TIME Op-Ed: Now’s the Time To End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions

TIME ^ | 06/28/2015 | Mark Oppenheimer

[SeekAndFind]

The Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage makes it clearer than ever that the government shouldn't be subsidizing religion and non-profits

Two weeks ago, with a decision in Obergefell v. Hodges on the way, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced the First Amendment Defense Act, which ensures that religious institutions won’t lose their tax exemptions if they don’t support same-sex marriage. Liberals tend to think Sen. Lee’s fears are unwarranted, and they can even point to Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion in Friday’s case, which promises “that religious organizations and persons [will be] given proper protection.”

But I don’t think Sen. Lee is crazy. In the 1983 Bob Jones University case, the court ruled that a school could lose tax-exempt status if its policies violated “fundamental national public policy.” So far, the Bob Jones reasoning hasn’t been extended to other kinds of discrimination, but someday it could be. I’m a gay-rights supporter who was elated by Friday’s Supreme Court decision — but I honor Sen. Lee’s fears.

I don’t, however, like his solution. And he’s not going to like mine. Rather than try to rescue tax-exempt status for organizations that dissent from settled public policy on matters of race or sexuality, we need to take a more radical step. It’s time to abolish, or greatly diminish, their tax-exempt statuses.

The federal revenue acts of 1909, 1913, and 1917 exempted nonprofits from the corporate excise and income taxes at the same time that they allowed people to deduct charitable contributions from their incomes. In other words, they gave tax-free status to the income of, and to the income donated to, nonprofits. Since then, state and local laws nearly everywhere have exempted nonprofits from all, or most, property tax and state income tax.

[Bluewater2015]

My apologies. Type in haste, repent in leisure. This business had us all on edge.

[Bluewater2015]

I shot my mouth off without thinking. I asked the mods to remove my post.

[KC_Lion]

IF the people pushing this crap weren't complete Communistic Ideologues.

There is a way to placate both sides.

That is to Completely Axe the Income Tax all together.

There, now we don't have to worry about that issue at all.

We could compromise (There is that word again)

and Move Past it

[Ted Grant]

I disagree. A couple is legally married until the court and the system signs off on it in a divorce proceeding. That’s a dissolution of the marriage.

[null and void]

This business had us all on edge.

Ain't that the truth!

Don't worry, it happens to all of us.

Welcome to FR!

[KC_Lion]

I say that it is a small price to pay to get Christ back into the platform of a political party!

(wink) and unintended consequences of all this to be sure Megan my dear.

Just be prepared for the Liberal Pretzel logic saying the ruling doesn't allow for that.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

However badly this Oppenheimer dude wants to replace charity with government programs, he has inadvertently shown the utility of eliminating income and property taxes wherever possible. I doubt that he intended to do so.

[Up Yours Marxists]

That’s only if the government “grants” the marriage.

If the government doesn’t grant marriage licenses, then the organization granting the matrimony is responsible for dissolving the agreement, which should have no legal bearing unless the two agree to fight over it in civil court.

Years ago before no-fault divorce was legally granted, that was how things worked in this country. A lot of people have forgotten about it, or never experienced the process of annulment/holy dissolution to begin with. Everything’s too easy nowadays and requires the courts to be involved in every aspect of our lives, no thanks to the sugar-daddy feel-good overbearing government.

[montag813]

This is one of the Communist Party’s major goals: eliminate the religious charity system and replace it, dollar for dollar, with state welfare.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

“How is government subsidizing religion? If you want to tax the buildings they worship in then they’ll just go meet in smaller groups within their own homes. People should not have to pay a “tax” just so that they can worship.”

They don’t want to just tax the buildings, they want to tax the offering plate, too.

So here is how it will work. A Christian meeting takes place in someone’s home. An offering is taken to support some local good work, but no IRS report is filed, no tax is paid. All those participating are conspiring to violate the law. The person in whose home the meeting takes place is in violation of the law and their home is confiscated. All are charged with RICO violations.

Tell me that’s not how it will go.

Ever heard of the Jew in the attic test for totalitarianism? (If the government is so repressive that you can’t hide a Jew in your attic to save them from the concentration camp, you live in a totalitarian dictatorship.) I don’t think the US today would have an easy time passing the test.

[John Leland 1789]

That is too acqiescant to the taxation idea, because they will use that just to bankrupt the churches and steal their properties.

[Patton@Bastogne]

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So now they insist that churches teach what they want them to teach which is an abomination to God.


Yep ... and some day coming to all IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt churches in America.

Don't blame me ... I'm just the messenger.

Questions ?

Muster up the courage to do the free IRS download of "Pamplet P1828" which specifies the legal details of your tax-exempt church's sertitude to it's U.S. Government Masters.

Heck, I'll even do you the favor of providing the internet link:

IRS Legal Obligations of Tax-Exempt Christian Churches and Pastors" - (click)













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