Should religions receive tax exemptions?
The 1st amendment says that: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
Does giving religions a tax exemption violate this?
If not, should those religious leaders who voice their political views or support a candidate have their tax exemption revoked?
Yes
Side Score: 17
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No
Side Score: 34
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keep in mind, i'm against Property Tax. but, Religions provide a service. they create charities and donate millions of dollars to the needy. in our current taxing system, that is a reason to cut taxes. but, like i said, i'm against property tax. and... i support organizations that give millions of dollars to the needy. Side: yes
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I think that churches should follow the same rules that other people do and receive the same tax breaks for donating to charity. This would give these Church's an incentive to donate more. Also, not all Church's donate to the needy, and often times these church's support causes that are inherently political (gay marriage, and abortion). Side: No
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I must disagree with you on your last point involving Gay Marriage and Abortion. These are, I believe, the two hot buttons for the political struggle against them. They are NOT inherently political, they have been made so because of the same belief systems of virtually all the different religions. If the world's religious base changed to include the acceptance of gays in a meaningful way, the political folderol that ensues and accompanies each attempt to revise the laws would change as well. Side: No
most churches donate MILLIONS of dollars to the needy. not to mention all of the relief drives they start for those in desperate need (like New Orleans or Tsunami victims). plus, there's the part where they gather food during Thanksgiving and gather toys during Christmas to give out to the poor. abortion shouldn't be a political thing, since they think it's murder.... maybe it's a moral thing. Side: yes
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Don't non-profits need to be engaged in real, quantitative, socially acceptable activities? Like toy for tots, make a wish foundation, the salvation army, etc... Other than promulgating faith what does the church contribute to society that requires then to keep all their donations? How do they justify not contributing (financially) to society in the form of taxation? Side: No
Yes, because they are a not-for-profit organization, which are tax exempt. What I draw the line on is organizations like Focus on the Family, which claims tax exempt status as a "church" - but only when the term "church" suits them. They are in reality a publishing company, a broadcaster, and a lobbying group. THOSE should be taxed like any other publishing company, broadcaster, or lobbying group. If you do something that's non-profit, and you don't compete against a for-profit group, fine. If you're a church and you run a program that helps the homeless with a food bank, that's one thing. But don't ask us to support someone like Focus on the Family when Dobson is a multi-millionaire and he's really a publisher and broadcaster. That's just an abuse of the taxpayer. Plus, in his case, he's got an unfair advantage by not paying taxes while his other religious publishers do. It's simple justice. The truth is, most churches are very small and barely break even if they don't loose their shirt trying to keep the door open. There isn't any income to tax, just the property. The mega churches are something else entirely. Side: yes
As that article says, the 'power to tax is the power to destroy'. The government has no place in religion (and vica versa) so it does not have the power to tax it and therefore to hurt it. Yes, if a religious leader is voicing his or her political opinions in the place of worship or the religion is endorsing or opposing any political measure or candidate, they should lose their tax-exempt status. They are now in the government's sphere so government has power over them. Side: yes
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I don't think churches should receive tax exemptions but i think charitable organizations some of which are churches should. I think that churches need to constantly prove that they are taking part in charitable actions in order to receive tax exemptions since churches shouldn't receive tax exemptions just because they are a religious organization. The government is supposed to protect the right of its citizens to practice any religion they see fit, but it is not obligated or given the right to protect or give aid to religion and its institutions. Because I strongly feel that charitable organizations that work to help better society and those struggling I'm willing to accept that some churches can receive tax exemptions, as long as they are individually proven to be charitable to a noticeable extent, even though i think it partially if not completely violates the principle of separation of church and state. Side: No
Even then, there should be a clear distinction between the charity/service and the operations of the church, both officially and fiscally. They're getting the tax exemption based on their service to the community, and as such, should not be allowed to officially associate any religion with the particular service, which would imply government endorsement. No, I think churches need to show where their heart really is. If they really want to serve the community, then they can do that as a completely separate entity (or better yet, as individuals). Side: No
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'Church' has no place in politics; someones' belief systems are their own and should NEVER be forced upon another. But it seems to be in today's "progressive" environment that 'church' no longer wants to remain a source for someone's individual solace...heck, in reality, they've never wanted to be that but I'll try to stay on point. the USA allows 'church' to get benefits, like tax exemptions. Yet it's more overt/obvious these days(ie:CA prop 8) that they no longer care about that benefit, therefore eliminate it for ALL churches and lets see who starts frothing at the mouth... it may be only 10 mega church organizations that are 'playing with fire,' but if we take it away from all the churches then there may be a chance that they'll do some self policing on the issue...think of it in regards to how the nation decides other things... people are too "stupid" to watch after their own safety, so "we" impose it upon them(ie:seatbelt laws, no smoking laws, etc) If the benefit is taken away from ALL then those trying to remain within the rules can gain back the benefits Side: No
3
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I do not believe religious organizations should be totally exempt from taxation. There is no harm in extending them tax breaks for their charitable donations or deeds but total exemption is foolish and financially irresponsible. Why should they receive the exemption that we, as individuals, cannot fully apply to our taxes as a deduction? The church, albeit a spiritual enterprise, is a business and it's a very big business indeed. It is said that the Catholic church is the largest and richest 'corporation' in the world! Their property holdings alone would feed and medicate Africa for the next 100 years! I'm not picking on Catholics...this is simply an illustration of the money they have and property they own. The property they hold is not always used for the purpose of bringing the word of God to the masses. It is rented out to corporations, companies and for other purposes. If nothing else, they should pay taxes on those properties and what they earn from them. Only the poorest of churches should be exempt from taxation and only for a prescribed amount of time, say 5-10 years at the most. The churches should be more than happy and gratified to do this because, in essence, they are helping their parishioners to live a better life without so much of a struggle on a daily basis. We should all pay our 'fair share' no matter who we are and what we do. Holdings Around The World http://one-faith-of-god.org/ Side: No
Actually, you do take the deduction if you donate to a charity, like any other. Your tithes and other donations are deductible. The sad fact is, we have a lot of corporations that are tax exempt in this country, and that should be banned. There are actually towns that bring in a business like Wal-mart or Home Depot, and give them the tax revenue for a period of years, often 20. So, in that case, you pay for stuff, give them an extra whatever-the-tax-rate is, and then pay for the police and fire protection with YOUR taxes, too. Wrong, just wrong. That should be against federal law. One way to look at church exemptions is this: I pay taxes on my income, which I give to the church, which blows it on expenses. Do I really need to pay the government twice to enjoy the sermon? I would agree to means testing though. Above a certain size, they probably ought to be taxed, especially property taxes. Or, do like it is on income tax and graduate it above a certain limit. Side: yes
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