Posted on 09/20/2012 8:31:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
There is a movement underway in Europe to remove the tax exemptions churches have enjoyed for centuries.
In Spain and Italy this attempt is being broadly pursued, while in Britain it is being done piecemeal.
For example, in Spain and Italy the special tax status of churches and their ministries are being openly targeted by political leaders who want to get their hands into church coffers.
Ricardo Rubio, a city councilman in Alcala de Henares, Spain, says he, and those who share his view, “want to make a statement that the costs of the [financial] crisis should be borne equally by every person and institution.” In other words, it’s time for the religious to pay their fair share.
And in Italy, Prime Minister Mario Monti is calling “for a tax on church properties or on those portions of properties that have a commercial purpose.”
But there have already been conflicting explanations for the proposed taxation indicating that “about 100,000 properties, classed as non-commercial,” would be taxed as well. These properties include “8,779 schools, 26,300 ecclesiastical structures and 4,714 hospitals and clinics.”
In other words, even before the tax-emption has been fully lifted the government is already overreaching. Rubio and Monti are only two of many officials in cash-strapped European nations and cities who are beginning to view the Catholic Church as their ticket to solvency. Both Spain and Italy are reeling under the same financial duress that has been weighing down other European nations for some time, and these political leaders see no reason why churches shouldn’t share the burden.
Apparently Rubio and Monti have failed to consider that this not only violates the left’s heretofore inviolable separation of church and state, but actually makes the church one of the state’s purse holders.
Britain has been tiptoeing toward this same end for some time. Their approach, to date, has been to reduce expenditures by cutting funding that had previously been designated for transportation to faith-based schools.
All three of these countries are making a terrible, heart-wrenching mistake by putting the financial needs of bureaucrats above the spiritual needs of their people. For whether they realize it or not, that’s exactly what they’re doing.
The tax-exempt status has been in place for centuries because matters of faith have been held above and beyond secular matters for that same period of time. The push to change the tax structure, and the tradition that goes with it, stands as a sad testimony to the fact that many countries are ready to trade to their spiritual heritage for an opportunity to balance their national checkbooks.
Property taxes would be a boon for government and I think a lot of church workers are 1099ers so there could be a gain for the gov there also.
Don’t forget the Secular Humanist churches like The Gates Foundation, Ford’s etc.
One very important question is how much more revenue would be produced. How many of these operations like hospitals or schools would simply be closed, unable to pay the extra costs?
Started in Europe, moved to Canada......churches are being bullied by the government to provide abortion and birth control, berated if they say homosexuality is a sin.
Do you really beleive that pastors don’t hold back?
Churches need to say what the Bible says, teach the truth without fear of the government.
Tax exempt status is a control mechanism.
Churches would pay property tax, income tax, capitol gains, and donations which really should be tithes would not be a deduction.
That’s what would be taxed.
Here in Alabama, we had those big tornadoes April a year ago that hit and destroyed millions and millions of dollars in damages. Including churches. However, it was churches who were still out there assisting when the state and feds had packed up and gone home. One large church near my home had the men in their church rebuild something like 10 homes for people. Right, churches do nothing. Cause problems. Just don’t want to pay taxes. The coming one world church will own it all anyway, until the Lord comes back and settles the score.
They would be taxed on income, if they have none there would be no tax.
They may already pay property tax, if they don’t that would be required.
A violent act of bankrupt (fiscally and spiritually) regimes.
Regardless of the economy, I DO have a problem with it. Taxing churches creates an unfair scenario for those who choose to worship. It is in violation of the First Amendment, as it sets financial burdens on those wishing to exercise religious freedom.
More sinisterly, it allows the government to punish worshipers by increasing tax rates against their religious organization ever higher. Eventually, the power to tax becomes the power to destroy; one by one, churches will be strangled out of existence.
The government will say, "oh, we're not stopping you from worshipping...you're free to worship privately all you like. It's the BIG churches we're after..." they might say. But in my church, we worship as a community. Certainly, you can pray privately, but community worship is a central tenet of our faith. (Coming together as a community is also a free exercise of association, defined in the First Amendment.)
I don’t have much of a problem with churches having to pay property taxes. Equal protection and all that. But how about there be no property taxes for anybody. Let me own it, and not pay rent to the king.
Taxing the income and property of churches has NOTHING to do with worship.
Good grief the church is NOT a building it is the body of believers.
Church groups can met under a tree, in a movie theater , rent an office space or whatever.......good grief we are screwed if people really think a building is important to worship.
If you look at a church as the edifice you are correct but, looked at through the members who regularly organize for causes they value then the church is still giving more and doing more accurately than the government.
For instance, I just took on a $4,000 fund raising project for a girls hockey team outside of the church.
In fact, I raise as much as $20,000 in a year that has nothing to with the church for various causes.
Another thing I do is I give away ski’s for walkers to anyone I see who is using a standard walker. Gave one away last night.
These ski’s help the walker glide over the many surfaces one encounters as they go through their day.
Using a walker is hard and I’d like to make it a little easier.
None of this is to impress you but, to impress upon you the many things we do as individuals and we rely on our friends to help in these goals, many of whom are part of the same we attend.
Yo Dos Centavos....
Ok, and would you suddenly be prevented from doing that if churches paid property taxes or income tax.
I do not see the connection.
Well, I can't speak for all churches, but the church I currently attend does not. Pastor always preaches based on what the bible says is right, and doesn't address it from a political issue standpoint. (Which is what he should do.)
Well EU, it's your soul, and your society's survival. May you choose wisely.
5.56mm
On the contrary, taxing church property most certainly has to do with worship. Churches were not built with taxpayer funds--they were built on the backs and contributions from their parishioners and congregations as a way to have some common place in which to meet, pray, and do whatever compliments their worship. While in a pinch, church services have been held in all sorts of odd places, your proposal for meeting is ludicrous.
Requiring churches to pay a special tax in order to worship will eventually kill off churches and organized worship. And yes, the POOR will be hit the hardest!
Maybe this will make it simpler for you -
the church IS NOT a building IT IS people
If the church group you attend needs brink and mortar to worship, my spirit breaks for you and them.
Obviously not. The point being that I can leverage those contacts that I would not have without the church who are of a like mind and spirit.
The church leaders may have select and scheduled charities they serve but I and the members have more freedom to choose in an instant whatImay do without asking the members or councils.
Are you advocating churches pay taxes?
I am advocating the church get out from under the control of the government, if that meaning losing their tax exempt status - yes.
If you can't appreciate that, then consider this. The construction of churches is a natural extension of the freedom to worship, and a natural extension of property rights.
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