Should the American Church reject its' tax exempt status?

[DL82]

If the cost of tax-exempt status for the American Church is that it has to refrain from getting too involved in politics, should the American Church reject this status?

Following the admonition from Pope Pius IX in his Syllabus of Errors against the heresy of ‘Americanism’ that the state should be independent of the Church and vice-versa, is the American Church in heresy if it doesn’t reject this limitation on its’ political mission? Is this any different from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church accepting political limitations from the Chinese Communist Party?

If you do believe the Church should reject tax-exempt status, would you be willing to give more to the Church to pay for its’ increased tax bills?

 

[aggiecatholic05]

personally i think the laws saying that a church cant speak its mind are against the 1st amendmant. taxing churches was not in the original framework, largely i think because the founders would never have imagined it happening. i think the bishops should just tell the truth and refuse to pay the taxes. i think they would win if it got pushed to the courts, at least when it got to the supreme court. so for the cost of a legal fight they can tell it like it is and not be taxed.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

If the cost of tax-exempt status for the American Church is that it has to refrain from getting too involved in politics, should the American Church reject this status?

Following the admonition from Pope Pius IX in his Syllabus of Errors against the heresy of ‘Americanism’ that the state should be independent of the Church and vice-versa, is the American Church in heresy if it doesn’t reject this limitation on its’ political mission? Is this any different from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church accepting political limitations from the Chinese Communist Party?

If you do believe the Church should reject tax-exempt status, would you be willing to give more to the Church to pay for its’ increased tax bills?

I do not believe the Church should be involved in politics, discussion of morality, issues, stands, YES. Individual CATHOLICS however must be involved in politics, and government.

 

[aggiecatholic05]

I do not believe the Church should be involved in politics

see i disagree. who is to say the Church belongs here or here but not there. i want it in every aspect of my life, seprate from nothing. its a bad road to go down.

now i agree we need individual actually faithful Catholics involved in politics. but if we just have them with no tradition or magesterium well then we start down the path to protestantism(is that even a word?). now thats not really such a bad thing unless as a voter or citizen you are trying to work specifically to advance the goals of the Church.

 

[stbruno]

see i disagree. who is to say the Church belongs here or here but not there. i want it in every aspect of my life, seprate from nothing. its a bad road to go down.

now i agree we need individual actually faithful Catholics involved in politics. but if we just have them with no tradition or magesterium well then we start down the path to protestantism(is that even a word?). now thats not really such a bad thing unless as a voter or citizen you are trying to work specifically to advance the goals of the Church.

I want my church and its members to guide and direct all aspects of life as well.
Perhaps if that were the case, there would not be the corruption in our local and state governments, our business associations,our culture with pornography etc, and violence & decay of our families and in our neighborhoods. The Golden rule would to do unto others as you would have them do unto you…is the second part of the greatest commandments. Love God with your whole heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself. We need to bring the whole world into this mindset…and if it starts with the Catholic church…so be it.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

see i disagree. who is to say the Church belongs here or here but not there. i want it in every aspect of my life, seprate from nothing. its a bad road to go down.

now i agree we need individual actually faithful Catholics involved in politics. but if we just have them with no tradition or magesterium well then we start down the path to protestantism(is that even a word?). now thats not really such a bad thing unless as a voter or citizen you are trying to work specifically to advance the goals of the Church.

Catholics must always invite the teachings of the Church into all aspects of their lives. They in turn should be involved in politics and the government of society. The Church should speak on social issues, but not become directly involved in politics or government.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I want my church and its members to guide and direct all aspects of life as well.
Perhaps if that were the case, there would not be the corruption in our local and state governments, our business associations,our culture with pornography etc, and violence & decay of our families and in our neighborhoods. The Golden rule would to do unto others as you would have them do unto you…is the second part of the greatest commandments. Love God with your whole heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself. We need to bring the whole world into this mindset…and if it starts with the Catholic church…so be it.

However where we are headed if we allow a liberal president to be elected, with a liberal majority Congress, and then the apporinment of liberal justices to the high court. We will see Constitutional amendments granting equal rights to Homosexual Marriages, Abortion at all stages, suppression of God and Religion in the public square, Who knows what else!

 

[aggiecatholic05]

However where we are headed if we allow a liberal president to be elected, with a liberal majority Congress, and then the apporinment of liberal justices to the high court. We will see Constitutional amendments granting equal rights to Homosexual Marriages, Abortion at all stages, suppression of God and Religion in the public square, Who knows what else!

who knows what else? well just take a guess, if you can imagine it so can they, and odds are at least one will push for it, and in a pc anything goes world noone will want to be seen as opressive. so i figure its gonna be a wild ride if things go badly.