New Calls To Strip Churches of Tax Exempt Status After Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

[Wilikon]

The Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage makes it clearer than ever that the government shouldn't be subsidizing religion and non-profits.

Rather than try to rescue tax-exempt status for organizations that dissent from settled public policy on matters of race or sexuality, we need to take a more radical step. It’s time to abolish, or greatly diminish, their tax-exempt statuses.

Defenders of tax exemptions and deductions argues that if we got rid of them charitable giving would drop. It surely would, although how much, we can’t say. But of course government revenue would go up, and that money could be used to, say, house the homeless and feed the hungry. We’d have fewer church soup kitchens — but countries that truly care about poverty don’t rely on churches to run soup kitchens.

So yes, the logic of gay-marriage rights could lead to a reexamination of conservative churches’ tax exemptions (although, as long as the IRS is afraid of challenging Scientology’s exemption, everyone else is probably safe). But when that day comes, it will be long overdue. I can see keeping some exemptions; hospitals, in particular, are an indispensable, and noncontroversial, public good. And localities could always carve out sensible property-tax exceptions for nonprofits their communities need. But it’s time for most nonprofits, like those of us who faithfully cut checks to them, to pay their fair share.


http://time.com/3939143/nows-the-time-to-end-tax-exemptions-for-religious-institutions/


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That. Was. Fast... But it was the plan all along.

Polygamy is next.

[1714168825]

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[Wilikon]

Does that include mosques or just...?

[TECSHARE]

Making everyone take the hit on taxes for gay marriage wasn't enough, now they want to actively attack religious groups right on the heals of the supreme court ruling. Some one is a poor winner. The motives here are more clear every day, and it has nothing to do with equality.

[Wilikon]

Making everyone take the hit on taxes for gay marriage wasn't enough, now they want to actively attack religious groups right on the heals of the supreme court ruling. Some one is a poor winner. The motives here are more clear every day, and it has nothing to do with equality.

 
They are doing it for the good of the many. It is not a few attacking the protection of religious belief and the freedom to exercise it... Didn't you get the memo? Burning churches with people still inside it...? Uncalled-for I would say. But what do I know...
Post #2
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1102956.msg11740057#msg11740057
 

[bryant.coleman]

Why should the places of worship be exempt from taxes? Now most of them are acting just like organized business cartels, especially the Catholics, Muslims and various evangelical sects. These people should be taxed like any other business, since most of the religious activity seems to be for the creation of profit and asset building.

[Wilikon]

Why should the places of worship be exempt from taxes? Now most of them are acting just like organized business cartels, especially the Catholics, Muslims and various evangelical sects. These people should be taxed like any other business, since most of the religious activity seems to be for the creation of profit and asset building.

How come that statement became more obvious for some AFTER the ssm decision, but not before? They needed a base. Now that the base is created they can start launching the attacks by lone wolves who swore allegiance to the base...

[dblink]

According to my thoughts, Decision take on Tax exemption for religious places is very good, since those places are sacred and built for the purpose to start thinking about the Master of the Universe, worship and praise him, the more we inclined towards the sacred places it will lead us to live peaceful life in this world.

[pedrog]

Churches are a pro-profit business like any other, if they want tax deductions they can donate the money like any other business.

Churches spent a lot less in charity than what is claimed by them.

[ayesha201006]

Making everyone take the hit on taxes for gay marriage wasn't enough, now they want to actively attack religious groups right on the heals of the supreme court ruling. Some one is a poor winner. The motives here are more clear every day, and it has nothing to do with equality.

Its ok.  Religious groups have been attacking everyone else for ages.  So I don't mind seeing them get a taste of their own medicine for once.

[RitzBitzz]

Yeah lets attack religion because we don't agree with what they preach.

So much for being tolerant.

[Lethn]

I hardly consider stopping religious people from persecuting gays and making the church pay their fair share 'attacking' religion, unless of course you're finally admitting that making money off people and persecuting gays is basically all most religions stand for now? By the way, in Finland it's actually been proven that taxing the church while it has caused a significant drop in attendance has actually left people with more free time on Sundays and their religious moments are more private.

[Wilikon]

According to my thoughts, Decision take on Tax exemption for religious places is very good, since those places are sacred and built for the purpose to start thinking about the Master of the Universe, worship and praise him, the more we inclined towards the sacred places it will lead us to live peaceful life in this world.

Expect the exact opposite reaction... For some places of worship of course, not the ones with a fatwa making machine...

[TECSHARE]

I hardly consider stopping religious people from persecuting gays and making the church pay their fair share 'attacking' religion, unless of course you're finally admitting that making money off people and persecuting gays is basically all most religions stand for now? By the way, in Finland it's actually been proven that taxing the church while it has caused a significant drop in attendance has actually left people with more free time on Sundays and their religious moments are more private.

Put your religious intolerance and hatred aside for a moment and examine this situation critically. I really doubt all churches and religious groups persecute gays, so this is not a fair generalization. Furthermore just because these people have opposing viewpoints about homosexuality, and you find them offensive, does NOT mean it is an attack. The price of your freedom of speech is that occasionally some one will say something that offends you. Offense is NOT equivalent to an attack. Learn the difference.

If you have however spotted groups that do persecute gays, why not go after THOSE SPECIFIC GROUPS? Why is it necessary to attack the funding for all religious organizations? A lot of these groups run actual substantive charities that help lots of people in demonstrable ways. How many gay activist groups can say the same? Do you think their numbers come even close?

These groups are now going way beyond their stated charter of equality and are moving into their own flavor of intolerance and supremacy, and people are realizing this. This is about destroying the foundations of society in preparation for the arrival of our socialist overlords, not about equality. Read Marxist strategy, the destruction of religion is one of their stated goals.

[bryant.coleman]

Why is it necessary to attack the funding for all religious organizations? A lot of these groups run actual substantive charities that help lots of people in demonstrable ways.

No one is going to attack the funding. The proposal is just to levy a tax on them, just like other businesses such as restaurents and coffee shops. I agree that some of that money is used for charity purposes. But what about the rest, which makes up the vast majority? You can't say that money which is being used to buy BMWs for the Bishops and Cardinals should be exempt from tax.

[TECSHARE]

Why is it necessary to attack the funding for all religious organizations? A lot of these groups run actual substantive charities that help lots of people in demonstrable ways.

No one is going to attack the funding. The proposal is just to levy a tax on them, just like other businesses such as restaurents and coffee shops. I agree that some of that money is used for charity purposes. But what about the rest, which makes up the vast majority? You can't say that money which is being used to buy BMWs for the Bishops and Cardinals should be exempt from tax.

First of all tax is theft, so any time there are more taxes I am not for it, I am not sure how more being taken from others some how befits you personally considering the financial black hole that has become the US government. Second of all reducing the ability for these churches to fund themselves is very much so a direct attack on them. Yeah of course there always some fat cat leeches skimming off the system, but that is the case in absolutely every industry. It doesn't make it ok, but it also doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[pedrog]

You guys never watched Marjoe?

Religion is just a business like any other, well, if leeching the money out of suckers and gullible people can be considered a business...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068924/

[BADecker]

Most of the sales industry has to do with convincing people that they need some kind of service or product. Then the people buy voluntarily.

A great example is whole life insurance. Whole life insurance is simply term insurance with an investment attached. Yet the whole life insurance investment shows the poorest returns of any investment. Yet it, and universal life (which is really just a glorified whole life plan), both sell $millions or $billions in policies right now.

Social Security is another example of poor returns for the money invested.

[BADecker]

Since nobody can follow where his tax money is going, and what product or service was purchased by government with the exact dollars he paid in, perhaps we should go the other route and make everything tax exempt.

[BLKBITZ]

Churches spent a lot less in charity than what is claimed by them.

Can you prove this?

[panju1]

Tax exemption is not exactly subsidy.
There are countries where the Government actually pays for the upkeep of religious monuments, pilgrimages (including trip to Mecca/Medina) etc. Tax exemption seems very mild compared to that.