Tax-exempt Status of Churches and the Gay Marriage Decision

by lambsbottom 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  The Truth Shall Set Us FREE!

  Jesus Christ / Yeshuah Ha Messiah was NOT TAX EXEMPT according to the Bibles "New Testament", so why do not the Watchtower Organisation follow their master Jesus, as they claim Him to be? Or maybe Jesus (Yeshuah) is really NOT the Watchtower Organisations true Master, and maybe the Watchtower does NOT have a special channel to Him who said that "give to Cesar what is Cesar's, and to G-D what is G-D's"!

  G-D himself provided the tax coin by making a fish gulp it up as a miracle act, and the apostles and disciples did not contribute at all to this tax payment...

  Isn't it clear then, that the Watchtower is a greedy scam, and that their true G-D is money?!

  "You can't serve two Lords, G-D and money, you will love one and hate the other"...
  
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  James Mixon

  Why I believe all churches should pay taxes.

  Not all religious organization enjoy tax breaks, only those our government deems

  legitimate. Is government in the business of deciding what is or is not legitimate Religion?

  Should the taxes of non-religious citizens be higher to subsidize every church, synagogue,

  and mosque in town? Should working women pay taxes to subsidize clergy and other

  employee' paychecks, when such positions are overwhelmingly--and legally-- restricted

  to men???
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  Village Idiot

  As an atheist I can acknowledge the wisdom of giving churches tax free status even though I don't want them to have special privileges. The concept is based on the ideal of separating church and state and requires something from the religion in exchange for their tax free status.

  It amounts to this: Churches don't pay taxes and in exchange they don't get involved in politics.

  President Bush (Jr.) actually had the IRS investigate a church because it was speaking out against the Iraq war. Meanwhile conservative churches, particularly in the South and Mid-west are politicizing with impunity.
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  James Mixon

  VI. ""It amounts to this "Churches don't pay taxes and in exchange they don't

  get involved in politics". The churches I'm familiar with, come election day their

  sermon, who you should vote for. LOL

  We know religious organization can and do take GREAT advantage of their tax

  free status. Many amass great wealth and vast media empires, all of to off the tax rolls.

  The point is that religious organizations can and do espouse doctrines of intolerance

  and hatred, filter funds to foreign enemies, and cause for more harm than good in

  the communities. Their finances are NEVER scrutinized, that's my point.

  Yes we need more to speak out and call in the IRS to investigate the churches.
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  Vidiot

  Ironic, considering some of the legal precedents used to validate gay marriage were free-speech victories the WTS won back in the day.