How is it justified that Benny Hinn dosn't pay tax?

Question

The guy is a fraud, but even if he DID cure people, so do doctors, and they pay tax.

His lifestyle is a disgusting display of conspicuous consumption.

Isn't it about time there was tax applied to religions so people like Benny pay their fair share?

Answer 1

"When you can turn people on their head and shake them and no money falls out, then you know God's saying, 'Move on, son.'"
-- A A Allen (American Christian faith-healer)

I DO want your money, because God wants your money!
— Reverend Larry, from the movie, Repo_Man

I would suggest the taxation of all property equally whether church or corporation.
— Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)

Why should an atheist pay more taxes so that a church which he despises should pay no taxes? That's a fair question. How can the apologists for the church exemption answer it?
— E. Haldeman-Julius

Church tax exemption means that we all drop our money in the collection boxes, whether we go to church or not and whether we are interested in the church or not. It is systematic and complete robbery, from which none of us escapes.
— E. Haldeman-Julius

Is a church too small and too poor to pay taxes? That means that not enough people want the church seriously enough to pay for its upkeep. Then, why should such a church exist? Why should atheists, agnostics and non-churchgoers be forced to maintain such a useless, unwanted church by granting it tax exemption?
— E. Haldeman-Julius, "The Church Is a Burden, Not a Benefit, In Social Life"

No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion.
— Hugo L. Black, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, majority opinion in Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947)

I did not see why the schoolmaster should be taxed to support the priest, and not the priest the schoolmaster.
— Henry David Thoreau (1849)

The churches can well afford to pay fair taxation. But supposing they couldn't. Would not that be a very significant evidence that the churches were not really wanted?
— E. Haldeman-Julius

It is an absurd fiction that the churches are useful. They are nothing more than propaganda centers for superstitious faiths and doctrines. Church members have a right to believe in and propagate their various doctrines. But they should pay every item of the cost, of this propaganda, including fair taxation for all church property.
— E. Haldeman-Julius

There can be no perfect freedom unless the church and state are separated. But the church and state are not separated in America so long as the state grants a subsidy to the church in the form of tax exemption.
— E. Haldeman-Julius

Religion supports nobody. It has to be supported. It produces no wheat, no corn; it ploughs no land; it fells no forests. It is a perpetual mendicant. It lives on the labors of others, and then has the arrogance to pretend that it supports the giver.
— Robert G. Ingersoll

Religion is all profit. They have no merchandise to buy, no commissions to pay, and no refunds to make for unsatisfactory service and results....
Their commodity is fear. They blackmail their parishioners with threats of hell and damnation. These poor deluded people give them their hard earned money to save them from a hell that does not exist, and from eternal torment that was invented by the perverted minds of priests to rob the living and in addition, they are exempt from taxation! Insult to injury!
Let me tell you that religion is the cruelest fraud ever perpetrated upon the human race. It is the last of the great scheme of thievery that man must legally prohibit so as to protect himself from the charlatans who prey upon the ignorance and fears of the people.
The penalty for this type of extortion should be as severe as it is of other forms of dishonesty.
— Joseph Lewis, (1889-1968)

Answer 2

He still pays personal property tax, car tax, gas tax just as you & I. He just doesn't pay taxes on his ministry. I know some one who did meet him. Who didn't believe until he wound up on the floor dropped by the Holy Ghost. It was not one those he felt the "Holy Ghost through the air conditioning vents" haha No, he was laid out. Benny Hinn is a healer I've seen miracles happen. I know I should have died at birth I was premature my head was smaller than an orange & I weighed less than 4lbs.

~ 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
   first are apostles,
   second are prophets,
   third are teachers,
   then those who do miracles,
   those who have the gift of healing,
   those who can help others,
   those who have the gift of leadership,
   those who speak in unknown languages.

Answer 3

Forgive me, ML.. I preface with that because I'm on my first cup of java this morning and maybe I'm missing something. I thought churches were given tax exemption to keep church and state separate.

I do completely agree that the guy is a fraud.. what I hate about the 501(c)3 is that these 'ministers' of the gospel buy things using church money, put it all in the church's name to avoid having to pay taxes on their personal gain. The laws should remove those loopholes and force people like him to pay taxes... the other suggestion I have is that the people who pour money in hand over fist should take a long hard look at this guy and realize this is not at all what their Jesus is portrayed to have been like or done

Answer 4

While churches are exempt from taxes, individuals should not be, and sheltering his possessions in the churches name is fraud ( in my humble opinion).

He is clearly an exploiter of gullible people, and a non-religious leader would have to pay income taxes. Religion has become one of the most profitable and tax sheltered games in the US.

I wish I knew what th solution was, but not only should he "pay his fair share," I believe he should be criminally prosecuted for duping the ill and infirm, the elderly, and the disabled.

Answer 5

I thought that Benny Hinn did pay tax.

As far taxing religious organisations, you don't want to impose too heavy a tax burden on Blue Care or Drug Arm do you? (You're Australian so I assume you know what I'm talking about).

Answer 6

haha I've been to a Hinn meeting. She'll survive. Great hypnotist. Especially since the majority of the people are so open to him. They wholly trust him because they believe he hears from god and is very wise in god. Never take any of this lightly or, rather keep your guard up. Hope she gets well quickly.

Answer 7

Another way they get away with this is through "love offerings". A personal donation made through the church to the preacher himself. Because it comes through the church, the preacher takes the money outright, no taxes. It's not considered part of their salary. During my years in church administration, I saw an awful lot of this type of thing. I expect one day we'll have an Enron-style church blowout in the news.

Answer 8

He pays taxes on his income
Jesus has used him-inspite of himself to bring people to God and healing too. This is what happened to me and Benny Hinn did pray over me some years ago personally, my eyes have been healed and I dont have to wear glasses anymore, from bad vision to 20/20 vision thank the Lord.

this is how I as a Jew came to know Jesus personally

"Unto us a child is born, a son is given, and he will be the mighty God, and the prince of peace." Isaiah 9:6

the answer is still in the salvation of the soul-till then we are on the outside looking in. Revelation 22 "Do not add to my word or take from it or you will get plagues, and never find salvation."

this is how I got salvation-believing the Word of God="I love you, and ask you to repent of your sins (even one lie) quickly. Behold I stand at your heart door and knock if you hear my words and ask me in, I will come in and be your friend." Revelation 1:1=Jesus words spoken from heaven & 3:19&20

so i prayed "Jesus I am sorry for my sins, come into my heart and help me, be my friend, amen."

Now Jesus is my Messiah, best friend, and savior, he comforts and keeps me, and His word has become the love letter of my life in Spirit and in truth.

Praying the best for you too, David

Answer 9

I could not agree more, from his ridiculous outfits to his faked healings, his disgustingly opulent lifestyle to his sickening betrayal of people too dumb to realise they are being taken, the low life should be lined up and shot. Fraud is just not a strong enough word for it...

Answer 10

How do you know so much about who pays tax`s and who don`t? Also if you know anything about the Bible, you need to be careful about what you say about Gods chosen ones, because God takes care of his people, protects them. Im not saying who is or whos not chosen, BUT I am a child of God, and under his protection, Ive seen that protection many times in my life. Just be careful what you say about the children of God, or those who say they are children of God, inlss you have proof they are fakes.