Is there a way to harness the backlash against Prop 8 passing?

[TransitJohn]

I've been thinking this morning while perusing GD and witnessing the anger against churches there and wanting to revoke their tax exempt status if there is a possibility to really get something done. All churches should pay income taxes, as they're just money making rackets anyway.

[amyrose2712]

1. I have a question.

I was wondering,(and I mean this sincerely, I am not trying to be confrontational), if the churches lost their tax exempt status, and were forced to pay, wouldn't that also violate separation of church and state? Just a thought.

[TransitJohn]

2. I don't think so.

The separation goes both ways...churches interfering in the politics and policy arena means that the government should tax them.

[amyrose2712]

3. Oh absolutely, but not every church preaches politics?...

What of the ones that truly don't, how would we account for that? I seems like it would be against sep. of church/state. I could be wrong. I don't agree with them getting any sort of special treatment. I just wonder about this issue.

[moggie]

4. Look at it this way

Suppose there's a church, and next door to is is a building which houses a secular singing club, a choir. Each Sunday, the club members gather to sing, while next door the church members are doing the same. Both groups benefit from the same services provided by the state - roads, emergency services etc - so why should one pay tax while the other doesn't? And if the church alone is given this benefit, doesn't this mean that the state is subsidising the church, which is kind of a violation of separation?

Society has decided that charities should not have to pay tax (provided they meet certain criteria). That should include the charitable activities of churches, such as distributing food to the poor. But the social and political activities of churches don't deserve to be tax-exempt. Churches which conduct charitable activities should separate those into a charitable arm, and its accounts should be subject to the same IRS scrutiny as any secular charity.

[amyrose2712]

7. Thanks. That makes sense.

[Warpy]

5. Yes, there's a movement out there to petition the IRS

to tax the Mormon church. Unfortunately, they're not talking about taxing the Roman Catholics. Yet.

[dropkickpa]

6. I want them to fucking pay property taxes, too

Damn diocese of Pgh owns a shitload of prime real estate and aren't paying didly on it while old ladies are crapping their pants trying to figure out how to pay their tax bills on homes they've owned for 50 years.