The socialists are certainly emboldened by the recent ruling and we can expect them to go for broke with the given momentum. The destruction of religious freedom is certainly part of thier agenda as any totalitarian regime must control a population’s religion.
The opt-ed calls for the end of tax exemption for religious institutions in order to redistribute wealth. Of course!
To end tax exemption would end the separation of church and state. The government is given power over things that they can tax. By taxing churches you are destroying the very foundation of religious freedom. When that goes the state becomes the religion.
Defenders of tax exemptions and deductions argues that if we got rid of them charitable giving would drop. It surely would, although how much, we can’t say. But of course government revenue would go up, and that money could be used to, say, house the homeless and feed the hungry. We’d have fewer church soup kitchens — but countries that truly care about poverty don’t rely on churches to run soup kitchens.
Exemption advocates also point out that churches would be squeezed out of high-property-value areas. But if it’s important to the people of Fifth Avenue to have a synagogue like Emanu-El or an Episcopal church like St. Thomas in their midst, they should pay full freight for it. They can afford to, more than millions of poorer New Yorkers whose tax bills the synagogue and church exemptions are currently inflating.
So yes, the logic of gay-marriage rights could lead to a reexamination of conservative churches’ tax exemptions (although, as long as the IRS is afraid of challenging Scientology’s exemption, everyone else is probably safe). But when that day comes, it will be long overdue. I can see keeping some exemptions; hospitals, in particular, are an indispensable, and noncontroversial, public good. And localities could always carve out sensible property-tax exceptions for nonprofits their communities need. But it’s time for most nonprofits, like those of us who faithfully cut checks to them, to pay their fair share.
If the Democrats flood the court
with a majority
They will control everything. If you don’t care
so be it
God Bless & Protect America From All Evil in the Name of Jesus Christ..
This magazine is only good in out houses,just say’n
Thank u Daniel Whitson
Churches will take care of themselves, thank you. Mind your own business, please
LET’S TRANSFORM AMERICA BACK TO GOD
Have you forgotten churches do help poor people