Finally...TAX Churches

[AZGrizFan]

Jesus, pols...you might wanna sit a few plays out.

I don't think this thread turned out quite like he hoped.

[polsongrizz]

I don't think this thread turned out quite like he hoped.

Are you kidding me, you conk/churchers crack me up. I step out to have some beers and breakfast and this is how you act... fucking hilarious, keep patting yourselves on the back though...


Don't blame me that you fuckers still have to work for a living.

[Ivytalk]

Hey, pols, what's that skank in your siggy supposed to be saying? I assume she's talking dirty, but I can't read her lips.

[Grizalltheway]

Hey, pols, what's that skank in your siggy supposed to be saying? I assume she's talking dirty, but I can't read her lips.

0:50

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMsraH5KJTo[/youtube]

[youngterrier]

So we should let multi-million megachurches, who spend their money building giant crosses on the interstate, and charlatan "faith-healers" who do nothing more than weasel out of the old and sick (who make quite a 7-figure profit too) go tax free?

Sounds legit.

[AZGrizFan]

So we should let multi-million megachurches, who spend their money building giant crosses on the interstate, and charlatan "faith-healers" who do nothing more than weasel out of the old and sick (who make quite a 7-figure profit too) go tax free?

Sounds legit.

Yep. That's exactly what we're saying.

[Col Hogan]

So we should let multi-million megachurches, who spend their money building giant crosses on the interstate, and charlatan "faith-healers" who do nothing more than weasel out of the old and sick (who make quite a 7-figure profit too) go tax free?

Sounds legit.

Let's see...pick out the worst example, then lump everyone into the same group...

[grizzaholic]

Are you kidding me, you conk/churchers crack me up. I step out to have some beers and breakfast and this is how you act... fucking hilarious, keep patting yourselves on the back though...


Don't blame me that you fuckers still have to work for a living.

Pols. I agree that churches, christan-judaism-islam-rastafari-buddhism-hinduism-etc..., should all be taxed.

[AZGrizFan]

Are you kidding me, you conk/churchers crack me up. I step out to have some beers and breakfast and this is how you act... fucking hilarious, keep patting yourselves on the back though...


Don't blame me that you fuckers still have to work for a living.

Pols. I agree that churches, christan-judaism-islam-rastafari-buddhism-hinduism-etc..., should all be taxed.

As long as we tax Greenpeace, moveon, occupy, etc., etc...I'm fine with it.

[grizzaholic]

Pols. I agree that churches, christan-judaism-islam-rastafari-buddhism-hinduism-etc..., should all be taxed.

As long as we tax Greenpeace, moveon, occupy, etc., etc...I'm fine with it.

Greenpeace and those fuckers on that whale war show should all be either killed or get a good stoning.

[Ibanez]

Pols. I agree that churches, christan-judaism-islam-rastafari-buddhism-hinduism-etc..., should all be taxed.

As long as we tax Greenpeace, moveon, occupy, etc., etc...I'm fine with it.

Don't leave out Planned Parenthood.

[AZGrizFan]

As long as we tax Greenpeace, moveon, occupy, etc., etc...I'm fine with it.

Don't leave out Planned Parenthood.

Fine with me.

[Grizalltheway]

How come no one has brought up the Church of Polsongrizz?. Talk about a sitter...

[AZGrizFan]

How come no one has brought up the Church of Polsongrizz?. Talk about a sitter...

Hey, I have their shirt. They're legit.

[Vidav]

Kind of an apples to oranges comparison when talking about the Catholic Church in Spain (tons of land holdings) and the Church in America (much smaller land holding as a percentage of the country). Besides, and if I read the excerpt correctly, what they're talking about taxing is not all Church property but merely the property they lease out or rent out to other people who then use it for completely non-Church related activities (the article references they were leasing space to a restaurant). I don't think you'd get any argument from most people that property like that, property that is used for something not related to religion or religious education or religion related charity outreach, should be taxed as property. But you'll never convince most people to start taxing the property that is used for religion, religous education, or religious related charity outreach.

Actually we already tax churches in this way in Montana. If they make an income by renting a portion of the church's land/building to someone not tax exempt they have to pay property taxes for that portion.

[youngterrier]

So we should let multi-million megachurches, who spend their money building giant crosses on the interstate, and charlatan "faith-healers" who do nothing more than weasel out of the old and sick (who make quite a 7-figure profit too) go tax free?

Sounds legit.

Let's see...pick out the worst example, then lump everyone into the same group...

Nope, just pointing out that there should be clear guidelines for this. Being vague and saying "all churches/religious institutions should be tax exempt" is not helpful. Then it begs the question of which "charitable services" the church or institution (for religious purposes) partakes in is legitimate or not.

Then it gets murky because the bureaucratic part kicks in. Aren't charitable organizations and donations tax deductible anyway?

[Skjellyfetti]

I think churches should be taxed. But, their truly charitable work should be tax exempt. I don't think adding a 3,000 seat amphitheatre to a church for christian concerts should be tax exempt.

[grizzaholic]

I think churches should be taxed. But, their truly charitable work should be tax exempt. I don't think adding a 3,000 seat amphitheatre to a church for christian concerts should be tax exempt.

Also the automobiles the leaders drive.

[Col Hogan]

I think churches should be taxed. But, their truly charitable work should be tax exempt. I don't think adding a 3,000 seat amphitheatre to a church for christian concerts should be tax exempt.

Who gets to determine which of their work is "truly charitable"?

[Skjellyfetti]

Who gets to determine which of their work is "truly charitable"?

Yeah. That is the hard part.

But, what I'm saying is that I don't believe churches should be considered 100% tax exempt... AND I don't believe they should pay taxes as they do a great amount of charitable work. As far as the specifics... someone else should decide. I just don't think it should be black and white as to whether or not churches are taxed.

[youngterrier]

Who gets to determine which of their work is "truly charitable"?

Yeah. That is the hard part.

But, what I'm saying is that I don't believe churches should be considered 100% tax exempt... AND I don't believe they should pay taxes as they do a great amount of charitable work. As far as the specifics... someone else should decide. I just don't think it should be black and white as to whether or not churches are taxed.

What this guy said

[GannonFan]

Who gets to determine which of their work is "truly charitable"?

Yeah. That is the hard part.

But, what I'm saying is that I don't believe churches should be considered 100% tax exempt... AND I don't believe they should pay taxes as they do a great amount of charitable work. As far as the specifics... someone else should decide. I just don't think it should be black and white as to whether or not churches are taxed.

Not sure why we need to make it complicated - I don't understand what is so abhorent about black and white. Once you start delving into what should and should be considered "religious" or "charitable" then you start moving into personal value judgements about what religion is. Just like YT''s example above trying to say that one form of religion that he disagrees with shouldn't be considered religion from a tax standpoint. We're not anywhere close to, as a country, as saying that religion isn't special and isn't something that should be protected - whether that's a good or bad thing. Either you don't tax any church or you tax all of them. Trying to parse what is and isn't truly religious is bound to be poorly executed and contentious. Sometimes simple works.

[youngterrier]

Yeah. That is the hard part.

But, what I'm saying is that I don't believe churches should be considered 100% tax exempt... AND I don't believe they should pay taxes as they do a great amount of charitable work. As far as the specifics... someone else should decide. I just don't think it should be black and white as to whether or not churches are taxed.

Not sure why we need to make it complicated - I don't understand what is so abhorent about black and white. Once you start delving into what should and should be considered "religious" or "charitable" then you start moving into personal value judgements about what religion is. Just like YT''s example above trying to say that one form of religion that he disagrees with shouldn't be considered religion from a tax standpoint. We're not anywhere close to, as a country, as saying that religion isn't special and isn't something that should be protected - whether that's a good or bad thing. Either you don't tax any church or you tax all of them. Trying to parse what is and isn't truly religious is bound to be poorly executed and contentious. Sometimes simple works.

Funny, I didn't say that. Thanks for the words in my mouth.

Google "Peter Popoff" and tell me if his scams that make him ring in 7 figures each year should be protected under the guise of "charity" or "religious institution," when he offers no charity at all other than a scam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Popoff" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Like it or not, scams are a reality and we should not let low-lives like that walk away tax exempt simply because they hide behind the title of reverend.

[AZGrizFan]

I think churches should be taxed. But, their truly charitable work should be tax exempt. I don't think adding a 3,000 seat amphitheatre to a church for christian concerts should be tax exempt.

Who gets to determine which of their work is "truly charitable"?

Well, the government, silly.

THey're VERY altruistic.

[kalm]

What's so hard about separating out the charity from the church? For example, Lutheran Social Service's buildings should be exempt from property taxes. A Lutheran Chruch...should not.