To tax or not to tax, that is the question! Here's my take. Don't tax em. Easy now- Keep reading... The purpose (as I understand it) of not taxing religious institutions is to ensure the First Amendment and the separation of church and state stay legit. I'm cool with that, I firmly believe that the government should stay out of the matters of religion, and religion should stay out of the matters of government. S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E.... Now, if the pendulum swings one way, it swings back as well. To maintain a tax exempt "religious" status, the religious establishment should void all abilities to contribute any financial support to any sort of political campaign or candidate. The individual members of church should be able to donate to what ever crazy ass idea they see fit, they just have to do it personally. This should clearly include any and all non profit, inherently religious organizations as well. There, the government doesn't tax you and you don't get to donate billions to what ever whack job politician (Perry and Bachmann come to mind really fucking quick) law, or any other sort of policies that would also affect any other person in the country. Go to church and pray you get what you want....
This goes for marriage as well. Feel free to ban people in mixed race marriages, same sex marriages, marriages of people from other religions from your church. It's your little club, be as picky as you want to be. Marry only the people you feel are an accurate representation of the dogma you're pushing. The validity of that marriage ends at the threshold of your building... Want some legal rights? File for a domestic partnership license. The license won't discriminate based on race, sexual orientation, gender, religious preference, income, blah blah blah blah blah. Two consenting adults (at least one being a legal citizen) can apply for and receive this license in very much the same way its done now, just without the discrimination. See? both sides win! People of religion can remain bigoted, hateful and ignorant inside of church. But outside, we're all the same (citizens and human beings) and should be afforded the same fucking rights (how is this even up for debate still?)
Big ideas, I know. Vague on the details? Yeah... I'm a fucking construction worker, not a lawyer. Hard to grasp the principals of what I'm driving at? Only if your brain is stuck in neutral. As much as I despise all the turmoil that religion causes in this day and age, I don't believe you can just make it go away. You can't ban it, can't eradicate it like a disease, you can only try and educate. Only when people realize that that there is an option, that their lives don't have to be committed to fairy tales and myths, that they can do good things just for the sake of doing them, only when people realize that they don't need religions anymore will the religions go away.
$400 000 000 a year spent by religion influencing government, this is just the legal costs alone . This amounts to more than a million dollars daily, seven days a week.
ReplyDelete501c3 status may affect the ability to lobby and be involved in such political activity. Religion is automatically exempt and does not need to apply for 501c3. It according to religionists hinders their ability to be political. I'll attach a link which will explain this further. It's written from the church point of view See what you make of it.
http://www.hushmoney.org/501c3-facts.htm
Also the figure estimated the average American family would save with their own payments if church was taxed is $1 000 a year. Quite an amount.
Considering the laws the religionists are spending near on half a billion to bring about or change, abortion, contraception, holding back science etc. can there really be an argument for their remaining tax exempt?
@ Antithiests- What I make of it is it sounds as if the church wants it both ways. Which is bullshit to me. The church SHOULD be hindered in their ability to be political. They should in fact not be political at all. After reading the article I believe wholeheartedly that they should all file 501c3.
ReplyDeleteBy taxing them we offer them a spot at the table. I don't want religion even in the room, whispering into the ears of legislators let alone at the table with a say. I get what your saying though, and the point I was trying to make is that more needs to be done to keep their money OUT of the system. It's naive hope, I know. Sometimes an angry middle aged punk rock dad has to take a minute and hope for the best. Thanks for reading, and sharing.