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And so it begins.....

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Bro. Curtis, Sep 18, 2007.

  1. LeBuick

    LeBuick New Member

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    Our Church proudly stands with you in this position except to add, the Lord will make a way, somehow...
     
  2. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    You said "churches that feed at the government's trough must abide by the government's rules." The church in question here has a doctrine opposed to performing a union for same-sex couples, and their tax exemption is threatened [lost, at least for the time]. A church which has a different unscriptural doctrine has its tax exemption intact. That's what is "no big deal" with you?
     
  3. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

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    Wow - I wonder how true Bible believing churches all over the world exist without tax exempt status? In most countries unless you are a recognised church you get no tax relief.

    Is God any less able to provide for American churches than churches all over the world?
     
  4. 2 Timothy2:1-4

    2 Timothy2:1-4 New Member

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    There is a broad misconception especially among liberals that somehow churches under a tax exempt status are getting a break. the reason for the tax exempt status is that the churches serve the community through various services. This has been the basis from the start.
     
  5. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    Again, I never said the church can't have its own doctrines...just expect that if you take a special break from the govt. that it can set rules associated with those breaks. As usual, you miss the point.
     
  6. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Good point, MP. When the government does something "for you" there are strings attached.

    For example, the state of Arkansas which subsidizes local schools told my local school district that they had to upgrade the high school building or build a new one. So the local citizens voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to increase property taxes to pay for a new high school building(I voted against it as I think property taxes are the worst way for a goverment to collect revenue as you never really own your property). If they had not done so then the state of Arkansas was going to take over the local school district. It was either do what the state goverment ordered the district to do "voluntarily" or they would come in and do it anyway. So much for the myth of local control.
     
  7. Bro. Curtis

    Bro. Curtis <img src =/curtis.gif>
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    The reason I thought it was newsworthy is that our country gave churches of any type tax exempt status to provide head room for charitable giving.

    I think a higher power than New Jersey is at work here.
     
  8. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    That some churches have doctrines they have to pay for, and some churches have opposing doctrines they get for free is exactly the point.
     
  9. LeBuick

    LeBuick New Member

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    If the government sets the rules then we have no freedom of religion...
     
  10. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    They are not paying for doctrine. They are taking a tax break that comes with strings. Is this really that hard for you to figure out?
     
  11. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    Sure you do. Pay taxes like other organizations, and you are totally free.
     
  12. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    How is anything "free" if you have to pay for it?
     
  13. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    Never mind. :BangHead:
     
  14. LeBuick

    LeBuick New Member

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    Tax free??? :laugh: :laugh: :wavey:
     
  15. Timsings

    Timsings Member
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    That is incorrect. The idea of tax exempt status for churches goes back to the separation of church and state. Churches in the US do not get support from the state as the Anglican Church does in England. And, churches do not pay taxes so that they cannot demand government services or considerations on account of their taxes.

    Finally, what do liberals have to do with this topic? They are the all-purpose response when you want to prejudice someone else's position.

    Tim Reynolds
     
  16. Bro. James Reed

    Bro. James Reed New Member

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    That seems to make sense to me.

    This idea that, if the church is forced to pay taxes, then we are somehow less involved with the government, leaves me with a big "?".:confused:

    It seems to me that government being out of the church and church out of the government is best served by there being no business between the two. Taxes would be a link between the two, therefore, I submit that taxing a church is a violation of the separation of church and state. How do you like them apples.:laugh:

    I still can't get over this. Are you all saying that churches in this country do not have to pay for utilities or trash pick up or anything like that? When did this start? Our utility bill sure comes in every month and the city of Houston sure as heck don't mind charging us to pick up the trash. At our former building, the city informed us that we would have to buy one of those big plastic trash cans (from the city, obviously) so the new trucks could come through and just use that electronic arm to lift it up and dump it. We told them if we bought it, it would just get stolen by the neighbors who so loved to break in and steal from us all the time. We were told it didn't matter. So, we canceled the trash pickup service and started taking the trash with us on Sunday.

    2 of the 4 Primitive Baptist churches in Houston were raided this past year for not having their buildings up to code. Of course, I thought a building that was 50 years old was grandfathered in, but I guess I was wrong. The city sure didn't mind taking their money for permits and such to get up to code. Don't tell me the government is not getting it's money from churches. Those permits were not cheap and they were required to get the same permits for each building on the property. Explain to me why a church has to pay the city to come and inspect its buildings when the city is the one wanting the inspection and the church was doing nothing to warrant an inspection to begin with.

    Stupid government...and yet, some of you think our churches aren't giving enough to the government...for shame.
     
  17. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    Why would you not want your church building up to code? This is a matter of safety.
     
  18. Bro. James Reed

    Bro. James Reed New Member

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    Putting up Maximum seating capacity signs, emergency exit signs, new doors with push bars, and other such things as this is hardly a saftey issue in a building that is less than 1,000 sq. feet!

    One of the churches was forced to remove a mobile home that had been sitting in the back lot of the church for probably 20 years (and being used as a bunk house during large gatherings). How is that a safety issue? They had to tear down the metal fence and several trees to remove it. Does all that really seem fair to you?

    I just can not fathom how anyone in their right mind could support idiocy such as this.

    On top of this, that church's air-conditioners have been stolen or vandalized 4 times in the past year!

    These are not Lakewood church here. These are small, old, poor congregations that can not afford all this hassle and have never had to deal with it before because we have never had a government before in the history of this country that was so bent on running every non-mega, t.v. superstar type church into the ground. It's shameful, and if you think the government is really only concerned about safety in these churches, then you're as blind as those who think the Iraq war was started by al-Qaeda. The government wants us to either pony up the dough for the continuous inspections, permits and fees or they want to force us to close so a business can move into the location and they can start taxing the buildings, land, trees, water, air, birds, insects, God and anything else they can think of. It's about money, and "rich, blind liberals" play right into their hands.
     
  19. kubel

    kubel New Member

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    I agree. There are strings attached to tax exemption, and churches seek this exemption knowing full well about those strings. You can't accept the tax exemption and then cry for help when someone pulls one of those strings.

    I wish it weren't that way, and I feel really bad for churches that would have to close up if they didn't have tax exemption, but churches either have to file as a non-profit and get tax exemption with strings attached, or they have to be like any other organization and pay taxes. Such is the way of life in our society. The only other option is a revolution.

    It would be nice to see some peaceful changes brought about that immunizes churches from the IRS like how it was in the beginning of our nations history. But until we see those changes (or unless we want to start picking up our pitchforks and torches), we have an obligation to abide by the laws of this state.
     
  20. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm, do you guys believe that Muslim mosques should be tax exempt and at the same time free from any kind of government regulation?
     
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