Do you think that “The Church” should stay out of politics or, be taxed like the rest of us?

Question

I mean - if they’re not paying into the system, why should they (any church) have any say in how it’s run???

Answer 1

Should stay out of politics including having candidates come in and give speeches.

About a year from now (in the run up to the election), I'm going to start attending a lot of services at different churches around my community and audiotaping the sermons.

Any mention of politics or whom Jesus would vote for, and that tape will be handed to the IRS. I encourage others to do the same.

Answer 2

Yes, but as it happens that is exactly the way it is. The officials of any Church can not advocate or denigrate a candidate for office from the pulpit without risking their tax-exempt status. There have been a few examples lately where this has happened and the IRS came in to collect.

Policy is another matter. Congregations are often advocates for peace, the poor, the sick, the outcast. They can and do work to influence public policy onto the "right" path as they see it. Not all Congregations see things the same way of course. But speak out they may, and speak out they do, as any collection of concerned citizens might.

Answer 3

The church is allowed to support political candidates, not finacially...did a church do that? But the church system is older than the government and they get money from donations and do a lot in the communities so I dont think they should have to pay taxes, I didnt even know they dont pay taxes, I think thats awesome. I hate taxes. But as far as churches being allowed to have opinions? Yeah...duh

People within the church are allowed to have an opinion and if a candidate wants to speak from a church then I dont see any thing wrong with that either.

As long as its not financially backing a candidate then they can do whatever and if you dont like what a church does, tough sh*t, thats why there is freedom of religon.

Answer 4

I don't agree with taxing churches in general, but there are large churches out there that benefit from non-profit status while raking in large profits. Rob Parsley's Center for Moral Clarity is a wonderful example of this. Parsley refuses to make public his church's financial records, yet has fought tooth and nail for the right to endorse the likes of Ken Blackwell and George Bush from the pulpit. While that may seem trivial, you have to realize the influence tele-evangilists like Parsley has - and the amount of people who watch is sermons on TBN and the like. What people do not realize is Bush's Faith-based Initiative actually encourages churches to movtivate their congregations politically. Recently, a church outsite of Philadelphia got a large faith-based grant from Bushco. Incredibly, the pastor of the church was very involved politically with the Republican presidential campaign.

Answer 5

Many of the answerers here need to look up the two Great Awakenings in America and also look up the Moral Majority.

I dont think the churches are doing anything wrong. As Reagan said, the churches cant support a candidate, but he can show his support for them. The groups that do promote voting based on religion are not churches, theyre religious PACs.

Churches are careful to keep themselves officially separate from the PACs and to keep from ever promoting a candidate.
However, candidates should not be allowed to show support for a church like Reagan did. PACs should not have people like Fowell running around using their religious connections and hate mongering to promote a candidate. Religion needs to be stripped from the race altogether as it is not important to a political campaign.

Answer 6

the thought private wealth creates jobs is crammed with crap. Bush tax cuts in rigidity for better than a decade, the place are the jobs? by ability of sheer records, the backside ninety% of people in any state produce extra call for than the desirable 10%. agencies and persons do no longer hire human beings because of the fact they have a brilliant sort of money and are feeling beneficiant, they hire human beings because of the fact they ought to with a view to maintain or boost their earnings. the way this works is by ability of utilising client call for. and not utilising a extensive sort of purchasers or in the event that they at the instant are not spending adequate, there's no longer adequate call for for agencies to boost and hire extra. If purchasers have not got the money for, no person expands. Take a lesson from Henry Ford. He paid human beings no longer in basic terms what they might take, he would have paid them plenty much less, yet he paid them adequate that they'd handle to pay for the automobiles they made, increasing call for.

Answer 7

The people of the church are "The Church". The church itself is just a building, an inanimate object, and cannot speak or hear. However, the people of the church are tax paying citizens just like the rest of you and we have every right to get involved.

Answer 8

Yes, to both questions. Religious organizations should stay out of partisan politics. However, members of a religious organization who are citizens and tax payers do have a say in politics. As long as a religious organization doesn't endorse or support any single party or politician, it is okay.

Answer 9

They should have the freedom of speech from the pulpit as long as they don't endorse any one candidate or party. But they should not be able to contribute financially to a party or candidate. Nor should any church be targeted by the White House or the I.R.S for what they preach behind the pulpit just so long they don't endorse one particular candidate. I think that churches should have freedom of speech just like everyone else as long as there is no endorsement of candidates or funding of candidates and parties. Then they have crossed a line.
As far as religious organizations getting exempt status who lobby the congress or W.H, they should be taxed because there is a clear violation of government involvement and influence in the politics of the country.

Answer 10

"They" .... "The Church" ....?

Who are they?

I say that all people should pay taxes on their income. I also say that all businesses should pay taxes on their profits. I can't conceptualize how churches are business-like and how they are earning profits.

Churches should not have any special right to hold the reins of government, nor should they have any special exclusion from being politically involved, either. That was also Thomas Jefferson's argument. When Jefferson spoke of a wall of separation between church and state, he meant that no church should have COMPLETE CONTROL over government. He did not mean that no church can any influence at all -- that churches had better keep their political mouths' shut.