What does everyone think of the Satanic Temple being granted tax exemption as a church recently?
Any organization that stays within the law and fulfills the functions of a church should be considered tax exempt... Many Christian churches violate those laws and should be stripped of tax exempt status...
You and I have the same advantage to have a tax exempt status church!
I agree no one or institution should be tax exempt period!
The Universal Life Church has the free information you need to start a tax exempt church!
You can get ordained online legally without any religious commitment to any religion!
I have been ordained since 1969 on my birthday, when it was in Modesto California under Rev. Hensley!
I have preformed six legal weddings in those years since!
I have never used the tax exempt status, never needed that benefit!
The system is rigged when it comes to religion and taxation!
I'd like to know why churches of any kind are tax exempt. What's the thinking behind it; "You preach faith in fairytales so no taxes for you." What's the justification for such a privileged status?
The actual justification is the money given to the church has already been taxed as income once.
@sewchick57 Is that how the IRS views it? That doesn't hold up as a rational justification at all. Money from pretty much everywhere to everyone has passed through many hands over the course of years before it landed in yours or mine. Taxes were already paid on it by everyone who's ever made it. It arrives in the church coffers as new and untaxed income the same as it does for us. The only difference is the chuech doesn't have to pay the taxes an it but we do.
The IRS considers churches charities.
@sewchick57 So are all my other expenses. When I go to a bar and get a martini I pay with monies from my taxed income.
@MichaelBaribeau UGH! How can they see it that way? Charities are typically non-profit organizations. Many religious endeavors, especially the catholics and Xian televangelists, are profit making. Hell, the Vatican has its own bank with many billions of dollars in it at all times.
@zesty Tax laws and the reasons for them can go back several decades.
@Sgt_Spanky "...the Catholic Church has immense wealth…but also has immense liabilities and obligations. It doesn’t sit on its money." On a church by church level oversight is provided by the congregation. There are also many Catholic charity organizations as well as hospitals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, disaster relief, etc. The Vatican has a relatively small budget most going to employees, museum, etc. The Vatican Bank (IOC) handles billions but I don't know what if any profit they make although most of their wealth is in real estate dating back millenia. Although a lot of the money from the big televangelists churches go to charities they don't have the same congregational oversite so there are calls for reform.
They are as valid a church as any other so should get the same tax relief - but all churches should pay tax, making the debate irrelevant
Love the ST. If one was near me I would consider attending. Here a link to their tenets. No devil worshiping here.
You must look more closely. He is in the details ...
If they're going to exempt Jesus worshipers, they should also exempt Satan worshipers!
I think what they're doing and the statements they're making are good, but I personally wouldn't join their group. Even though their goal is to object to christianity, they're using a figure from the christian pantheon to organize their beliefs around. Using satan as their symbol brings too much christian baggage. I would rather just forget about everything associated with christianity and start from scratch.
Thus the flying spaghetti monster, Join the pastafarianism
Satan is not prominently featured in the babble, it is a construct of preachers to instill fear.
I see it this way, the Christian Bible says" Want of money is the root of all evil". And all of us in America are well aware of how what most Americans really worship, is money, rather than God. Hence, if what most Americans actually worship is something the Bible says is evil, why shouldn't a Satanic church while openly worships evil not get the same tax breaks as Christian churches? Some twisted irony going on with this, but that's how I think and roll........
Satanic Temple doesn't worship evil. They are an atheist group that uses satan as a symbol of rebellion against christianity.
@bootaski Fine. I still enjoy the irony.
@bootaski Christian Bible says Money is the root of all evil.
Almost.
Instead, it says the want of money is the root of all evil. It suggests once you got enough, you won't want any more money. It's the goal to be a future lay about that makes us pursue money.
Drop a million dollars in my bank account and you won't see me at the salt mine.
To me one of the great jokes is a person who wins the lottery and says "I'm gonna keep working."
@WonderWartHog99 Most people who win the lottery end up where they started or even worse off after a few years because they make lifestyle changes they can't keep up with once they have depleted all their cash reserves.
@WonderWartHog99 I stand corrected, thank you.
I am going to combine two of the previous comments.
Religious organizations should pay tax. Because of this, I think they should pay tax. But, since all the others don't, I am glad to see they are not. Aybe it will help make a change.
Personally, I don't understand why any organization which actively discriminates against women, gays, familia status, etc... Should be allowed tax exempt status.
A deity is a deity, just the other end of the spectrum thats all. Enough people felt the same way and got together as a community and began to worship a being they say is a higher power. The first amendment says that the government can't put one religion above the rest and if the judge had said no, he would have put satanism below the rest, which he can't do. So a religion it is.
It's the same religion. Just like Zeus and Hades are of the same religion in Greek mythology. I love pointing that out to them.