I am hearing a lot more TAX THE CHURCH nonsense nowadays. This is really more a desire for censorship really. I don't like your view so I you must pay ( literally).
A Lawyer over at Baptist Press has a good post up at FIRST-PERSON: Should churches be tax-exempt? (Yes, and here's why)
First let me clarify something. I don't think there is iron clad constitutional protection against Church taxation. Just because it comes from the age of the Founding Fathers as a practice does not mean he can not happen. However as he points out there are good reasons.
Recall:
- You could not pick and choose what Churches you want to tax
- The Tax falls on the poor and rich Church alike. Guess who will be burdened more
-In fact if you Tax Churches you probably have to then tax all Non Profits
-Taxing Churches involves all sort of entanglement issues by the State into Religion
-If you tax the Church then a good many restrictions on political activity go out the window ( do people really want that)
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