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Separation of church and YOUR FACE

Started by LMNO, October 09, 2012, 02:01:29 PM

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LMNO

In a matter of days, some 1,400 American pastors are planning to break the law.  And they're likely to get away with it.


QuoteAs part of "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," on Oct. 7, religious leaders across the country will endorse political candidates — an act that flies in the face of Internal Revenue Service rules about what tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, can and cannot do.

Though the regulation has been in place since 1954, in 2009, the U.S. District Court of Minnesota ruled the IRS no longer had the appropriate staff to investigate places of worship after a reorganization changed who in the agency had the authority to launch investigations.

New procedures for conducting church audits have been pending since 2009, which has left the IRS virtually impotent in conducting any kind of new investigations.


Well, fuck -- if a church wants to endorse a political candidate, then they should fucking pay taxes.


The Good Reverend Roger

Yep.

But that's for a second term thingie.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Elder Iptuous

what is the justification for churches not paying taxes, again?

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Elder Iptuous on October 09, 2012, 02:50:26 PM
what is the justification for churches not paying taxes, again?

Separation of church & state.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Anna Mae Bollocks

They've been telling people how to vote since the 80's at least. Probably longer.
Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

Elder Iptuous

Roger,
so, is the thinking that churches that pay more taxes due to higher revenue will have more political clout?

TFFAYS,
i think it's a couple hundred years longer than that.  at least here in the states.

Internet Jesus

It'll happen and the government won't do shit.  Because most Americans don't understand why churches are tax exempt, they don't much care because they cling to their sky buddy like a binki and they have the powers of being able to distract their followers by screaming "hey look over there!"

That's how the Catholic Church has managed to avoid much fallout from covering up kiddie fucking.

HAHAHA DISREGARD THAT, I SUCK COCKS!

Anna Mae Bollocks

Yeah.

And a lot of people think telling churches ANYTHING will get them a smack from skydaddy. That's why they cower in the corner when Jehovah's Witnesses come knocking, instead of telling them to hit the road.
Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Elder Iptuous on October 09, 2012, 02:57:11 PM
Roger,
so, is the thinking that churches that pay more taxes due to higher revenue will have more political clout?

TFFAYS,
i think it's a couple hundred years longer than that.  at least here in the states.

No, it's since they are non-profit and aren't (HA!) allowed to interfere in politics, they get a pass.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Anna Mae Bollocks

Quote from: Elder Iptuous on October 09, 2012, 02:57:11 PM
Roger,
so, is the thinking that churches that pay more taxes due to higher revenue will have more political clout?

TFFAYS,
i think it's a couple hundred years longer than that.  at least here in the states.

:x :x :x

Scantily-Clad Inspector of Gigantic and Unnecessary Cashews, Texas Division

Cain

Sorry, but there's only one church that matters this election cycle, and it's located in Utah.

The funny thing is, American liberals don't want to talk about it, presumably out of fear of offending people with money.  And they don't come much richer than the Church of Latter Day Saints, it must be said.

tyrannosaurus vex

What's hilarious is that the entire notion that churches shouldn't pay taxes flies in the face of specific words from Jesus ("Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's").

Also, although churches have been tax free in the US since the beginning, the rule against political interference has only existed since the 50s.
Evil and Unfeeling Arse-Flenser From The City of the Damned.

Juana

Funny fact: that does not mean what everyone thinks it means. Jesus, in the full context of the time (an oppressed colonial backwater with an awful lot of frothing anti-Roman religious radicals in the countryside), meant that Caesar was owed nothing because he owned nothing that was in Palestine.

Quote from: Cain on October 09, 2012, 03:58:00 PM
Sorry, but there's only one church that matters this election cycle, and it's located in Utah.

The funny thing is, American liberals don't want to talk about it, presumably out of fear of offending people with money.  And they don't come much richer than the Church of Latter Day Saints, it must be said.
Jesus christ, yes. The Mormon church owns huge swaths of farmland. I've always thought they ought to be taxed on that, if nothing else.
"I dispose of obsolete meat machines.  Not because I hate them (I do) and not because they deserve it (they do), but because they are in the way and those older ones don't meet emissions codes.  They emit too much.  You don't like them and I don't like them, so spare me the hysteria."

tyrannosaurus vex

Quote from: Secret Agent GARBO on October 09, 2012, 05:26:22 PM
Funny fact: that does not mean what everyone thinks it means. Jesus, in the full context of the time (an oppressed colonial backwater with an awful lot of frothing anti-Roman religious radicals in the countryside), meant that Caesar was owed nothing because he owned nothing that was in Palestine.

The case can be made for that, but the case can also be made that since the Pharisees had accepted Caesar's de-facto rule by using his currency, then they owed him the taxes he demanded because it's dishonest to only play the game halfway.
Evil and Unfeeling Arse-Flenser From The City of the Damned.

Juana

Yes he was talking to the Pharisees when he said that. But remember that in the wake of the Jewish-Roman wars, Christians were trying to persaude the Romans that they weren't like those Jews, and Jesus was one of those frothing religious radicals.

I'm smelling a threadjack in the make. Separate thread or no?
"I dispose of obsolete meat machines.  Not because I hate them (I do) and not because they deserve it (they do), but because they are in the way and those older ones don't meet emissions codes.  They emit too much.  You don't like them and I don't like them, so spare me the hysteria."