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.)
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.