Are church-run schools and universities of benefit to society?

Question

Some people have told me that churches provide universities, schools and institutions of knowledge out of their tax-free earnings, and furthermore that the American people are getting the better end of the deal:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070901024850AABJP4V&r=w

Is it a positive benefit in a secular society for churches to run educational institutions (which, you had better believe, they see benefits to their own future membership in doing)? Are their results SO much better than secular providers that taxpayers ought to subsidise their worship halls and their ministers' salaries as well, as part of the arrangement?

Hey history, you might want to read Horton's argument in the other thread before you're gracious enough to tell me that I'm losing this one.

Answer 1

That would depend upon the school. Most of them are really good, and are basically the same as any secular school, except that those who attend the school usually have prayer meetings and church services. There are also more Bible classes offered. Other than that, they're exactly the same as any other school, even in the science department.

Answer 2

Well, Dow Chemical rated the BS-Chemistry program at Abilene Christian University in the top 5 in the country. Is THAT a benefit???

Someone said that it depended on the school. I have seen SOME religious oriented schools that do not provide their students a good education, but there are also some programs / some schools that are "TOP NOTCH," providing their students with a WORLD CLASS educational opportunity.

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MOST, if not all, UNIVERSITIES and COLLEGES in the United States ARE TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS.

What is your point there? There might be some very small fraction that are taxed, but that would call the "education" they provide into question, thus the TRUTH of the matter is QUITE THE OPPOSITE OF YOUR ASSERTION in this case. Notice what the IRS says:

"The exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3) are charitable, religious, EDUCATIONAL, scientific, literary..."

http://www.IRS.GOV/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html

That is simply a copy of information on an INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE web page describing institutions that qualify for exempt status via section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. - The information posted begins the third paragraph on the body of that page...
In general, EDUCATIONAL institutions ARE QUALIFIED to be exempt under 501(c)(3). This means that any that are not exempt probably do so BY THEIR OWN CHOICE, like the various "trade schools," etc. that exist to make money for their owners rather than to provide an education to their students.

"Schools" that take stands in political issues can disqualify themselves, but generally, ALL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES are exempt, unless there is some unusual reason for them to not be exempt.

Answer 3

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Nortre Dame? Some of the best Universities in the world that have performed important research. How about the thousands of hospitals in the United States alone or the fact that you yourself might not even be here today if your anscestors didn't get free medical care from a church-run hospital? Face it, you're losing this argument, which you started evidently without thinking through. By the way, anyone who counts not paying taxes as somehow being subsidised by the government is a communist for certain.

Update: She's not agreeing with you, she's disagreeing with you. Wow, is English not your first language?

Answer 4

you mostly could be interior the coolest 10% of your type for BC. you may additionally shop on with to Holy go it particularly is additionally run by utilising the Jesuits yet is 30 miles west of BC and in basic terms 3000 scholars and strictly undergrad. it particularly is somewhat greater handy to get into HC.

Answer 5

The evidence on the whole is no.

They enjoy a tax free status and hence offer a subsidised education to those who are or are willing to say they are followers of a religion. As such they act as a form of selective education, and so achieve high results in some areas. This is especially true in the UK, where their results are bought at the cost of very substantial subsidies from everyone else.

They are against basic human rights and standards of decency because they rely on this bias. And they are not bound to open, fair and objective teaching as other institutions are. In the UK this led to the head of science of one such establishment removing evolution from the syllabus (it is part of the national curriculum in other state supported schools). This decision was quickly reversed by the management, but it shows the underlying truth of what the insitutions are about.

Answer 6

No it isn't, they need to stick to the poor and needy.

Answer 7

to those who send their chrildren yes.

Answer 8

There is no harm.

Answer 9

Some are, and some aren't!

Answer 10

FROM AN ATHEIST'S POINT OF VIEW, HELL NO!!