coheir Posted July 19, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 104 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,458 Content Per Day: 0.55 Reputation: 729 Days Won: 5 Joined: 02/09/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/31/1950 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Ezra 7 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. this may be how this U.S. came up with a no tax on churches Any thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted July 19, 2012 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.87 Content Count: 43,800 Content Per Day: 6.17 Reputation: 11,247 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted July 19, 2012 Charities you donate to are given tax exemptions. That is probably why they got it. Since they get "donations". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Believer Posted July 20, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.34 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Taxes were not placed on churches because the Founders realized that you cannot tax God. It was out of respect. And the church is perfectly permitted (through its members) to influence government. There is no law against it, and it is Scriptural to influence all the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other one Posted July 20, 2012 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 30 Topic Count: 600 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 56,389 Content Per Day: 7.55 Reputation: 28,137 Days Won: 271 Joined: 12/29/2003 Status: Online Share Posted July 20, 2012 Point: Erik Stanley There is said to be an old Arabian proverb: "If the camel once gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow." This expression is especially pertinent in the tax exemption context. Churches are tax exempt under the principle that there is no surer way to destroy the free exercise of religion than to tax it. If the government is allowed to tax churches (or to condition a tax exemption on a church refraining from the free exercise of religion), the camel's nose is under the tent, and its body is sure to follow. But that's not just my opinion; it's the understanding of the U.S. Supreme Court. In its 1970 opinion in Walz vs. Tax Commission of the City of New York, the high court stated that a tax exemption for churches "creates only a minimal and remote involvement between church and state and far less than taxation of churches. [An exemption] restricts the fiscal relationship between church and state, and tends to complement and reinforce the desired separation insulating each from the other." The Supreme Court also said that "the power to tax involves the power to destroy." Taxing churches breaks down the healthy separation of church and state and leads to the destruction of the free exercise of religion. http://www.latimes.c...0,2226105.story an interesing article. Don't know for sure what the Founding Fathers had in mind, but it seems that the Supreme Court doesn't trust the Goverhment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coheir Posted July 21, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 104 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,458 Content Per Day: 0.55 Reputation: 729 Days Won: 5 Joined: 02/09/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/31/1950 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 I believe the reason the founders placed no taxes on churches was so churches had no influence over the government and the government no influence over the churches. I believe that todays churches need to be careful. If faith based organizations take federal money, they will open themselves up to federal control. that makes sence. in 1776 they had a reason to not tax churches that came from the bible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coheir Posted July 21, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 104 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,458 Content Per Day: 0.55 Reputation: 729 Days Won: 5 Joined: 02/09/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/31/1950 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 Some churches register a Tax ID, and everything that comes in is reported. Certain Churches have been scrutinized because Millions and millions is spent on TV, and getting the Word of God preached. There are many now that feel spending all that money on just preaching the Word is a Non-Benefit to anyone, and should be subject to federal tax like everyone else. If the Church feeds, provides shelter, gives clothes, then that is what a "REAL" church should be doing. After all, the great commission was to go out in the World and provide shelter for the poor. Right? Jesus Is Lord. I understand Mike but main point was about the year 1776 and how it got on the constitution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Believer Posted July 21, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.34 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Anytime a government places restrictions on Believers (the Church), it is a sign of disrespect. It is saying in effect that the God of the universe is a non-entity to be disregarded as irrelevent and those who follow Him are fools for doing so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other one Posted July 21, 2012 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 30 Topic Count: 600 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 56,389 Content Per Day: 7.55 Reputation: 28,137 Days Won: 271 Joined: 12/29/2003 Status: Online Share Posted July 21, 2012 Well it's my undertanding that 9 of the origional 13 states had government sponsored churches. Taxes were collected to help fund the churches. The ammendment to separate churches from the states were to stop this activity of the different states funding and thus picking a particular church and calling it the legal one so to speak.. Not all states stopped the process at the same time as I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted July 21, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Say you were the person that was to levy a tax on churches.... First define for me, for taxation purposes, a church? It is a difficult thing to do, and is fraught with a minefield of lawsuits, fundamentalism, doctrine, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Butero Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Ezra 7 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. this may be how this U.S. came up with a no tax on churches Any thoughts I think it was because we used to have a respect for God. Today, the government would be foolish to start taxing churches. It is a method they use to control them. If you say things that are political in nature, they threaten to take away your non-profit status. For that reason, I wouldn't take the non-profit status if I were to start a new church. If you refuse to take it, they have no leverage over you. You are free to call Obama the devil if you want to, right from the pulpit. I am not saying anyone should do that, but just that I believe in the absolute right to free speech and freedom of religion. I believe the day is coming when a church will lose its non-profit status for saying things that are not politically correct, like homosexuality is sinful. It is time to seriously consider fully separating from this deal with the devil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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