Religious activism - time to drop tax free status?

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
If you are a faith leader, shouldn't you encourage people to follow the law? If you don't agree with the law, do something to change it.

I think it's time to reevaluate the role of religion in US society as far as activism goes. Perhaps remove their tax free status.

Undocumented American!?!?!? That's a new one.

 

littlelady

God bless the USA
I watched that. It was a joke. That guy needs to take his choke collar off. God bless America.
 
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seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
There are two types of taxes Jesus talked about.... the temple tax and the government tax.

The temple tax is in Matthew 17.

Matthew 17:24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

26 “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”​

The government tax is in Matthew 22.

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.​

Should they take away our exemption for charities [including the tithe] it would simplify filing taxes.... but it would hurt those poor people who can't go retrieve the denarius from a fish.

I don't know the answer but I do think we should all be wondering what Jesus would have us do.

:coffee:
 

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
Pretty sure Jesus would want us to follow & respect the law.

Oh no doubt.... Some might argue that the tithes and charitable contributions might decrease without the charitable gifts deduction.

I've wondered what churches would do if the rich no longer had a tax credit incentive to contribute for.

Some churches consider the tithe to be almost temple tax and basing elaborate budgets on the regular installments due. I wonder how many would be able to keep the doors open if the amount of tithes decreased.

What would happen to the food banks and shelters? What would happen to the support for widows and orphans?

:coffee:
 
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