But -- not all 501(c) 3s are religious organizations; I'm a member of several small, local organizations that are 501 (c) 3s.
Just came from a meeting of our501 (c) 3 local Community Center -- an old schoolhouse that we're restoring and maintain -- as a meeting place where our isolated rural community can gather to play games, enjoy & participate in musical entertainments , learn & practice quilting, hold family reunions, gather after funerals, etc. We hold fish fries, BBQs, trades days, etc., the proceeds of which go to support our local volunteer fire department and to restore/maintain the schoolhouse.
Having 501 (c) 3 status probably makes the difference between our success and our demise...
It was essentially a rhetorical question, there’s no requirement for an exemption and churches are already exempt.
Legislation in 1954 created the code for incorporation and “tax exempt” status for religious organizations. A church that accepts it contracts with the state and acknowledges it as the sovereign