Should the Church be Taxed ??

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by chielgirl

They should be taxed, of course.
With the cost of real estate in most cities, property taxes would be amazing.

The greedy evangelists forced us to look at them.
Once any church in any denomination speaks of anything political and advises who to vote for, all churches in that denomination should lose their tax status.

JetJockey, Are you saying that people wouldn't do good deeds without being part of a church? If so, I'd like some proof.

haha, no no no. I'm an atheist/Pastafarian so I definitely think that people outside of the church do good. I'm just saying that to compare a little podunk cute church that goes out of their way to help to a GIANT megachurch that requires tithing would be unfair. It's just difficult for me to this decision to be an all or nothing. We have a little church here that sits on someone elses land and is enclosed entirely in an old trailer (like the portable school trailers) and they do good for the community. I agree with you about the political thing, as I said in my last post, I think you just misunderstood the point I was trying to make

[coosjoaquin]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

haha, no no no. I'm an atheist/Pastafarian so I definitely think that people outside of the church do good. I'm just saying that to compare a little podunk cute church that goes out of their way to help to a GIANT megachurch that requires tithing would be unfair. It's just difficult for me to this decision to be an all or nothing. We have a little church here that sits on someone elses land and is enclosed entirely in an old trailer (like the portable school trailers) and they do good for the community. I agree with you about the political thing, as I said in my last post, I think you just misunderstood the point I was trying to make

Well why not just tax on a scale?

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by coosjoaquin

Well why not just tax on a scale?

Scale may work. Or maybe they have to apply for tax exempt status and actually get looked over by an independent council in person, and have their forms gone over in detail. Maybe all churches should go through this and reapply for tax exempt status....

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by coosjoaquin

It's the property tax that annoys me the most. Why is it that the pastor for a profit/non-profit church uses the system so as to not be taxed for his 3 villas?

Property tax is one issue. Though it is a smaller issue.

$1,000 in property taxes, while the same church may be funneling $1,000,000 in gross cash receipts?

If that $1,000,000 is being spent to feed the hungry, to house the poor, and to treat the infirm; then great!

However often times only a small portion of a church's gross income goes to anything charitable.

Salaries, benefits, vehicles, expense accounts, and political activism.