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To: Calvinist_Dark_Lord
It is my understanding that the Roman Catholic Church in the US is not organised under the 501 c(3), rather under older, eccliastical law. Is this correct? If so, what is that provision?

Sorry, I don't know.

On the general issue, you may want to give that matter some consideration. It seems to me as if such a provision as removing tax exemption is much like sawing off the branch we are sitting on!

The priests that I know tend to be more liberal than the general population particularly regarding economic issues. Part of it is that many have never worked in the business world. Another reason may be that the Catholic Church receives a lot of money from the federal government. Catholic Charities receives as much as 65% of its budget from the government.

Two-thirds of Catholic Charities' $2 billion annual budget comes from public sources. Most, though, have set up non-profit arms to abide by federal non-discrimination guidelines.

And there's the rub. The Church has lost its missionary zeal and converted its Mother Theresa's into faceless bureaucrats. The State is killing the Church with "kindness."

I've thought about the issue a lot and it's a tough call, but I think losing tax-exempt status would be for the best. Suffering tends to purify and has always strengthened the Church. And I also don't want my Church beholden to the government.

126 posted on 01/06/2003 7:15:32 AM PST by Aquinasfan
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To: Aquinasfan; Calvinist_Dark_Lord
Are we talking property tax,individual charitable contribution exemptions or both?
127 posted on 01/06/2003 7:50:06 AM PST by saradippity
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