The biggest problem I see with tax exemption for religious groups is the inability to speak for what is right and good in Church for fear of “losing” the tax exempt status. I don’t know anything about the tax laws, but I do know when I asked my parish priest about some Pro Life literature to be passed out in the Church, he said, “We have to be careful of the tax exempt status”. My gut reaction was so lose it, but I really don’t know anything about it, so will keep my mouth shut.Wellllllllllllllllllll…I get where they’re coming from; however, the Church just has a stance on the pro-choice/pro-life argument–there’s really nothing else the Church can do. Besides, there are people not in the Church who are pro-life, who are not tax exempt, so, it doesn’t make much sense, at least to me. Besides, if the government started taxing the Church, then, uh, there’d be a lot of constitutional issues there.
No, Tax exemptions should apply to all non-profit organisations. The Church is a Not for profit religious organisation. That’s why.Because the US Government condone abortion, do you think the Catholic Church lose their tax exempt status?
Pro-Choice Advocates says that we should lose it. Why or why not?
i would disagree with the preist because political advocacy organisations that push such ideals are also Tax exempt. Why should the church not be exempt for pushing the pro-life message out of our Religious belief?The biggest problem I see with tax exemption for religious groups is the inability to speak for what is right and good in Church for fear of “losing” the tax exempt status. I don’t know anything about the tax laws, but I do know when I asked my parish priest about some Pro Life literature to be passed out in the Church, he said, “We have to be careful of the tax exempt status”. My gut reaction was so lose it, but I really don’t know anything about it, so will keep my mouth shut.
Sort of the way I thought. He is quite laid back, getting ready for retirement in a couple of years, so I don’t think he has paid much attention to this.i would disagree with the preist because political advocacy organisations that push such ideals are also Tax exempt. Why should the church not be exempt for pushing the pro-life message out of our Religious belief?
The NRA is tax exempt too(it’s constitutional!)… and they push the Pro-gun message politically!
This is a redundant arguement.
Manny,Because the US Government condone abortion, do you think the Catholic Church lose their tax exempt status?
Pro-Choice Advocates says that we should lose it. Why or why not?
The NRA is tax exempt too(it’s constitutional!)… and they push the Pro-gun message politically!
The NRA is indeed tax-exempt. However, donations to its political arm, the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action), are not tax-deductible, because the NRA-ILA is not tax-exempt.This is a redundant arguement.
Not a valid comparison. The gun issue is already protected by the Second Amendment. Pro-life unfortunately isn’t, according to the Supreme Court.The NRA-ILA can, and does, say “Vote for Candidate X, because his record on gun issues is good.”
The Catholic Church is not trying to exert control over the US government, it is trying to rectify an horrible error. Pope Pius XII got beat up badly for supposedly not protecting the Jews and others placed in concentration camps for extermination during WWII. The numbers killed then were small compared to the number of babies being killed via abortion. During the civil rights movement, our Supreme Court basically ratified racism. When they had gotten a more appropriate conscience they then overturned it. This is no different. The Catholic Church is trying to point out that the taking of a life is never right - particularly when done out of a desire not to be inconvenienced by a child. It is exercising its right to freedom of speech as a non-profit organization so calling for the tax exemption to be pulled is simply to attempt to intimidate them into silence.To begin with I need to be up front that although I was baptised and raised catholic I lost my faith along the way. Too many “cafeteria” Catholics raised questions that I found my faith could not answer. Even so I feel a connection with the Church though not as strongly as before.
This recent news about the Bishops taking on the US government has promted me to start wondering about the separation of church and state.
In the news there is a lot of press about the Catholic Church trying to exert control over the US government. Thereby exerting control over non-Catholics. Personally I feel this violates freedom of religion.
The issue at hand is that the US government allows people to make their own choice about abortion. The Catholic Church is trying to get the government to repeal those rights because of their religious beliefs.
This clear cut case indicates to me that it is time to examine the tax exempt status of the Church. I feel if the Church wishes to reap the benefits of the government enforcing the laws they choose they should be willing to pay for that right as does any other who wishes to have that priviledge.
The Catholic Church is not trying to exert control over the US government
How can you even say that? As US bishops are publicly stating that they are making a concerted effort to pressure the incoming administration to pass laws that they favor you sit there and say they aren’t.