I suppose if you are going to tax the Church, you might as well tax the ASPCA, Red Cross, and the ACLU. Did I forget the political parties? Might have a coin or two. If the power to tax is the power to destroy, me might have a lot less junk mail and SPAM. Those men wouldn’t be in Washington (Id) if they didn’t know what they were doing.
Actually Dogsniff, while churches are tax exempt, any profit-making enterprise owned and operated by churches (and other religious institutions) are fully taxable the same as any other business. It does not matter if the profits go to a church, that profit is still taxable since it is “profit” and not a “donation” to a tax-exempt organization.I am generally not in favor of taxing churches but I am starting to have some doubts. Once upon a time, I think more of a church’s revenue went to doing good outside the walls of that church. Today, the bulk of their money seems to be spent on themselves: salaries, buildings, choir robes, and all the other “holy hardware” seen around the altar of a church. Maybe they need to show they seriously contribute to the well-being and improvement of their community using their money or else be taxed. That might get them out of all that self-aggrandizement.
I grew up “Christian” and am now…agnostic. The churches I grew up in were always struggling to pay ordinary bills and rarely had much left over. To contribute to the community it usually had times of volunteerism because that’s the only way they could give back. The flipside of those churches are the ones which do “overdo” and build humongo brick buildings with gigantic parking lots and pay lay people, etc. That’s aggrandizement and quite frankly, a perverse pride. Like some people said – corruption “grows” everywhere once something takes hold. I’ve become more like Diogenes who is still searching for a truly honest person.
You think the churches speak a voice in government? When I was in Denver my preacher delivered several messages against J.F.Kennedy. Reason: most of their $ was made in questionable liquor sales and that the Kennedys took their marching orders from Rome. He was in office only a short time he is still respected. Don’t get me started on LBJ
Have you any idea what the Red Cross pays their CEO and other staff? Big money to be made in “non-profit”. Look at the March of Dimes. Salk made a polio vaccine without their help. So they changed to birth defects for eternal revenue. tax free.
wndrwrthg about 13 years ago
Tax them on anything but the very church they preach in.
EarlWash about 13 years ago
Tax the taxers.
Llewellenbruce about 13 years ago
The Fink will go to Hell for doing that.
Woody157 about 13 years ago
Pass 2 plates and the tax collector gets to go first.
ransomdstone about 13 years ago
Amen!
lewisbower about 13 years ago
I suppose if you are going to tax the Church, you might as well tax the ASPCA, Red Cross, and the ACLU. Did I forget the political parties? Might have a coin or two. If the power to tax is the power to destroy, me might have a lot less junk mail and SPAM. Those men wouldn’t be in Washington (Id) if they didn’t know what they were doing.
Sandfan about 13 years ago
Another Amen for you. One more, and you can start your own religion. Tax exempt, of course.
GROG Premium Member about 13 years ago
How about panhandling?
McGehee about 13 years ago
That wouldn’t be enough for our government. People only give 10% in church.
Hillbillyman about 13 years ago
If 10% is good enough for Jesus…it ought to be good enough for Uncle Sam
TexTech about 13 years ago
Actually Dogsniff, while churches are tax exempt, any profit-making enterprise owned and operated by churches (and other religious institutions) are fully taxable the same as any other business. It does not matter if the profits go to a church, that profit is still taxable since it is “profit” and not a “donation” to a tax-exempt organization.I am generally not in favor of taxing churches but I am starting to have some doubts. Once upon a time, I think more of a church’s revenue went to doing good outside the walls of that church. Today, the bulk of their money seems to be spent on themselves: salaries, buildings, choir robes, and all the other “holy hardware” seen around the altar of a church. Maybe they need to show they seriously contribute to the well-being and improvement of their community using their money or else be taxed. That might get them out of all that self-aggrandizement.
EarlWash about 13 years ago
wizodd, you would really enjoy living in Russia…right away.
Lyons Group, Inc. about 13 years ago
Llewellenbruce said: “The Fink will go to Hell for doing that.”Josh: Yes, with the hottest of flames!
Barbaratoo about 13 years ago
I grew up “Christian” and am now…agnostic. The churches I grew up in were always struggling to pay ordinary bills and rarely had much left over. To contribute to the community it usually had times of volunteerism because that’s the only way they could give back. The flipside of those churches are the ones which do “overdo” and build humongo brick buildings with gigantic parking lots and pay lay people, etc. That’s aggrandizement and quite frankly, a perverse pride. Like some people said – corruption “grows” everywhere once something takes hold. I’ve become more like Diogenes who is still searching for a truly honest person.
Woody157 about 13 years ago
You think the churches speak a voice in government? When I was in Denver my preacher delivered several messages against J.F.Kennedy. Reason: most of their $ was made in questionable liquor sales and that the Kennedys took their marching orders from Rome. He was in office only a short time he is still respected. Don’t get me started on LBJ
lewisbower about 13 years ago
Have you any idea what the Red Cross pays their CEO and other staff? Big money to be made in “non-profit”. Look at the March of Dimes. Salk made a polio vaccine without their help. So they changed to birth defects for eternal revenue. tax free.
runar about 13 years ago
Donate to the Catholic church and you donate to the legal defense fund for pedophiles.