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Government regulation of Churches?

Government deal with churches?

  • Do nothing.

    Votes: 13 61.9%
  • Do everything - (some have built in Starbucks)

    Votes: 4 19.0%
  • Do something (specify)

    Votes: 4 19.0%
  • Don't know/care

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    21
Should churches be defunded? If I recall they believe, iirc, taxpayer money. Or do they pay no taxes?

Isn't it also true that churches, especially large churches, are run like businesses? Tax it. Iirc, I once saw a church worker bring a wheelbarrow down the aisle for tithes. This is true.

These pseudo-businesses require tithes up to 10%. Perhaps catholicism can be an exception because it's a donation system.

Do you think the government should regulate preaching, like monitoring for hate speech against homosexuals and prostitutes? Should churches be entirely defended? Taxed? Or the tithe system abolished?

Should they be dealt with?

Why Leftism is too dangerous for the Western civilization?

Because it push the same persecution of Religion which has been already happened in all socialistic countries.
Liberals hate God and Christianity therefor it is a Sin to vote for any Liberal!

Destroyed Churches, the Liberal Dream for America

52056895_Vzorvannuyy_HHS.jpg
 
Why shouldn't they, Your Star? It's trending in many other nations.

In what other nations?

Besides, it's hate speech and indoctrination.

Over react much?

Let the government help teach the kids in the public schools.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson just rolled over in their graves.

We don't need churches anymore. We've clearly progressed further than you. NoW we wait for the others.

This country identifies itself as 70% Christian and 43% are church goers according to a USA Today poll from 2007. I has declined a little since then, but not enough to effect the info.

Churches are not taxed because of the government not wanting to get tangles with religion. The SCOTUS ruled taxing a church was unconstitutional.
 
This is too much. No one is saying that the government should be allowed to tax churches/religious activities as much as they want without a vote. Taxes are not the power to destroy, unless we remove voting and the basic protections of representation from the equation. By authorizing taxes (we, the people), we do not give the power to destroy us - we give the government the power to serve us. Only when the safeguards established in the system have been tossed aside does the above worldview have legitimacy.

The American people did not "authorize" the income tax etc. The government put them in place without our consent.
 
Taxes are not the power to destroy

actually, according to the Supreme Court, the power to tax is the power to destroy. See: McCulloch v. Maryland
 
Why shouldn't government regulate churches? After all, is it not bigotry and hatred of the worst kind? If not now then assuredly later when the idea becomes more popular. Why should people care about a 200-year-old piece of paper? Obviously it keeps being changed so let's continue changing it, amirite?
 
Why shouldn't they, Your Star? It's trending in many other nations. Besides, it's hate speech and indoctrination. Let the government help teach the kids in the public schools.

We don't need churches anymore. We've clearly progressed further than you. NoW we wait for the others.

Pretty bold statement, most of America disagrees
 
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There are also a lot of churches with predominantly one race, like black/white/etc. Such social segregation must be stopped and regulated. Let the government fix it. If churches can't get with government's flow, penalize them. Or only white churches..

Now future comprehensive arguments on this can snowball further.

This isn't Communist Russia
 
Should churches be defunded? If I recall they believe, iirc, taxpayer money. Or do they pay no taxes?

Isn't it also true that churches, especially large churches, are run like businesses? Tax it. Iirc, I once saw a church worker bring a wheelbarrow down the aisle for tithes. This is true.

These pseudo-businesses require tithes up to 10%. Perhaps catholicism can be an exception because it's a donation system.

Do you think the government should regulate preaching, like monitoring for hate speech against homosexuals and prostitutes? Should churches be entirely defended? Taxed? Or the tithe system abolished?

Should they be dealt with?
I think the First Amendment is clear enough that the government cannot regulate religious practices. However, IMO, they should be treated the same as other nonprofit organizations tax-wise, and those that are conducted for profit should not receive any favorable government treatment.
 
Why shouldn't government regulate churches? After all, is it not bigotry and hatred of the worst kind? If not now then assuredly later when the idea becomes more popular. Why should people care about a 200-year-old piece of paper? Obviously it keeps being changed so let's continue changing it, amirite?

No, God is more important than your opinion.
 
Why shouldn't government regulate churches? After all, is it not bigotry and hatred of the worst kind? If not now then assuredly later when the idea becomes more popular. Why should people care about a 200-year-old piece of paper? Obviously it keeps being changed so let's continue changing it, amirite?

The government has, in prior centuries, used religion to justify all sorts of stuff.
It's sorta like brainwashing because the clergy tends to go along with it.
 
Why shouldn't government regulate churches?

For the same reasons churches should not be involved in government or have laws based on religion.

After all, is it not bigotry and hatred of the worst kind?

In some cases yes, but you have that with any large group. Your statement is a gross misrepresentation of what the majority of churches promote in this country.

If not now then assuredly later when the idea becomes more popular. Why should people care about a 200-year-old piece of paper? Obviously it keeps being changed so let's continue changing it, amirite?

No.
 
I agree with the regulation of religious institutions ONLY in countries where secterianism and religious extremism is a big problem. The US is no such country, however, if i lived in a Muslim majority nation i would think that the appointment of imams by the state as imperative for combating extremism and if i was in an African country i probably would regulate the Church, depending on what country.
 
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This is for people that think taxes have no power to destroy...

In 1819, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that the power to tax involves the power to destroy. That statement remains true today. But when the power to tax is abused, as it was in La Paz County, then we can see the Supreme Court’s statement come into sharp focus. The Church of the Isaiah 58 Project stands in real danger of destruction by an abuse of the power to tax. - The Power to Tax is the Power to Destroy – Especially When the Power to Tax is Abused |
 
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The churches most affected would be the smaller minority churches that have the largest outreach type programs for minority's. Taxing them would put the majority of them out into the streets as they already operate on a shoe string budget.

Taxing religious institutions or regulating them is NOT that answer to anything. What Wake is suggesting is not just regulation. What he is suggesting is the state controlling every aspect of religion by the state including taxes etc. In essence he wants to reinstate the Church of England here in the US.
 
I can see why promulgating crazy nonsense might get you a padded room, I don't see any reason why it should disqualify one from paying taxes.

Moderator's Warning:
Knock off the baiting.
 
Thousands of people are suckered into forming over millions of dollars. It's ludicrous that pastors work over the crowds and live lavishly. Ever noticed how a lot of "humble" pastors live? Expensive cars, clothes, suits?

Think about it.

The vast majority of pastors are broke.
 
Should churches be defunded?

Churches that spend their tithe money on political adds should have their non-profit status taken away. That's as far as they should take government regulations.

All forms of preaching are allowed by the first amendment, including hate, race baiting, abortion, ethnic, and sex discrimination...

ricksfolly
 
“Should churches be defunded? If I recall they believe, iirc, taxpayer money. Or do they pay no taxes?” - Wake

Churches don’t pay taxes nor should they.

“Isn't it also true that churches, especially large churches, are run like businesses? Tax it.” - Wake

Some churches are quite large and it is necessary to “run them like a business”. I’m not sure why this is a problem for you or anyone else.

“These pseudo-businesses require tithes up to 10%. Perhaps catholicism can be an exception because it's a donation system.” - Wake

They are all a “donation system”. You can’t require a tithe. If you did it would become a tax and churches do not have the power to tax.

“Do you think the government should regulate preaching, like monitoring for hate speech against homosexuals and prostitutes?” - Wake

Of course not. Do you think we should shut-down all churches that preach homosexuality is okay?

In addition, all free-speech restrictions shoud be removed from churches and allow them to address or support any political candidate they choose.

“Should churches be entirely defended? Taxed? Or the tithe system abolished?” - Wake

If you don’t like church, don’t go.
 
I used to manage maintenance at a very large church. To avoid taxes the clergymen had his lavish home built on the extensive church grounds. Had his personal vehicle under "church use" and all his groceries and utilities were part of "church functions and usage" so he only needed to claim only a tiny income yet lived much better then your average American.

I hope you realize that very very few pastors live like that. Most are pretty darn poor actually.
 
To be honest and not being a devil's advocate, I have seen on TV and associated with pastors who have large mansions and "live the good life". If I know of at least 8 of them myself, how many more could there be? Isn't that something to raise your eyebrow to?
 
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Why shouldn't government regulate churches?

Because government is getting gradually more and more liberal, more and more socialistic, more and more communistic, more and more dictatorial. All leftists Dictators hate Christianity because it makes impossible to enslave the people, to steal its money and to believe sweet fairy-tales of liberals.
 
Because government is getting gradually more and more liberal, more and more socialistic, more and more communistic, more and more dictatorial. All leftists Dictators hate Christianity because it makes impossible to enslave the people, to steal its money and to believe sweet fairy-tales of liberals.

Alfons you really need to get a doctor man.
 
To be honest and not being a devil's advocate, I have seen on TV and associated with pastors who have large mansions and "live the good life". If I know of at least 8 of them myself, how many more could there be? Isn't that something to raise your eyebrow to?

They are likely all being watched for embezzlement.
 
Churches should be taxed if they don't engage in charitable activities.

I would rather we taxed all of them than start making it conditional. That's far more dangerous. If we start social engineering the churches then the first amendment is pointless.
 
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