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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTax Exempt Status Gone -If The Churches Pursued Social/Economic Justice Issue Like They Do Gays
Tax exempt status would disappear so fast their heads would spin. Just imagine what would happen to churches if they pursued big business over living wages, health care, and benefit guarantees with the same fervor they do against gays and abortion. Around 1900 churches were actively apposing the "robber barons" and their business practices.
As long as the chrurches attack GOP appoints they will be left alone, but let them attack thieving CEO's it will be all over.
Igel
(35,197 posts)They can never fight entrenched powers in society.
For example, there's no way churches could possibly take on things like drinking. The very idea of something called "Prohibition" would be absurd--the breweries would never stand for it.
And racism or civil rights? Never happen. Any church that even dared to do something like that would have its tax-exempt status revoked and be closed in a heartbeat.
And a completely unnecessary /sarcasm
TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)The policy would change if churches attacked business practices directly and began to demand a fair distribution of wealth with living wages for the wealth creators.
branford
(4,462 posts)The government can mandate that churches not endorse candidates or engage in campaigning in order to receive certain tax benefits, but they cannot withhold tax benefits based on what candidates or issues a church supports.
The First Amendment unequivocally prohibits government from discriminating against any church based on the content of their views.
The same rules apply to liberal churches, conservative churches, and even wacky, strange and well outside the mainstream churches.