What "separation of church and state"?! Your presidents ending all their speeches with God bless America, God on your banknotes, God in your courtrooms, God in your Congress, etc... God everywhere !! If only it were a good god, like Eros, or Bacchus, we wouldn't mind so much!

Churches have many untaxed properties that have nothing to do with church or charitable work these should be being taxed already start there.

I think their tax exemptions should be removed if they mention politics at ALL.

That is true separation of church and state.

I'm my opinion it's not that they are or aren't taxed it's that older religions have a default except status but "newer religions" have to actually go through a process of almost proving they're are a legitimate religion, putting the government in a position that they're in essence sanctioning religion and potentially telling some religions they AREN'T legitimate.

I have absolutely zero issue with churches being tax except if they went through the same process as any 501c organization, where they have to basically open their financial books and prove they are in fact none profit.

I may not be verbalizing it properly, and since this vid explains what I'm trying to say in a clear concise way:

I have always thought that they should have to behave like any other non-profit organisation and give a complete form of its expenditures to the IRS.

I don't recall any threats to tax churches back when they fed the poor, housed the homeless, and stayed out of politics.

Since they now have lobbyists and political agendas "thanks for Trump, assholes!" churches deserve to be taxed the most of anyone...say 40%. We aren't GIVING them representation, they already TOOK it, when Reagan was elected. Now they need to put their money where they spout all those "thoughts and prayers" from instead of helping the needy.

In order to be Tax Free they should NOT be allowed to contribute to any political party or endorse any candidate just like every other NON-Profit! They should also have to Prove they are NON-Profit or Face Taxation. The Catholic Church and Mormon Church alone are Multinational, Billion Dollar Corporations and Not Non-Profits!

Churches benefit as much as any other institution from the services and apparatus of the state. Why should they not contribute to the common good?