Do you find it sad that the School Teacher is taxed to help the priest, but...

[MatureMcLeod]

Not the priest is taxed to help the School Teacher...

The teacher is all about treating children nicely and telling them to have bright futures by making good choices.
The priest is all about doing harm to the children and forcing them to believe a book that justifies every crime imaginable.

Yet, the teacher goes to jail for making one mistake, but the priest gets to do whatever he wants because the church covers it up. I HATE that the teacher has to pay a large part of her salary, but the priest gets to walk away tax free. Does anyone else find this sickening?

[Magdalena]

[Recusant]

Yep, the tax exemption for churches is tiresome, but there are historical reasons for it. For one thing, in the United States, it's part of the way separation of church and state is maintained. If churches get involved in politics they can have their tax exempt status revoked.

You say the teacher is taxed to help the priest. How do you see that working? Can you give a substantial example of how tax dollars are used to help priests, or churches? Please be specific.

[Asmodean]

If churches get involved in politics they can have their tax exempt status revoked.

So, since they are involved in politics in a covert we-were-never-here way, does it then stand to reason that they should be taxed the living shit out of in the same manner? May The Asmo suggest repurposing some former burglars into a new government agency? CTC, Himthink. Covert Tax Collections.

[Arturo]

We could probably do a lot of substantial goodness by taxing churches.

[xSilverPhinx]

We could probably do a lot of substantial goodness by taxing churches.

I agree.

[MatureMcLeod]

Me too.

[Icarus]

The preacher enjoys a special tax status in the US. The church property is also given special treatment. Both those realities annoy me.  Can't you just imagine the tax revenue from the Morman tabernacle, Joel O'steens church, and the many other edifices that are monuments to mans ego as opposed to the actual celebration of god. The property tax revenue from all those churches in bible belt states could finance a big chunk of say.......the school board budgets. We could use that money to pay teachers a salary more nearly commensurate with their contributions.