When should a church lose tax,exempt status?

Discussion in 'The Thunderdome' started by OrangeEmpire, Jan 17, 2012.

  1. OrangeEmpire

    OrangeEmpire Take a chance, Custer did

    Senior white house aid Valerie Jarrett was in Atlanta over the weekend and in the pulpit scathing how republicans are responsible for everything unholy in the world. Amazingly, right after her diatribe voter registration occured.

    When we lived un Ohio we went to a large church in Westerville and in 2004 the church brought in Hannity and company for a political rally on a Sunday morning, despicable in my view.

    At what point does a church lose tax exempt status?
     
  2. Tenacious D

    Tenacious D The law is of supreme importance, or no importance

    Sorry, OE - but this is only an issue when conservative / evangelicals / neo-cons / whites do it.

    When Democratic / liberals / blacks do it, it's perfectly acceptable as a matter of course.

    To disagree with this universal position, as you seem to infer here, is racist, IMO.

    And homophobic.

    And marijuana should be legalized.

    We are the 99%!!

    I'll stop now, but stand by for the ol' double standard to be applied here, OE.
     
  3. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Keep politics out of church and church out of politics. Any church that holds glorified political rallies should lose tax exempt status regardless of conservative, liberal, or in between.
     
  4. OrangeEmpire

    OrangeEmpire Take a chance, Custer did

  5. OrangeEmpire

    OrangeEmpire Take a chance, Custer did

    You lost me :)
     
  6. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    If a church wants to hold a legit "voter registration" drive, that's fine.

    If a community/town/city wants to have voting booths at church because it is the most feasible logistical option, that's fine.

    When you get one side or the other up on stage such as what is common, revoke it. This church should have had it yanked by the time she stepped out of the pulpit. Same for any from the other side as well. There was a church in middle TN last year where the pastor decided to go this route. Their's should be yanked as well.
     
  7. LawVol13

    LawVol13 Chieftain

    For example, in my county, churches get together and take out ads to oppose people voting for liquor by the drink. I think that should qualify as something to make them lose tax exempt status.
     
  8. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    This doesn't have to be complicated. A metric should be decided on which demonstrates whether a church/synagogue/mosque's principle function is charitable/cooperative, or growth in capital. If it is growth in capital, it is for-profit. Churches who are constantly raising money to build essentially private gyms shouldn't be treated the same as ones who are sending missionaries to supply clean water and medicine to some forgotten village in Africa.

    Obviously I am against nonprofit status for faith entities that are putting money and energy into politics.
     
  9. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    Just finished a book called "Drinking with Calvin and Luther!" that would make these folks hair stand up on their necks.
     
  10. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Heathen.
     
  11. LawVol13

    LawVol13 Chieftain

    I'll have to look into that. Yes, I've never figured out the rationale behind opposing liquor by the drink.
     
  12. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    It goes back to the fundamentalist movement of the late 1800s/early 1900s. Most, if not all, of the church fathers (including Jesus himself), partook alcoholic beverages. In fact, several of Jesus' parables would not make a lick of sense without the wine he referenced being alcoholic.

    Culture influence over Biblical influence.
     
  13. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    “Do you suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused? Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women?” - Martin Luther

    :D
     
  14. OrangeEmpire

    OrangeEmpire Take a chance, Custer did

    Epic, my parents church about split due to this topic. Ironically the waring faction came to my parents church because the group forced a split at their previous church.

    It is really quite simple, water was not clean, alcohol was the cure......pilgrims had loads of beer......people get caught up in inconsequential matters proclaiming christs view.......which is frightening to me.
     
  15. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    There really wasn't that much debate about it until the last 150 years.
     
  16. OrangeEmpire

    OrangeEmpire Take a chance, Custer did

    Temperance movement gained traction, form of control by the church.
     
  17. Volst53

    Volst53 Super Moderator

    Liquor by the drink is fighting words in my county. I can't wait till that wall falls.
     
  18. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    I would raise hell on Earth if I lived in such a county. Hell, maybe I'd start manufacturing hooch and giving it away. That would be legal, right?
     
  19. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    My hometown legalized package stores last august. I was shocked it passed.

    Why they didn't try to tackle liquor by the drink first is beyond me.
     
  20. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I like that.... I will use that in the future.

    What is the difference between the Baptist Church and Catholic Church?

    1. Baptists do not recognize the Pope as being God's representative on Earth.
    2. Baptists don't recognize the quasi-divinity of the Virgin Mary.
    3. Finally, Baptists don't recognize each other in the liquor store on Friday nights.
     

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