Should churches have to pay taxes ?

Answer 1

No. But some a' dem in and near Cramdon, NJ (you know who you are) are a little behind on their protection money. Better pass the plate a few extra times dis munt, Padre!

Or else me and Joey will be payin youse a little 'visit'

Answer 2

Hell yes! The fact that they don't amounts to an illegal subsidy of religion by the government. It's so huge that if churches had to pay their fair share of taxes there would be *no income tax* for the rest of us!

Churches are businesses and ought to follow the same rules as other businesses, yet they don't. They are allowed to discriminate, they are not required to reveal their finances to any government agency, and they do *not* carry the full load of caring for the helpless among us, as was their original promise in exchange for the tax exemption. In other words, they are *cheating all of us*, financially and otherwise.

If a normal business fails to find enough customers it will disappear. Why are churches afraid to carry their share of the burden for government services? What makes them so special? The answer is NOTHING!

Answer 3

Romans 13:1, he wrote: "Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God."

If the authorities say we pay then we should. Churches though have different privileges..maybe. But if they are asked to then they should cause Jesus said: "Pay back Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God." (Mark 12:17) Interestingly, Jesus advocated paying tax to government even if the people does not like it. This shows that Jesus himself obeys government rules (relatively...)

Answer 4

Not if they are non profit...like all the other areligious non profits.
Scientology should!

Because of separation of church and state, no religion is government approved. There is no such thing as official religions of the U.S. Just because you get non-profit status doesn't make you a religion or visa-versa.

I believe the Mormon Church is also in strict violation of non profit status. But I do like Mormons!

Answer 5

Can you see them having to hog tie their membership into donating money to cover the costs. Consider all the money that is spent of large buildings with expensive ornate fixtures. The property taxes alone would kill them. The only religion that would survive with be JWs, since no one gets paid and the congregations are just places of learning and not fancy building designed to draw people to them.

Answer 6

Pay taxes on what?
The ground the parish paid for?
The building the parish built?
The donations of the Parish that pay heat and light?
The baked goods and such that are sold on behalf of the temple so that it in turn can pay for rent, heat, food and other things for it's parishioners?
I'm a Priest and my monthly income is $230,00.
The people of my covenant pay for everything through sweat and donation.
I don't get rich off them. I wear robes made by one of them. My clothes are tattered and my apartment is tiny.
My people get every dollar I can get in donations and from the Templars. They get it for food, rent, emergency medical care,mortgage payments, car payments and so on.
Temple helps with dental payments, Eye wear payments and wheelchairs.
How do I pay taxes?

Answer 7

They are certainly a profit making concern, what do they spend it on really, pomp and new churches, fancy dress clothes for the top brass, free housing for the top brass.
Tax them out of existence. (Just a suggestion)

Answer 8

yeah they should, Christianity is a tax dodge.
My local scout group is a reg charity and they have to pay taxes

Answer 9

If you want separation of Church and state I say Government keep your mitts out and no taxes either.

Answer 10

Absolutely.