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Best that I can tell, there is no basis in the NT for tax exemption. "Render unto Ceaser..."

Are you willing to surrender the sovereignty of the Church over to Caesar? At this point Caesar doesn't want it. Do want to change that?

The money that I give to God belongs first to God. He gets the firstfruits, not the after-tax income. To tax it before I give it to God is to put a tax on God's property.

Non-religious charitable organizations get the benefit of the tax deduction. Are you willing to have the church treated less equally than Planned Parenthood?

"Are you willing to surrender the sovereignty of the Church over to Caesar?"

No. I think we have a distinct advantage here in the US in this regard. But what I was addressing is that there is no basis that I know of in the NT for a church to be tax exempt - xzins did provide a sound constitutional argument. (I imagine the NT church would have been hard pressed to argue it's tax exempt status before a Roman court.)

Tax exemption, as we may see in the coming years, is a two edged sword. I think the threat of the withdrawal of exempt status will be used to force many churches and Christian schools/organizations to fall in line with "public policy" with regards to same-sex marriage etc. - just as it was with Bob Jones University regarding racial discrimination.

If this occurs, many will gladly loose their status so as to remain faithful to God, but very many churches that sit on the fence may possibly give in to the pressure.

An interesting passage...

On their arrival in Capernaum, the tax collectors for the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?"

"Of course he does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house to talk to Jesus about it.

But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?"

"They tax the foreigners," Peter replied.

"Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us."