FSTDT Forums
Community => Religion and Philosophy => Topic started by: SkyTrekTower on September 19, 2012, 05:13:08 pm
-
Oh God I hope they get sued, although, although, I don't see them getting the final outcome they desire. I can't wait to see what they do if they lose their tax exempt status and can't sue or lose the resulting lawsuit they want.
More than 1,000 pastors are planning to challenge the IRS next month by deliberately preaching politics ahead of the presidential election despite a federal ban on endorsements from the pulpit.
The defiant move, they hope, will prompt the IRS to enforce a 1954 tax code amendment that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, from making political endorsements. Alliance Defending Freedom, which is holding the October summit, said it wants the IRS to press the matter so it can be decided in court. The group believes the law violates the First Amendment by “muzzling” preachers.
Yeah, I know, Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/19/pastors-pledge-to-defy-irs-preach-politics-from-pulpit-ahead-election/)
Also, technically, they can already discuss politics, so how are they being "muzzled"?.
-
Sue the pastors, take their money, use it to pay off debt and shrink the deficit. You're welcome, America!
-
Wait... you're not allowed to talk about politics from the pulpit?
...really?
(It's just so weird because NO ONE FOLLOWS THAT. EVER.)
-
Well, you're not supposed to say "Vote for Candidate X" or "Vote for party Y". But you are allowed to say "As [followers of religion], issue X should be at the forefront of your mind".
-
See this is complete bullshit. They can say whatever they like but then they have to pay tax. It is not a free speech but a revenue issue. If you want to lobby for a political party or endorse a candidate you are free to. Just pay your motherfucking tax.
-
It's not their speech that should be taxed, but the churches themselves, since they are organizations.
-
It's not their speech that should be taxed, but the churches themselves, since they are organizations.
What was the statistic? That if we taxed churches, we'd have enough money to send a rover to Mars every... two days? two weeks? Two somethings.
-
It turns out those people Romney was complaining about in that one video are actually real:
- Pay no taxes.
- Believe they're victims.
- Feel entitled to special treatment/handouts.
- Can't be convinced to change their minds, no matter what.
-
If they want to speak politically, they can pay taxes. If they want the fire department to save their burning church, they should pay taxes. If they want the police to protect the neighborhood their church is in, they should pay taxes.
Otherwise, they should shut the fuck up, put their money where their mouth is, and pray to God for protection and "biblical" leaders. If God can't do what he wants without some asshat in a bathrobe telling people who to vote for, then what's the point of worshiping him in the first place?
-
Only in the USA! When you set up a "Church", not only are you exempt from taxes, the government also assists you.
On my side of the pond these parasites have two choices - pay up or get shut down. They are also barred from entering the political arena.
-
Churches should have to pay taxes.
Tax exemptions should be held as unconstitutional, it is discrimination in favor of putting places to religious purposes over non-religious purposes, so it is the government interfering in religious matters.
-
As I've said before, I'd have no problem with churches being tax exempt non-profits if they had to abide by all the same rules as other non-profits, such as making their finances public and staying the hell out of politics.
-
As I've said before, I'd have no problem with churches being tax exempt non-profits if they had to abide by all the same rules as other non-profits, such as making their finances public and staying the hell out of politics.
Damn you for putting it better than I was planning!
Some churches really do keep to things like for real charity. A church that runs a food bank or contributes to homeless shelters. My wife's church donates heavily to an organization that helps women leave abusive situations. I hope we can all agree that money collected for charitable purposes like those should be tax free. The problem I see is where the line gets drawn. Or more specifically, at what point does it become political?
-
As I've said before, I'd have no problem with churches being tax exempt non-profits if they had to abide by all the same rules as other non-profits, such as making their finances public and staying the hell out of politics.
Damn you for putting it better than I was planning!
Some churches really do keep to things like for real charity. A church that runs a food bank or contributes to homeless shelters. My wife's church donates heavily to an organization that helps women leave abusive situations. I hope we can all agree that money collected for charitable purposes like those should be tax free. The problem I see is where the line gets drawn. Or more specifically, at what point does it become political?
When they start lobbying politicians on any issue not directly related to their charter. A church running a homeless shelter would be well within their rights to lobby for easier ways to set up soup kitchens and such. The same church lobbying against legalizing gay marriage is crossing the line.
-
When they start lobbying politicians on any issue not directly related to their charter. A church running a homeless shelter would be well within their rights to lobby for easier ways to set up soup kitchens and such. The same church lobbying against legalizing gay marriage is crossing the line.
I have a hard time with this one. I'd feel better if you could tell me that groups lobbying for gay marriage should be taxed. Right now you can set up a 501(c) charity for any damn fool thing you want. For lobbying for gay marriage, for against. And since they're both 501(c) charities, under the eyes of the law, they're equal. And I think that's how it should be.
-
If they were set up for that specific purpose, that's fine. I'm talking about churches, or any charitable organization, starting to lobby on issues that fall outside their charitable charter.
-
The rule should be the same for all non-profits that wish to keep the tax exempt status.
If they want to preach politics they have freedom of speech, but they need to be willing to pay the taxes.
I think we should tax any church that practices discrimination as well, because ordinary non-profits are not allowed to discriminate. I know the "women shouldn't be priests" attitude is pretty entrenched in the Catholic Church. That's fine, they can keep that rule. But they should pay their taxes.
-
I agree to a point. But politics are an avenue to change things you disagree with.