Multiple posts in a recent thread and other comments from others has motivated me to want to discuss this issue
I see a lot of internet atheists say churches aren’t/should be taxed. However I haven’t seen any arguments beyond “religion bad”
A few things that first come to my mind
-what exactly do you plan to tax churches on? Most not for profits - as churches are - are tax exempt. In addition, the church funds come from the parishioner’s pockets, which has already been taxed.
Then, I assume some will say it shouldn’t, because propagating religion is not for the public good, or something to that effect. Whatever the case, at the very least a church is a community service.
And at any rate, even if you did decide to tax churches there frankly wouldn’t be a much point of doing so anyway. In my experience the typical community church isn’t making a whole lot of dough
Nuff said
To me, a more interesting question in the US is the Johnson Amendment and whether it should continue to apply.
How does this work in Oz for example?
I’m not watching that muppet for 20 minutes
What’s the point?
To be honest I have no idea. That’s about religious organisations getting involved in politics?
I’ve not to memory heard the issue talked about, here.
Yes, and non-profits in general. Under the amendment they can talk about politics, but they can potentially lose their tax-free status by overtly supporting a particular political side. Things have changed under Trump, including attempts to totally abolish the amendment, and may swing back the other way now.
Hmm. From a cursory think I don’t feel any particular organisation should be restricted from having a say in politics. Policy affects them too, after all. I think whether these organisations pay tax is a separate matter.
Religion is a massive fraud, grabbing billions from The “faithful” to make charlatans rich.
It shouldn’t be taxed. It should be banned.
I guess that makes me a “communist”.
What would be taxed? Donations? Offerings?
No, it just makes you an anti-religionist!
Well, you and the commies have something in common!
What? We both don’t believe in mythical beings?
I agree, but I’m not so sure that paying tax is black and white separate. I think churches should be free to advocate against the possibility of new taxes being levied against them, for example.
The ease of defeating the “overt” nature of political support is very high, by the way. I’ve been in churches that used the pulpit to make voting recommendations crystal clear without once mentioning any candidate by name.
But the church is a human creation, after all. I don’t think it’s surprising that they would behave in utterly human ways, including covertly communicating election advice.
I was thinking that part
Yeah; I think many people think of the Catholic church overall and go religion = money 
I’m not expert on the finances of religion, although I’m pretty sure the majority of the wealth for most religious orgs, these days, are in property.
In my experience the typical community church is on a shoestring budget. parishioners donate and the hall gets hired out. and that goes towards building upkeep and the vicar’s wage various rates and a sum to the overarching church org (not sure what the proper term is). There’s not much, if any, left afterwards.
You both do believe in very dangerous myths about human behavior, though.
Communists believe that human behavior can be altered permanently if enough humans are murdered/disappeared, and those like you who would ban religion would seem to agree, at least in part.
Where did you read that? I have news for you, buddy. The Soviet Union, China and Cuba have never been remotely “communist”. They are/were authoritarian dictatorships.
You have no concept (as they do) of what communism means.
Just going by every one of the communist “experiments” that have been tried to date. Every one of them ends up being authoritarian, by necessity.
So enlighten us, what does communism mean to you?
I’m no commie, mate, but I believe in free health care for all, free education, and a right to better oneself. And I believe those rich mofo billionaires should get the fuck taxed out of them.
So you’re confused about what “free” means. That probably explains it.