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From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion
Subject: Re: "Tax Supported" Churches.
Message-ID: <1707@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Oct-85 17:50:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: dciem.1707
Posted: Tue Oct  8 17:50:57 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 8-Oct-85 20:20:47 EDT
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Reply-To: mmt@dciem.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
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Summary: 


Since a quote of mine seems to have sparked quite a debate about the
propriety or taxing churches, perhaps I can have another word.

There might (fat chance) be no debate, if property taxes were abolished
and only income were taxed (which I think is the only fair kind of tax
anyway, but that's another story).  Most of the anger at untaxed churches
is directed not at the traditional ones that rely on offerings on the
plate and such-like, and that do many good works in the communities.
The anger is aimed more at the TV "churches" that haul in millions, and
build glass cathedrals, and so on and so forth.  If their *income* were
taxed, like that of any other advertizing corporation, there would be
little problem.  The orthodox churches would probably pay little or no
tax, because there would probably be an exemption for low-income businesses,
as there is for individuals, and for the same reason (it takes a bit of
money just to stay alive and reasonably well).

The property of many churches is quite valuable, and would potentially
be taxed highly if chuches were regarded as advertizing agencies, even
when those churches have hardly enough income to repair their buldings.
Under a pure income tax, their net income might be near zero, and when
their community works are included, they might well qualify as non-profit
organizations.  Not so the TV churches and the ones set up just to get
around the odd law or tax.

Under that scheme, there would be no question of the State determining
what is a valid religion, since religion would not enter into the question
of whether the organization was set up to make money, or did in fact
make money.
-- 

Martin Taylor
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