Because politicos learned long ago that if you simply ignore the rules you don't like, your supporter will, quietly, rewrite them so that they no longer apply to you and claim they were always like that.
A sort of revisionist Mandela effect.

Tax exempt as religious organizations were supposed to use their finances for the benefit of the indigent. Yeah right. The debauchery that took place in the rectory when a certain bishop went to Rome for the vote would make one gag. As a bartender with a waiter that "dated" the assistant bishop, I knew all the sleazy details. He was 18. Assistant bishop was 38. I was sickened.

Damn man. Kenneth Copeland need that 6th plane more than the homeless need food.

AND... let us not forget about private school vouchers that go to private religious schools that could not exist without a tax funded voucher system! I am outraged that my tax dollars are used to perpetuate this blatent use of government funds to provide religious indoctrination.

Their tax exempt status is supposed to depend on their not getting involved in civic matters. Of course that is being completely ignored and their participation actually encouraged.

A lot of these churches should have their tax-exempt status revoked immediately. I'm talking about the ones that are meddling in politics...

Freedom of religion is a separate issue from the tax free status religions have in the U.S.

The tax free status as written is supposed to be conditional. It is specifically written in the tax code that churches are only tax free so long as they stay out of politics. The rule was well intentioned. However, it doesn't really work in practice. Many churches have violated that prohibition and have involved themselves in politics, and no politician has had the nerve to hold them to the tax code out of fear of being seen as someone who persecutes religion. When a politician seems to be getting up the nerve, the church makes a hefty political donation and they are pressured to not pursue it.

Personally, I think churches who get involved in politics should be taxed. If they want a voice in government, then they should be helping to pay for that government. If they keep the separation of church and state by not involving themselves in politics, then I also have no problem with them keeping their tax exempt status. However, the tax code which prohibits political involvement should be enforced if any churches are to remain tax exempt. Otherwise they should all be taxed.

Freedom of religion is there mostly because of the bloody histories from times when churches were granted official government status, or held power over governments. No one religion should be sanctioned by the state, or else we would inevitably see bloodshed again.

Churches aren’t supposed to indorse political candidates according to IRS rules.Across the country churches appear to be doing so anyway

Don't talk to me about it....I've been doing whatever I can to dissolve that damned advantage for years. Churches are businesses....and although they've been given a break in the name of the ''charity'' they provide, we all know they don't deserve it.

you are a slave complaining about your slave masters. Good luck with that.

I see your point, however the religious tax exemption was because our Framers thought that if churches could be taxed then, if a Government wanted to, they could be taxed out of existence.

They had something of a point.

Well, however you define separation of church and state in America, I have the unhappy duty to inform you that it is rapidly breaking down before our eyes and sooner or later may not exist at all.

Antidisestablishmentarianism; eh, yea or nay?

Does a third of the planet conspire to require charity?