Discuss and Debate: Should religious places of worship remain tax-exempt?

[bzcxx]

Discuss if Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues and other places of worship should remain tax/exempt.
Support your answer with reasons.

[AviatorTom]

I'm in favor of reduced taxes for religious organizations, but not tax-free. Too many of them get involved in politics, which is not sticking only with religion. Perhaps more importantly, many religious organizations have lots of assets and money, well above what's needed to fulfill their religious obligations, so why not share some of that with the general public?

[BJP21]

Nope, not if its for any type of political gain. If you are truly non profit, I don't want to see you fly in on a private jet you purchased with non profit funds.

[jennifer_bloom]

I think there should be a clause that the money is used for materials or for taxes, but pastoral salaries should get taxed if they make more than $60,000 a year.

[SaoirseS]

Generally speaking, yes. But once religious institutions start spending for political reasons, then they should automatically forfeit their tax exempt status.

[Dargil]

I think almost all churches operate not for profit. They do have to pay their employees wages and social security. Usually if they have a surplus of donations and offerings over the year that money is applied to ministries. And very little is left over so my answer is no let them remain tax exempt

[goaded]

Almost all.

aerocorner.com/.../Kenneth-Copeland-730x409.jpeg

1. Kenneth Copeland: Gulfstream V
2. Jesse Duplantis: Dassault Falcon 7X
3. Jerry Savelle: Cessna 500
4. Joyce Meyer: Gulfstream IV
5. Creflo A. Dollar: Gulfstream III
6. Joel Osteen: Airbus A319
7. Paul and Jan Crouch: Bombardier BD-700-1A10
8. Paul and Jan Crouch: Hawker 800XP
9. Pat Robertson: Learjet 35
10. Mark Barclay: Cessna Citation III

[Dargil]

@goaded which often has these little turd exception comments do this one means nothing whatsoever

[goaded]

Pardon?

[Dargil]

@goaded. No.

[goaded]

What did you mean? Your response made no sense.

[jshm2]

Obviously. What you are forgetting is that they are effectively non profit charities. Hence you cannot tax them on a profit they are not making anyway.

That's before you get into their community and so social work that fills the void government can't.

[goaded]

Do they have to conform to the same rules as other non-profit charities?

[Pot8o]

No, I think they should be taxed progressively starting at a certain revenue threshold.

Some religious organizations are obscenely rich and really just telling people dangerous fairy tales. Without admitting they are fairy tales.

[Massageman]

Interesting concept. My daughter used to go to a "mega-church" wherein the "small group" in which she was placed had about 300-400 members! That's the whole membership of our church! I'm sure that one would get taxed. They even have a series of "cafe windows" where you can buy food- just like in a Food Court in a shopping mall!

[Pot8o]

@Massageman As someone who lives in a pretty atheist country, that's mind-boggling that religion can be big business like that.

[Agape93]

Nope. If they cannot afford anything, they don't deserve it. I shouldn't have to pay MORE because people want to compare clothing at a weekly book fan club meeting.

[Googlemyahoo]

Places if worship especially islamic should have government oversight to monitor what is being taught to followers & if its not acceptable shut down and the immams jailed and attendee’s sent to reintegration camps.

[Dazed0N0Confused]

Nope. Not at all. They're breaking tax-exempt laws when they engage with politics. They should be treated like corporations.

[Guy13]

Read constitution. End of story. Live in another country if don’t like it.

[bzcxx]

I don’t even live in the USA 😀 I’m just asking if they should be taxed and the pros and cons surrounding it.

[goaded]

Read Bible. End of story. Matthew 22:22

[WhitneySnow]

I think they should as long as it’s all religious institutions not just Christian ones

[TroyDT]

All income and property taxes should be abolished. Income taxes are slavery and property taxes are obscene,

[goaded]

Only if the money they take in gets spent on the needy, and not on, say, private jets.

[HaveNoName]

They normally work on donations to make ends meet paying the monthly mortgage and other overheads. I think taxes would kill them.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

No. Property should always be taxed, besides the fact all these religious buildings mostly just be robbing the people of their money anyways.

[Snakeyes7]

Yes. The church and the state should be as little involved with each other as possible.

[Esperdragon]

oh hell naw! they pay their fair share like everyone else!

[jimmy2]

Separatation of church and state but Covid like every thing turn up side down

[Anonymous]

Those who operate non profit should be allowed to remain tax-exempt.

[mandyfire98]

Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's

[dustybiker]

No. I don’t think so.

[Midgetmcwidget]

Yes and also atheist exempt

[Jamie05rhs]

Absolutely. Freedom of religion.

[Massageman]

Yes. Separation of church and state.

[Jennz6]

Yes they should.