are not, nearly all are non profit and must operate under those rules
 
Cardinal said:
No, churches are exempt automatically.
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No they are not, it's a status they must apply for, recieve and maintain

Property tax exemption is a state by state issue
 
USViking said:
Absolutely not.

Render unto Caesar, etc, after all.

And as another member pointed out churches enjoy the same government services as I do- think roads and police protection. Hence, I am subsidizing the Holy Rollerz of the land, and that pisses me off.
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You are not subsidizing anybody. Churches do not recieve direct payments from the government unless as reimbursement for social services, and the value of services most churches provide is far in excess of what the state "loses" in tax. For starters in many places if counties foreclosed on churches that couldn't make property tax there would be an out and out revolt in the streets. You want to have Stand offs in every small town in the country?

It's not the the governments job to run small churches of of business. It would be a blow to our heritage, communities, history and inspire large amounts of non compliance, resistance, and lower the respect of the law all around.
 
Van Basten said:
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Leave them alone.



How dare people have options!
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Options?

Does one really need a church on average every half mile?

At some points, there are churches across the street from one another.... And not like Catholic vs Methodist or something like that.... oh no.... Baptists across from Baptists.

On another road, we have a church.... BEHIND ANOTHER CHURCH. You literally have to drive past one Church to get to the other church on their shared easement onto the highway.

It is out of hand.

There is a small strip mall where I go to get my hair cut.... to the left and right of the barber shop are churches. In a small mom-and-pop store sized space.
 
Caine said:
Options?

Does one really need a church on average every half mile?

At some points, there are churches across the street from one another.... And not like Catholic vs Methodist or something like that.... oh no.... Baptists across from Baptists.

On another road, we have a church.... BEHIND ANOTHER CHURCH. You literally have to drive past one Church to get to the other church on their shared easement onto the highway.

It is out of hand.

There is a small strip mall where I go to get my hair cut.... to the left and right of the barber shop are churches. In a small mom-and-pop store sized space.
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There are many sects, so yes.

Baptists have their own internal divisions.

At least have good complaints if you're gonna advocate this kind of stuff.

Out of hand lol. As if there is a limit on churches per city.
 
Van Basten said:
There are many sects, so yes.

Baptists have their own internal divisions.

At least have good complaints if you're gonna advocate this kind of stuff.

Out of hand lol. As if there is a limit on churches per city.
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When there are more churches than there are people to fill the seats, its obvious its a business, and possible that its some sort of tax evasion scheme.
 
Caine said:
When there are more churches than there are people to fill the seats, its obvious its a business, and possible that its some sort of tax evasion scheme.
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This is top notch, anti-religious delusion if I've ever seen it.

Also, worst tax evasion scheme ever.
 
Caine said:
Options?

Does one really need a church on average every half mile?

At some points, there are churches across the street from one another.... And not like Catholic vs Methodist or something like that.... oh no.... Baptists across from Baptists.

On another road, we have a church.... BEHIND ANOTHER CHURCH. You literally have to drive past one Church to get to the other church on their shared easement onto the highway.

It is out of hand.

There is a small strip mall where I go to get my hair cut.... to the left and right of the barber shop are churches. In a small mom-and-pop store sized space.
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Does one really need to blast out their message to potentially millions on people on the internet? That's too much speech! Rights aren't based on showing need or limited by how much of it there is. Or you would have to justify posting here.
 
OpportunityCost said:
Does one really need to blast out their message to potentially millions on people on the internet? That's too much speech! Rights aren't based on showing need or limited by how much of it there is. Or you would have to justify posting here.
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If you are going to promote hatred and that is my freedom to speak against it. And nobody can ever shut me down. freedom of speech.
 
winston53660 said:
If you are going to promote hatred and that is my freedom to speak against it. And nobody can ever shut me down. freedom of speech.
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Okie dokie. No hatred. I was using sarcasm to make a point. Limiting the number of churches is about the same as limiting the reach of speech.

If you are going to make a hatred accusation at least know what you are talking about.
 
sangha said:
Pick a choice and post if you care to explain
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The catholic church making billions upon billions and owning prime real estate all over the world including a palace in the middle of Rome is "non-profit" and tax exempt, but when I simply try to provide food for my family I'm "for-profit" and must be taxed. The catholic church, among others, is a for-profit corporation and should be taxed as any other business.

shagg said:
If given the power, I would make it so that sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The deciding factor would be if that religion meets a certain minimum thresh hold for charity work. This would prevent those people who want to turn their house into a church for Rastafarianism or some other obscure religion just for the tax break without setting off the "Your persecuting religion!" people. Also, and I'm guessing a bit here, but the tax exemption for churches thing probably came up because they typically do a lot for charity.
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So all Christian organizations automatically get tax-exempt status by simply being associated with a religion that meets the threshold for charity work, but churches of other smaller religions are shut out? How is that possibly a rational position?

If you really want to run with that idea, make it by church, not by religion. A church from a small religion that does a lot for the community should have a better chance of getting tax-exempt status over a church that does nothing for the community but is part of a big religion.
 
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I think you will find if you actually read the US Code and the IRS tax law that the blanket term tax exempt does not apply to the blanket term of 'church'. A pastor that gets paid must declare taxes. A church that invests must pay taxes on their business enterprise.

Some churches have relief agencies that operate hospitals, financial relief, food support, and disaster response. That assistance goes citizens of this country..citizens that likely would have to be paid for by the states.
 
I voted yes, but I'm reconsidering the vote now. A church in its most essential form as a place of worship should be exempted from taxes, yes, but churches rarely adhere to that definition. Since they use their resources to influence policies and advance their causes at home and abroad, they shouldn't have the undue advantage of no taxation.
 
shagg said:
If given the power, I would make it so that sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The deciding factor would be if that religion meets a certain minimum thresh hold for charity work. This would prevent those people who want to turn their house into a church for Rastafarianism or some other obscure religion just for the tax break without setting off the "Your persecuting religion!" people. Also, and I'm guessing a bit here, but the tax exemption for churches thing probably came up because they typically do a lot for charity.
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Any business only gets taxed on profit.

That and land taxes.
 
No

Religions are nothing but God Clubs and clubs should not be tax exempt.


It is good to see most have voted 'no' so far.
 
OpportunityCost said:
Does one really need to blast out their message to potentially millions on people on the internet? That's too much speech! Rights aren't based on showing need or limited by how much of it there is. Or you would have to justify posting here.
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Churches are a business, and thus they should be taxed as one.
 
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