Time To Tax the Damn Churches NOW

[miskie]

You can't Gore the DUmmies sacred cows...they want steak off your cow.

You can't Cow the DUmmies sacred Gore either...   

[MrsSmith]

Which came first, the rule about churches not backing candidates or their exemption?  I don't know, but it seems that the left always try to tie the two together.  But it does see disingenuous to say that churches can not back candidates when most other 501 exempt organizations do so.

The 1st Amendment removes churches from the authority of the government, so they have never been taxable.  The rule that forced them to adopt a 501c3 status came about in 1954.

[vesta111]

The 1st Amendment removes churches from the authority of the government, so they have never been taxable.  The rule that forced them to adopt a 501c3 status came about in 1954.

Not sure Churches are exempt from the authority of Government.

 Some where down the line the Government went onto Indian Reservations and arrested those that for 2000 years had used Peyote or Cannabis in their religious rites.  Since there were so few left of that faith ----no problem.

Prohibition, only was the Catholic Church exempt, and the booze flowed freely from them to their bigest donors or politicians.  No other faith that took Communion was exempt, became the era of grape juice and wonderbread for all the rest.

Mormons of the fringe sect can violate the laws of bigamy with no problem today, interesting how that works.

Off shoots of the Protestant Church fight for the right to only pray over a sick child and get them no medical treatment.

For years the Jehovah Wittiness who refused life saving blood transfusion for family members were in some cases hauled into Court and forced to allow the procedure.

1980's saw a  up swing in the so called ministry schools, one sent in tuition of $1000 bucks, no classes and received a diploma in bible studies and then the student could get 3-5 members of the family to come to their home a couple times a month for worship.   Now for that paltry sum the home owner could claim their home as a Church, all land owned by them and ----No taxes. Any autos, boats, repairs on the home and land --TAX free.  A nice little placard for their autos denoting them as Priests, Ministers or Rabbi's, never worry about getting a parking ticket or speeding infraction. 

Some of the shysters took to wearing the Priest suit in public, instant respect from the public and law enforcement.  They started small businesses and placed it as owned by the church, bought rental property, under the Church.  They really got away with this, still do, Only time the word Jesus was ever spoken was when someone stubbed their toe and swore.

Question, was Jessie Jackson ever ordained as a minister in any Church School for the Pasterhood ?  How did he get the Reverend placed before his name ??

Today we watch as the Vatican is imploding, all that money and power and the poor POPE is a prisoner in all that splendor, is he being protected or imprisoned????  Sad thing to be elected Pope, as a Bishop he had much more power.

This is a way of life going back 10,000 years, the Witch Doctors had the rulers by the balls, today the Churches have the same potential to scare the living crap out of Government.

Today a Muslim temple can be built in a small town and the non believers have to foot the loss of taxes. Up grade the roads so the faithfull can drive to their temple. Place sewers and water mains to the Temple. Upgrade the schools the police and fire department.

  At one time the Moonies did this and actually took over a small town, Their Flock even living in China had the right to vote in town elections and soon over came anyone running for office in the town. 

Lessons from Cotten Mather who would go to any extent to acquire land  and riches for his Church and himself.

As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world with no end,  Amen. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

The 1st Amendment removes churches from the authority of the government, so they have never been taxable. 

What it really does is exclude the government from doctrinal issues of the church, and exclude church doctrine from government affairs.  It really does not by itself prohibit government from involving itself with the secular affairs of the churches, like property rights, contracts, or taxation. 

At the time the First Amendment was adopted, Federal taxes were pretty much limited to excise taxes and tariffs, which did not directly affect the churches.  Property taxes are a creature of States and Counties, and exemptions churches have from them are a product of State statutory law, not an interpretation of the First Amendment (In fact it was only after adoption of the 14th Amendment, post-Civil War, that the Bill of Rights truly became legally regarded as applying to State laws as opposed to just being a check on Federal power, under 'Due Process/Equal Protection' clauses of the 14th)

[VivisMom]

I agree 100%.  I don't see how Kathleen Seblius and Nancy Pelosi haven't been excommunicated.  I figure that Teddy Kennedy must have made one hell of a good confession before he checked out, otherwise, how could he possibly have had a Mass for his funeral?

I wish their bishops would publicly announce that they have been excommunicated. God knows they deserve it. Although with the way the Pope is handling things, it may happen yet.

A funeral Mass does not mean Teddy went to Heaven, or was even a good Catholic. I'd say it was more like wishful thinking on the part of his family.