CHURCHES SHOULD PAY FAIR SHARE OF TAXES------ LETTER TO THE EDITOR 2005
A
recent “Other View” piece, “On church’s tax status,” discussed IRS challenges
to the tax-exempt status of a few churches because of church political
activities.
But
all church leaders influence parishioners in political affairs directly or
indirectly. And they should
otherwise what kind of moral leaders would they be? Certainly we hope they would provide rational advice rather
than mythology and superstition.
Nevertheless parishioners will decide for themselves in the privacy of
the voting booth. We mustn’t
censor anyone’s right to a political opinion.
However
churches must not be exempt from paying their share of tax like any other
industry. The hordes of
untaxed money collected by churches and televangelists provide them with
enormous and unfair political clout.
It
is no constitutional violation if all sects and creeds are taxed equally as any
other industry.
Constitutional “Free exercise of religion” means freedom to practice
religion not freedom from taxation.
That churches have not paid their share is only a tradition in America
and it is time for that to change.
It
is the tax-free status of religion that is really is unconstitutional because
non-churched citizens are forced to support religion by paying the church share
of taxation for fire police and many other local and national services for them.
Let
us un-gag our ethical leaders but insist that the religion industry pays its
fair share.
William
van Druten, MD
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2 comments:
I have always shared the view that churches, televangelists, their associated senior living facilities, and such should pay tax. That money should go directly to FEMA to help us recover from "acts of God."
P.S., you are not fooling anyone with your "William van Druten, MD" signature ... we know you are in Minnesota and not Maryland. :)
Also, by the way ... if money is speech (as wrongly thought by the current Supreme Court), then perhaps excessive free speech should not be allowed to go to any religion (or business, for that matter).
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