I think you’ve got this the wrong way around buddy.
The government specifically decides who is a church, and that means they don’t pay taxes. If they decide you’re not a church, you have to meet the stricter criteria. That’s LITERALLY the government dictating religious matters, they are exempting certain groups based on religion, and not others.
Let me give you an example:
Say I have a deeply held belief in, oh, the treegod in my backyard, and decide to do charitable work by letting people sit under my tree and eat a meal for a small fee. The government will immediately decide I’m not a church, and I will still have to pay taxes over my income, and I still have to pay property taxes, etc etc.
But if the catholic church does it, they’re exempt, because the government makes special exemptions for their religion, and not mine.
Now, I can still be tax exempt, but I will have to show my paperwork, and prove that i’m doing the right things. The catholic churhc doesn’t, because the government makes special exemptions for their religion, and not mine.
The fair thing would be to hold EVERY group, religious or not, to the same standard.
In your own example you aren’t a religion which is the critical bit. There are lots of tax exempt churches and religious groups that are very tiny. You just need to have an actual religion you believe to be true and have a community of fellow worshippers.
There are plenty of tax-exempt charities. And they file paperwork and meet several conditions. Churches don’t.
If churches want to be tax-exempt, they should meet the same criteria as the other charities.
Yes, that “condition” is the 1st amendment establishment clause. It’s inappropriate for the government to dictate religious matters.
It’s odd how many people here want to ditch 1A while bitching about right wing authoritarians.
Holy shit what? The first amendment is literally exactly why they should be taxed…
I think you’ve got this the wrong way around buddy.
The government specifically decides who is a church, and that means they don’t pay taxes. If they decide you’re not a church, you have to meet the stricter criteria. That’s LITERALLY the government dictating religious matters, they are exempting certain groups based on religion, and not others.
Let me give you an example:
Say I have a deeply held belief in, oh, the treegod in my backyard, and decide to do charitable work by letting people sit under my tree and eat a meal for a small fee. The government will immediately decide I’m not a church, and I will still have to pay taxes over my income, and I still have to pay property taxes, etc etc.
But if the catholic church does it, they’re exempt, because the government makes special exemptions for their religion, and not mine.
Now, I can still be tax exempt, but I will have to show my paperwork, and prove that i’m doing the right things. The catholic churhc doesn’t, because the government makes special exemptions for their religion, and not mine.
The fair thing would be to hold EVERY group, religious or not, to the same standard.
In your own example you aren’t a religion which is the critical bit. There are lots of tax exempt churches and religious groups that are very tiny. You just need to have an actual religion you believe to be true and have a community of fellow worshippers.
According to whom? The government?
And boy, aren’t Christians just so oppressed in this country?
Do we assign rights based on how oppressed people are or should we aim for equal rights for all?