gregorygarver.com

Susan · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 1

This is for the U.S..Have you ever looked into your own town, municpality, city, township, county, etc and determined how much real estate is owned by religious institutions? In my township, which is very rural, approximately 65 - 70% of real estate is owned by non-profits. Among that, roughly 3/4 is owned by church organizations. If that real estate were not tax exempt, the home owners taxes would be dramatically reduced. The members of those churches could pay their churches taxes with all the money they will have saved on their own property taxes. The churches would stand or fall on their own merit. Some people argue that the churches provide for a community. Yet, considering the fact that U.S. citizens miss out on Billions of dollars from tax exempt orgs, those billions could be dolled out by the government, with no benefit to religion. Much of what churches distribute is provided by gov't money anyway. Soup Kitchens, Day Care, Etc, isn't from the church's own coffers.And that goes for the Aussies, too. Here's an article I found which pertains to church tax exemption in Australia.http://groups.google.com/group/scientology_arg/msg/ddf7a587c8567f82The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute. It ought to be so absolute that no Church property anywhere, in any state or in the nation, should be exempt for equal taxation; for if you exempt the property of any church organization to that extent you impose a tax upon the whole community. — James A Garfield, 20th U.S. President (1881And wow, I just found this site:http://www.taxchurches.com/To fish <>

Jett · Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 3

Shhh, the churches need all they can get for their lavish gold ceilings.

AtheistKitty · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 3

DeeLee · Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 6

Go down, certainly you jest. In the US, it only increases, never decreases.

CorrosionEAC · Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 7

You're right.There was a town in Texas that recently neared default because it had too many churches on prime real estate and had no money to operate.Let's not forget churches avail themselves of government services, such as police and fire departments when needed (say faulty wiring) yet don't pay for those services. They should be billed.

jdt · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 4

if thats true then i would love to see religious institutions start being taxed

wickedawesomem · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 2

Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

dawnsdad · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Posts: 7

I know what you mean. I never have understood why a church should have tax exempt status.

Santiago · Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 2

why you gotta be a hater?

squirtAM · Joined: 07 Sep 2005 Posts: 4

I know. Pains me that the ones that can't really afford to pay taxes, carry the brunt of the tax burden. Changes need to be made.

Joseph · Joined: 08 Sep 2005 Posts: 5

Yes. I have been trying to tell people that informationg for three years. Discouragingly, nobody cares.

BarryC · Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 8

We could try Fairtax where all good and services are taxed and not incomes.

HateBoy · Joined: 10 Sep 2005 Posts: 3

Do you honestly believe your government would give the money to you instead of frittering it away?

jenny84 · Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Posts: 3

Do you know if that applies to the UK too? Never really thought about it... very interesting question!

casperpitbull · Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 6

praise GOD FOR THE CHURCH EXEMPT WHAT IS A CHURCH COFFERS