When America declared independence from Great Britain, the Founding Fathers made it clear that they never wanted any American citizen to experience the tyranny that they felt again. One way they planned to do this was the separation of church and state. Under this theory, the government would not support any one religion, which would promote religious freedom in the new country. The separation of church and state remains in the Constitution to this day, but many argue whether or not the government is actually still separate from religion. One reason why many argue this is the tax exemption that churches receive. The tax exemption on churches is essentially providing the church with more money, considering that they do not have to pay taxes on the donations, income, etc. that they receive. This exemption is provided by the government which violates the whole principle of the separation between church and state, therefore, the tax exemption for churches should be repealed.
The separation between church and state, in America, can be traced all the way back to the early years of the United States, specifically the early 1800s. The biggest proponents for the separation of church and state were Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who argued this theory to establish religious freedom and avoid tyranny like Americans had just endured with King George III. Many opposed Jefferson and Madison on this issue, but those who did oppose them were just religious leaders who thought that since the government couldn’t support their religion, it might lose significance or lack the funding to survive. While the words ‘separation between church and state’ never appear in the Constitution at all, it is part of the Establishment Clause that prevents the government from establishing a national religion. This doesn’t mean that religion, specifically Christianity, hasn’t been hidden throughout the government throughout the history of America. Even though the Constitution states that Congress can’t establish a religion, Congress still changed the national motto from ‘E pluribus unum’ (‘out of many, one’), to ‘In God we trust’, which makes it seem like they are supporting a certain religion. Yet, these are just words, with no proof of any support between the government and the religious institutions of America.
While the national motto offers no physical proof of the government supporting religion, the tax exemption does. Since 1913, all religious institutions that follow certain rules set in place by the government are exempt from all taxes. This allows churches to bring in money, usually made by private donations, without having to give any of it back. In recent years we have seen the rise of the 'super church'. These churches have thousands of members, and since most churches require donations, or pressure members into giving the church money, this allows them to rack up absurd amounts of money, all untaxed. These super churches usually have one singular priest, which means that the money donated is going straight to them. In recent years, Joel Osteen, the pastor of a super church in Houston, used the money that he gained through his church to purchase his house. His house cost him ten and a half million dollars. While not a significant amount of money in the grand scheme of things, it still points to how much money America would receive if religious institutions were to be taxed. If Joel Osteen makes enough money to afford a 10.5-million-dollar house, and he runs one of the thousands of super churches in America, which are thousands of millions of churches in general, America would receive revenue that boosts the economy by tens of billions of dollars. Recent studies suggest that the total amount of money made per year by religious institutions succeeds eighty-two billion dollars. That’s eight-two billion dollars that could be spent on various things throughout American society to make our country the great place that it’s supposed to be. Homeless shelters could be built, better facilities for schools in bad areas, and new business centers to create more jobs for unemployed persons. Instead, this money is going towards the church and, most likely, the clergy members’ lifestyle.
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Churches aren’t technical businesses, so one could say that since they aren’t businesses, they shouldn’t have to pay taxes, but don’t churches nowadays technically sell God? The act of pressuring church members into donating to the church in order to sort of ‘pledge their allegiance’ to the church, is comparable to a salesman convincing the buyer that they absolutely need this new product in their life, that they ‘can’t live without it’. The worst part about it is that churches prey on the weak whenever they do this. They convince the less fortunate or troubled people that if they accept their religion into their life. That is certainly not to say that religion hasn’t been sort of a ‘saving grace’ for many Americans at some point in their life, but for the church to try to sell their religion is a business-like tactic, and this should result in the church being treated like a business.
Another point of argument for someone that would say that churches should not be taxed in that the priests and clergy members already pay income taxes for the money that they make. This is a valid point, but people who work for businesses and corporations also have to pay income taxes, and so does the business or corporation itself. Business is defined as the act of making money by selling a product or a service. So, if the government treats the priests and clergy members like businessmen and businesswomen by making them pay taxes, and they make their money by working for the church and collecting the money that the church obtains, then that means that the church in this situation is the business, therefore, the churches should have to pay income tax.
To make it clear, religion is not a bad thing. It has helped unify so many people throughout the history of America and, more importantly, of the world. It has brought people together through tragedies, and it brings families and friends together through holidays that even atheists celebrate. But the money aspect of churches had gotten a little out of hand with the required donations, and church leaders living lives of luxury while the money they make could be going to better causes than their lifestyle. While this is true of all people, the repeal of the tax exemption for churches would be a major step in making America a better place. The tax exemption on churches is essentially providing the church with more money, considering that they do not have to pay taxes on the donations, income, etc. that they receive. This exemption is provided by the government which violates the whole principle of the separation between church and state, therefore, the tax exemption for churches should be repealed.
Bibliography
- Bekiempis, Victoria. “Are Churches Making America Poor?”. Newsweek Global , vol. 161, no. 38, Oct. 2013, p. 1. EBSCOhost, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=92697595
- Bruinius, Harry. “Why a Former Minister Is Challenging Churches' Tax Privileges in US”. The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2017, www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2017/1020/Why-a-former-minister-is-challenging-churches-tax-privileges-in-US
- Greenawalt, Kent. Religion and the Constitution, Volume 1: Free Exercise and Fairness. Princeton University Press, 2006. EBSCOhost, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=335075&site=ehost-live
- Matthews, Dylan. “Analysis| You Give Religions More than $82.5 Billion a Year”. The Washington Post, WP Company, 28 Apr. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/08/22/you-give-religions-more-than-82-5-billion-a-year/
- Smith, Steven D. 'Taxes, Conscience, and the Constitution'. Constitutional Commentary, Winter 2006, p. 365+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A164869058/OVIC?u=morenetjeffc&sid=OVIC&xid=d4015e5b. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019.
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