Why, exactly, is it again that churches should be tax-free?

Question

Especially those with no organized "charities?"

Answer 1

The concept of not taxing the churches was simply a courtesy , not a constitutional mandate .
The concept was that since these early churches were built and supported with donations from people and the churches did little more than give people a place to pray and perform strictly charity services , the government would not tax them . The priests nuns and ministers would lead mostly lives of , if not abject povety , at least very little luxury .
But somewhere along the line churches and their programs became big business .
Some examples :
The director of Convenant House is a Catholic Nun who is paid 100's of thousands a year from the donations ( and the donators get an app. 7 1/2% income tax refund on this donation ) given , ( Compare this to the basic room and board given to the original founder of Boy's Town Father Flannagan , or even to the $60,000 given to the director of the Newark Humane Society , a lay person who operates several large no kill shelters and a Zoo .)
The NYC Arch Diocese Spent Hundreds of thousands of dollars ,not including almost as much in donated services , in order to try to keep NYC public high schools from distibiting condoms along with the instructions for proper use . It cost the NYC taxpayers well over 2 million dollars to fight the lawsuits .
The Bishop of Rockville Center lives in a custom apartment built with church money . It is valued at near 1 million dollars .
A priest who is a dept. head at a well known University spends thousands of dollars a year of his salary to go big game hunting . His office is filled with the heads of the animals he has killed .
The NYC Cardinal refused to lease the airspace above a small cemetary between St. Patrick's Cathedral and The rectory . This would have immediatly brought in a billion dollars that could have been used to help the poor . The Cardinal refused because it would have spoiled his view . Now the Diocese can borrow money against the value of the airspace and use it to pay for luxuries for selected members of the religion .
The Vatican has warehoused billions of dollars in Art Work and Artifacts which are seldom displayed to the public . This while the priests of the Vatican and Rome wear $1,500 suits and live in a well to do lifestyle . Many even have enough to keep a girlfriend in spite of the church's ban on this .
I could go on and on about such things . They happen in many religious institutions . One of the biggest tax free scams is when they own property tax free that is either warehoused ( for example a church that sits on five acres of land when only one acre is used ) , or the property is rented to non - religious/ charity interests ( for example The Catholic Church leases everything from office space to billboard space in NYC . ) Scientology owns a very expensive piece of property in NYC's Theater district which is used as a welcome center for members who make big donations and as a recruiting tool to get more of those members . This property is also tax free .
In NJ there are large retreats ( originally used to allow priests and nuns a place to go and relax for a couple weeks while contemplating the religion) are now worth millions of dollars each . The one on LBI , even in today's depressed market is worth over 10 million . Priests and nuns will only stay there in the summer now because LBI is too quiet and most of the attractions , stores , restaurants , etc. are closed . Even though this facillity could be used for true not for profit works like housing homeless single mothers it is still just used as a summer vacation hotel for nuns and priests . And it is tax free !
Many people , including myself , feel that it is time to tax all religious property and income ( Catholics , Jews , Muslims and Scientologists , and all others ). Then money spent on the direct welfare of those IN NEED would receive a tax rebate . Places of worship could get a tax break depending upon the size of the building and the number of worshipers .
EDIT for Hinds Feet : The "workers" often do not pay taxes on things they receive . Not on $1,500 suits , million dollar apartments , $1,000 retreats , Fancy dinners , Fancy offices , and Limos for the director of Convent house ,and so on . ( By the way the previous director ,a priest ,was fired for child abuse .) . They don't pay taxes on things like donations used to fight the government ( taxpayers) on such issues as dispensing condoms in Public Schools .
EDIT for Opiniona ( Below) The Constitution basically states that no laws should be made that PREVENT the exercise of religion .Taxation ,unless totally repressive and unfair ( illegal) does not do this . Prayer is free . The reason that things like prayer and creationism are kept out of schools is twofold . One is that the Government can not choose one religions belief system over another other wise we would have Scientology being accepted right along with Chritainity and Judeism . And the second reason it is the PUBLIC schools place to teach science and reality , not religious beliefs . Otherwise we would be teaching Biblical creationism ,Egyptian Pharorism , Evolution , Hindu reincarnation , all along side of each other as fact . You have the right to teach your children that the sun revolves around the Earth and that we cross over the river Styxx when we die . They may be made fun of in the real world , but you have the right . Just don't expect the taxpayers to allow it in PUBLIC school .

Answer 2

Donations to churches function just like the tax-free donations one might make to any non-profit organization or community group: whatever a person donates is subtracted from their total income before taxes are calculated.

This is supposed to encourage people to give more and better support to such groups, which presumably are providing benefits to the community that the government now does not need to be responsible for.

Why, exactly, is it again that rich corporations and billionaires should be tax-free?

Why, exactly, is it again that rich folks and businesses should get a tax break for buying off politicians with so-called "political donations"?

Why, exactly, is it again that "faithless worshippers of money" should care if churches are, and always have been tax-free?

ARE you that anxious to go to hell that you want to "rob" God further, even above your present refusal to pay tribute to God?!?

This is an insult to "generous" donors, who obey God's word, giving more than 10% of our income "sacrificially", from greedy jealous "anti-christs" and their thoughtless followers.

Churches benefit the most from tax exemptions because they qualify for many of them automatically (which saves money for government overseers too).

Whereas non-religious groups have to go through a more complicated application and approval process, because non-believers are more likely to deceive, thinking they do not have to answer to GOD.

Answer 3

Employees of the church do pay taxes, Pastor, secretary ect. But the organization does not as it is not a business but a religious association and helps the community.
The church does not personally belong to the Pastor, but is run by a board that does not get paid.

Answer 4

the respond is, "NO." The IRS and a few contributors of congress alongside with Senator Chuck Grassley are actively finding for religious fraud. maximum mainstream religions have been elementary and for this reason are not heavily scrutinized yet new up-shoots like your notion alongside with funds-making mega church homes draw scrutiny like flies to you-know-what. additionally, evolution is in general primary in some sort by ability of super components of Christianity; opposing that is not a undemanding Christian coaching. the kinds of Christians opposing it on the instant are the comparable types who centuries until eventually now adversarial techniques such because of the fact the international being around and the earth revolving around the solar. do no longer try making a church to dodge property taxes. that is going to cost you better than the taxes saved.

Answer 5

Because:
1. They're supposed to be apolitical. Taxing them would give them ties to the government. Don't most of the nonreligious want religion OUT of the government?
2. They're non-profit. At least, most of them are.

And they don't have to have organized charities. All they have to do is donate a certain percentage to charity, or to missions around the world...which EVERY church does.

Answer 6

I suppose the reasoning is that the church is given property to practic their religion on. If it was taxed then the govt would own that land and be able to tell that church how to practice thier religion which would be against the first ammendment. This might not be so, I don't know for sure, that that's my first thought. Good question though.

Answer 7

I would call myself a christian but I agree that it is foolhardy to make churches or universities or charities exempt from taxes.
This has just caused some to start their own religion so they can avoid taxes. BY the way have you seen what a non-profit pays their executive officers.

Answer 8

Separation of church and state. Liberals like it when it keeps prayer and the teaching of creation out of the public schools, but when Christians get a tax break for there church building, they cry foul.

Answer 9

because they are community organizations.

just like not for profit education programs or after school programs.

the do provide a funcition in the community even if it is one you or I don't agree with.

I do agree that there are certainly organizations that have slid by that are not realy religions (Ie: scientology), however that has more to do with the way it is implemented rather than the original purpose.

Answer 10

They are supposedly their own "charity." They are supposedly non-profit organization.

Regardless, if the monies collected by them in turn becomes income for their ministry, etc. that money ends up being taxed anyway.

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