What are the pros and cons of taxing churches?
Answers:
The pros and cons really depend on whether or not you're a big fan of religion.
Pro (if you're an atheist): Short-term tax revenue for the government, and a whole lot less religion.
Con (if you're a Christian): Most churches wouldn't have the money to pay it and would eventually end up closing down. Hence, no more churches to tax. It would amount to a de facto prohibition on religion.
Personally, I believe property taxes of ANY kind should be abolished (whether it's imposed on a business, a church, or your own home). That would make it all fair and we wouldn't even have this issue.
Churches are tax exempt. Period. There are no pros or cons about it. Quit your whining.
the only con is the whole separation of church and state argument.
Pro: more tax revenue. Would force churches to use their money for charities or be taxed on it. Obviously if they are using the monies collected for charity they would be tax deductible so it would encourage the use of the money for the benefit of mankind instead of hording it. Heck I would even be ok with letting them use the money to expand their ministry tax free (IE build a new building.)
The pro would be the extra tax revenue, the con would be giving the government the power to impose punitive taxes on religions it doesn't like - which would be a violation of the Free Exercise clause.
the pros -- it would put a lot of tax money into the govt coffers. lessening the tax burden on the rest of us. some churches own some very expensive property, ad valerom taxes on this would be a lot.
the cons-- it would reduce the amount of money that churches have available for helping needy people, doing good works in the community. it would lessen the amount of money that they have for building maintainance and expansion, things like vans, after school programs, etc.
of recent, some churches have used their buildings and money for promotion and support of certain political causes and candidates. if they are going to turn the cuhrch into a PAC, i say tax them.
Pros are that they are taxed like all organizations should be so we can pay a slightly less amount for our own taxes (every bit would help) and maybe the Catholic churches would stop taking so much money from their members.
Cons are that they'd b1tch to no end and we'd eventually not be able to tax them again, because everyone thinks churches are special.
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