Yet by giving tax exempt status to churches doesn't the federal government violate the establishment clause? Why should the largest business enterprise in America be tax exempt? Shouldn't all monies taken in by churches be taxed just like monies taken in by any other business?
2006-12-08 13:38:50 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Decent answers except those who really want to call the church non profit,kind of like calling Wal Mart non profit. And although they do some charity work that is but a very small bit of the money brought in by the church.
2006-12-08 13:54:26 · update #1
Funny how many people screw up (unlike you) on the wording. They often say that 1st amd says: '...establishment of a religion...' rather than '...establishment of religion...'. They use this to say that "we're not endorsing Catholicism (or some specific religion), so there's no problem with X.
2006-12-08 13:44:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Apply the same standard to The Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy,etc., they are "non-profit", receive donations people can write off their taxes, and don't pay taxes on their real estate or fund raisers despite influencing elections. What the law means is that there will be no one religion running the country, it will not be a "church state", and while they originally meant this to prevent a war between the various denominations of the Christian tradition on which the country's laws and culture was undeniably founded, that the nation was composed of at that time, it was NOT meant to strike down any suggestion of the existance of the church or religion or expression of the religous views of any society or individual over those of another. No one is forcing anyone in this country to listen, believe or attend churches, it shouldn't have become a "search and destroy" mission for the ACLU, why don't they go overseas and stick their necks out for those getting their heads chopped off for having the "wrong" religion, instead of defending the rights of the radicals who do or support the head chopping?
2006-12-08 14:05:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The constitutional clause that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion applies to laws that will benefit only a certain religion.
With regards to taxation, all religious groups are tax exempt and there was no exemption.
Likewise, religious groups are exempt from taxation because most of their functions are for educational purposes, social work and charity for which the government is benefitted as these activities redound to the benefit of the people.
Thus, the constitutional provision regarding religion does not apply to taxation.
2006-12-08 13:45:32 · answer #3 · answered by FRAGINAL, JTM 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hate to say it but you might have a point. I hate to see the Church in buiness and marketed. If the profit is used to help the poor, community outreach, ect. I could see it being tax exempt. But if the profit goes into someones pocket book it is wrong.
2006-12-08 13:45:59 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. Why should a church have to pay taxes if they are to be separate. That is the point and it is correct.
2006-12-08 13:41:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
"Or prevent the free excercise thereof".
"The power to tax is the power to destroy" John Marshall.
2006-12-08 16:05:43 · answer #6 · answered by yupchagee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
freedom OF religion. NOT freedom FROM religion. your statement is false.
and I dont even like religion
2006-12-08 13:42:05 · answer #7 · answered by CaptainObvious 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋