If the church is using the money raised to care for the priest/preacher and the poor of the parish/congregation then no I think as a charitable organization it should not be taxed. If, however, it can be proved that funds raised are being used to push an issue/agenda or to fund non-charitable efforts or events then they should be subject to applicable taxes and lose their exempt status. less

No - taxing churches leads into all kinds of possible abuses. We already know that the biggest bribes to congressmen leads to laxer tax laws, and now we know that making a movie critical of Islam can have you arrested and detained without possibility of bail. Do you really want to live in a country where "wrong" religions have to pay higher taxes or special taxes, and "right" religions get to pay lower taxes? less

No, I do not believe they should be and am pretty concerned/shocked even that that would be a concern. WHY? I really cannot think of a reason this would be an issue/concern. Well, perhaps I know one reason, and it would be just another way to target church-goers, but I doubt that's what most people would ever really consider a good reason.

We tax the hell out of tanning, smokers, etc. Why not start taxing pornography? Now that would make one huge difference in this country! less

Very well said! No, I do not think churches should be taxed. Politics and churches are separate entities and should remain that way. Last I've heard donations shouldn't be taxed anyway. Churches are non-profit organizations but if you think your church is using donation money and pocketing it like judas then speak up and go somewhere else. Bookeeping should be kept organized and opened to the public. less

No, I do not believe they should be and am pretty concerned/shocked even that that would be a concern. WHY? I really cannot think of a reason this would be an issue/concern. Well, perhaps I know one reason, and it would be just another way to target church-goers, but I doubt that's what most people would ever really consider a good reason.

We tax the hell out of tanning, smokers, etc. Why not start taxing pornography? Now that would make one huge difference in this country! less

I don't wish to hijack the thread, but saying "making a movie critical of Islam can have you arrested and detained without possibility of bail" is disingenuous. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula's is back in jail because he violated the terms of his probation: he used aliases and accessed the internet without approval from his parole officer. less

So the religious should just shut up and stop exercising their First Amendment rights?

You do realize that part of the freedom of religion specification was because it was illegal for certain religions to have any sort of say in public in Europe at the time, right? less

^ But that is saying that religious organizations do not have freedom of speech and expression, which is explicitly violating the First Amendment.

I know it isn't taught in schools, because it's this big, dark, scary secret, but if you prevent the religious and their corresponding organizations from having freedom of speech, you have government tyranny just as sure as if you allow only one religious organization to hold sway. If churches did not have freedom of political expression, just as an example, emancipation would not have gained popular steam. It started as a movement in the churches, it gained popularity in churches, and much of the fundraising was done in churches.

Even if they are not pursuing such a noble goal, by muzzling a church, you are saying that non-religious/secular organizations are more deserving of free speech, which denies the free practice of religion. By opening the floodgates of taxing religious non-profit organizations, you are saying that the religious are not equally deserving of rights, protections, considerations, etc., presumably because all other non-profits would continue to operate tax-free. Yes, this allows for loopholes where some churches have abhorrent practices, but it also prevents favoritism, the appearance of favoritism, or special interests from dominating the tax status of various religious organizations. It seems a lot of people are just taking a secular point of view without thinking it all the way through. If PETA, which kills somewhere like 75% of the animals it takes in, provides huge salaries for it's upper echelons, and donates money to eco-terrorists is a tax-free non-profit, why should St. Whosawhatit's, a tiny church that pays a livable wage to it's few employees, and spends most of it's fully voluntary tithes on charities like food pantries, homeless shelters, free daycares for single parents, and sending doctors to Third World countries suddenly be taxed because they believe in God? Unless you want to massively expand the IRS, which can't even properly audit the Federal Government, to audit every non-profit in America and find out if they are being responsible with their money.


And Voir, are you suggesting that all possible opposition to abortion is religious? less

Is there any church that "MAKES" people give them money? Not a single one I have ever been to or even heard of. Is there some that do?

At a church, or at least every church I have attended, here's how it goes: you sit down for FREE and listen to the pastor preach and carry on in whatever conversation you may have about the lesson/teaching, and then either before the preaching happens or after, and in some cases both, a plate will be passed around during singing, discreetly so that anyone who WISHES to give donation can.

EXACTLY like the donation boxes you see at gas stations and McDonalds and everywhere else asking you to please support teaching, something to do with the local schools, BREAST CANCER, etc. Except the difference at church is, you're getting a lesson and food for free.

So yes, it is definitely of free will. I personally have usually brought donations, at least a dollar or two unless I happened to forget any cash at all. But it's always been free-will everywhere I've heard of or attended myself. less

But would he really be in jail if it weren't for being made the scapegoat for the embassy attacks? Violating probation, last I heard, did not include having your apartment stormed in the middle of the night. His "movie" is terrible and offensive, but he should not have his rights revoked because he's a jackass. less

Most churches require "tithing" which is usually somewhere between 5% and 15% of the families pretax income. This is a very old practice, how do you think so many churches get so rich?

It's more common to expect you to tithe than to not from a church.

As for churches being "clubs" most function as such. less