i have a solution. end tax exempt status for churches. selling jesus has become big business. why should they not have to pay taxes?
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Dobbs: Keep religion out of politics
- Thread starter ZZZzzzzzzz
- Start date
Tax exempt status exists to help non profit charitable organizations, who actually need the exemption to continue to survive.
In concept, there is nothing wrong with it, but those who do have tax exempt status should gladly open their books to a full scrutiny by the IRS.
In concept, there is nothing wrong with it, but those who do have tax exempt status should gladly open their books to a full scrutiny by the IRS.
Quote from vhehn:
i have a solution. end tax exempt status for churches. selling jesus has become big business. why should they not have to pay taxes?
Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:
Tax exempt status exists to help non profit charitable organizations, who actually need the exemption to continue to survive.
In concept, there is nothing wrong with it, but those who do have tax exempt status should gladly open their books to a full scrutiny by the IRS.
churches are definitely not charitable organizations who need help to survive. i was involved in a large churches finances years ago when i was a member. it went like this: 90% of the money taken in went for salaries and to pay for fancy church buildings and upkeep. 10% went out to help people but even most of that was earmarked for preaching to them. maybe 1% actually went for direct help for the poor.
I wonder... should a true man of God... a man who is Christ-like... A man who goes by the title of Bishop TD Jakes... posses multimillion dollar estates, luxury cars and a private jet?Quote from ktmexc20:
Like evangelist TD Jakes... who has a private jet?
Oh yeah... the church business is booming.
Hmmm... I think not. I call that a facade... a lucrative one at that.
TD Jakes' Idea of Succe$$
Jakes moved to Dallas a decade ago, and later moved into his $45 million sanctuary on 50 acres in West Dallas where today the membership is 30,000 and growing.
Just last year, the preacher and his family sold their mansion near White Rock Lake in Dallas and bought a $5 million estate in east Fort Worth that was previously owned by novelist Sandra Brown.
It is that lavish lifestyle that also includes luxury cars and a private jet, that is most seized upon by Jakes' critics.
I think ZZZ has it right on this issue. The government has no business monitoring what is SAID from a pulpit, but it does have the right to monitor how church funds are spent. A pastor should be able to give his opinion as to whom the congrgation should vote for, but he shouldn;t be able to contribute tax exempt, tax deductible contributions to a political campaign. This is broadly analogous to the rules that are supposed to govern unions. They have to form separate, non exempt PAC's for political activity. The existing IRS rules are thus overly broad in that they threaten loss of tax exempt status for any church if their preacher endorses a candidate.
Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:
I am against censure of speech. However if non taxed church funds are being used to pay for advertising, fund raising, money to candidates etc. that is political in nature...that is a different story.
well.. tell the IRS that.. they are going after pastors who speak out against the war.
Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:
Tax exempt status exists to help non profit charitable organizations, who actually need the exemption to continue to survive.
In concept, there is nothing wrong with it, but those who do have tax exempt status should gladly open their books to a full scrutiny by the IRS.
so like i said earlier... the church just should avoid incorporating in order to avoid IRS jurisdiction. private citizens pooling money together in order to express their freedom of religion and their right to peaceably assemble is not a taxable event. is this where we are heading????
the tax code is being used to infringe on my rights to freely express myself in my place of worship. heaven forbid, how did we ever function as a country without the watchdog IRS to police our churches.
Quote from ktmexc20:
Like evanglist TD Jakes... who has a private jet?
Oh yeah... the church business is booming.
daystar is terrible.... i thought TBN was as bad as it could get. i actually saw one preacher promise someone millionaire status for $1000 seed money. these guys are unreal..... and people fall for it. very sad indeed.
i'm not even thinking about these types.... i am talking about the presbyterian church speaking out against the war and drawing scrutiny of the irs.