As one who has served in the church, I oppose 501(c)3 tax exemption for churches.
The Johnson Amendment was a bribe for political silence - and the clergy took it.
I have never claimed any credit for my own tithing either. Not one cent.
Jesus did not say: Render unto God what is God’s - with a nice tax deduction from Caesar.
The Johnson Amendment was a bribe for political silence - and the clergy took it.
I could not agree more. The simple fact is that once a church takes tax exempt status it becomes an subject of the state.