Why Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions Should Continue

I appreciate Amy Hall’s point. But she is missing the strategy of our opposition. They don’t care about reason or fairness or the law. They are out for blood. They hate God and they hate the Christian religion. They hate Christians because they perceive us to be ignorant (ie against evolution. climate chance, etc), homophobes, racist, sexist, nosey, domineering and controlling.

They don’t think Christianity contributes ANYTHING positive. They think the idea of God is a “sky fairy”. They think we prey upon people’s fears for money. They think we are weak willed, that is why we need prayer and forgiveness. They think charity is better done in a secular environment, free from the “slavery” of Christianity.

In short, they reject every argument Amy Hall makes in this blog. The scary thing is, a lot of people are starting to agree with them. When that percentage tips to 50.01%, tax exempt status is all over.

I think it will happen within 5 years.

I don’t know the reason, but it seems that the topic of “same-sex marriage” isn’t one that people at SI want to post about. I remember Tyler was part of a review of a book about Christians who support “gay marriage”, but it fizzled due to lack of support/interest. The blog response here after the USSC decision was anemic in my view. It concerns me that people are more interested in Gail Riplinger being a consultant at some irrelevant bible college than an issue that is dramatically changing our daily lives in the US. The same goes for people arguing over why Spurgeon succeeded in his day…

Maybe it is overload. Maybe everyone knows exactly what to do and I am the only one wondering. But I am concerned the church is still asleep, and has given up the field of battle for America. I hope not for my kids sake.

Its so obvious we are getting your BACK-SIDE KICKED all over American society. Can it put more plain than that?

On the links you provide there are 14 comments TOTAL spread out over about 10 threads. There are more than 9 talking about Gail Riplinger (like she matters at all compared to same-sex marriage!)

really want to see pages of “me too”, “I concur” posts?

One thing to note regarding the lack of comments regarding same sex mirage is the Brendan Eich phonomenon. ‘nuff said? Like Jesus said, wise as serpents.

But regarding tax exemptions, I would agree with Mark that the radical secularists do oppose tax exempt status for religious institutions and charities. Now the trick is the 1st Amendment; if you end tax exempt status for religious charities, you need to do it for all of them. OK, that will include property-rich but cash-poor museums that will now be paying property taxes. Not for profit art galleries. Private universities with large campi but small endowments. Game on?

I doubt it. The trick is simply that you cannot carve out a restriction—say no charity can oppose same sex mirage—without a clear evidence of discrimination against a religious minority that even Sonia Sotomayor might be able to see.

But that said, I don’t think a loss of tax exemption would be the end of the world for religious institutions. How many summer camps, colleges, and churches use only a small footprint of the land they own? I remember that was the case with Camp Clearwaters and Clearwater Christian College, and probably also Northland. And end to the property tax exemption would force them to consider how they are using that property. Maybe it would be better to sell the dorms and have students interact with the world in apartments.

And really, as I read end times, there will be a time of great difficulty prior to the Tribulation, in which I wouldn’t be surprised if churches were outright confiscated and/or destroyed. Maybe now is a great time to train up a legion of young pastors able to minister in house churches. Pastors who, like our friend Tyler, minister to small groups of families and spend as much time discipling as preparing for sermons.

I’m speaking here as one who has seen the consequences of over-building of churches. When in Boulder, I attended hunter safety in a former church, and another former church is a mosque. In Waseca, I saw one former church abandoned (just full of junk), another as a museum, yet another as an apartment building, and yet another as a lodge—that would be a failed Baptist church. All in a town of 8000 people, not counting the prison population. Old cemeteries dot the countryside around here—all of them used to have a church nearby. Maybe we’re spending way too much effort on buildings and nowhere near enough on souls.

for the mission field of America.

But, I understand that I am pretty isolated and don’t have a lot of people to talk to, but you all do. So I apologize for the accusations.

Read the post by Kent Brandenburg on that topic, Mark. I liked it, and if I’m being silly in doing so, I’d love to hear feedback. :^)

but I prefer direct interaction with you all (who I feel I know in some way) over reading blog posts from people I definitely don’t know. It replaces the conversation I don’t have with people.

[Jim]

For me I see it as a reality check that we are exiles in a very sinful world. The fields are still whitened unto harvest. No change there.

I completely agree with this. I am so tired of worrying and listening to other people worry about America. Worry about the One who can cast into eternal hell, not a country. I love america too, but my loyalty is supposed to be Jesus first, everything else second.

[QUOTE=STR] Not only are tax exemptions not logically a subsidy (after all, it’s not the government’s money the churches are keeping)[/QUOTE] This is faulty reasoning. Churches benefit from social law, order, and utilities without paying. The rest of society pay for those benefits on their behalf. That is subsidy. Tax breaks are arguably the greatest form of corporate subsidy in America.

[QUOTE] It’s in our best interest to prevent our limited government from taking money away from organizations that are using that money to build up our communities. Local organizations know the people they’re helping, they can give more personalized care with less bureaucratic waste, and those who receive the help do so in the context of relationship, which means gratitude and accountability. [/QUOTE] I completely agree with the above statement. The only problem is that carving out an exemption for “non-profits” favors many destructive organizations (Planned Parenthood, Westboro Baptist Church, etc.) above many great and productive organizations (from Wal-Mart to small mom n pop businesses).

I started a business back in 2004. Through it, I have provided free eyecare services to people in need, jobs to families in need, witness to partners, and great service to our community. Why should my business have to prop up the Catholic or LDS church in my city? Why should my business pick up the slack so that Planned Parenthood can provide abortions for less? STR says that churches provide services that government simply cannot replace. Well, so does Speedy Specs. So do Wal-Mart and Raleys. What the article is asking is for a special-interest corporate welfare for churches (good and bad churches, Westboro, Joel Osteen, and Trinity Broadcasting).

I should also address the issue of taxation = governmental control. I agree that the power to tax is the power to destroy, but this is already happening. Some pastors have trimmed specific political advice from their sermons. Why? The threat of taxation. The control already exists. If we simply paid our taxes, we would no longer have the speech restrictions that come with our privileged tax-free standing. It turns out that when government subsidizes, it also rules.

Thus, I argue for equality in taxation, not in order to destroy the church, but that she might be free.